Kansas: Life for PWDs under Permanent GOP Rule

There’s been a lot of talk about the way ongoing disasters in Kansas presage comparable disasters for the United States under un-checked GOP rule. That’s certainly my fear when it comes to disability. Many conservatives talk eloquently about serving people with disabilities (on a language basis PWDs become objectified, it’s a charity-based model, but that’s … Continue ReadingKansas: Life for PWDs under Permanent GOP Rule

Who Knows Anything? – Journalism, Caesarean Section, and the Production of Knowledge

The New York Times ran a story about an amazing c-section survival in 1337. But historians of medieval medicine don’t think it happened.  By Monica H. Green On Wednesday, 23 November 2016—the day before the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S.—the New York Times ran what it likely assumed to be a “fun fact” story, a … Continue ReadingWho Knows Anything? – Journalism, Caesarean Section, and the Production of Knowledge

Abuse in Group Homes in Illinois – New Expose from Chicago Tribune

Major story to follow out of Illinois. Investigative reporters Michael J. Berens and Patricia Callahan published an expose of widespread abuse and total lack of oversight in group homes for people with disabilities in Illinois. These homes, known as Community Integrated Living Arrangements, or CILAs, are all over the state, theoretically regulated, but in fact … Continue ReadingAbuse in Group Homes in Illinois – New Expose from Chicago Tribune

Stop Saying Crusade (Psst: He’s talking to us medievalists too)

Medieval history professor Matthew Gabriele, of Virginia Tech, has published a powerful new article about the word “crusade” in both its modern and medieval contexts. He’s arguing not just that modern people mis-use Crusade, which they do (he digs into the famous W. Bush quote about a ‘Crusade against Evil’), but that medievalists need to … Continue ReadingStop Saying Crusade (Psst: He’s talking to us medievalists too)

Keep Talking Culture: Kidlit, Michael Grant, Autism.

Here’s a storify on a recent internet fight around literature, cultural appropriation, and autism. It ended when Michael Grant, a famous YA author, called another author’s autistic child a “burden.” He later apologized. Everyone wants to understand why Hillary Clinton lost the campaign and what it means for the future. Usually, it means that whatever … Continue ReadingKeep Talking Culture: Kidlit, Michael Grant, Autism.