Now on Ability Maine: This Month in Disability History, Vibrant Local Economies, Youth Activism Gathering

Which disability rights activists were born in February? Which disability themed movies were nominated for Oscars? Find out the fun details in Mike Reynolds' newest article on Ability Maine, "The Month in Disability History."

From the "Creating and Sustaining Vibrant Local Economies" article on Ability Maine:

Do you think a strong locally-based sector is crucial to a more vibrant, thriving economy for Maine? Are you a supporter of the local economies movement and willing to actively promote it? If so, we hope you will come to and register (via http://mainelocaleconomies.org) for this day-long gathering and encourage others to do so as well:
"Creating and Sustaining Vibrant Local Economies in Maine"
on March 22,  9 AM-4 PM, Randall Student Center, Augusta.

Youth Activism Gathering is April 19-21 in South China, Maine. Find out more at Ability Maine or at the Maine Youth Activism Gathering blog.

The Spring Issue of Breath & Shadow, the Disability Literary Journal, Is Up!

This is 10th year of publication for Breath & Shadow and this spring issue shows it's still going strong, with poetry, essays, and fiction by diverse writers with disabilities. It features poetry by Ani Keaten, Jennifer Ruth Jackson, Sergio Ortiz, and Jordan Jamison, nonfiction by A.K. Duvall, Misti Shupe, and Robert Kingett, and fiction by W.R. Hilary and William Ward.

Read the Spring 2013 issue of Breath & Shadow!

Breath & Shadow Editor, Chris Kuell, Interviewed in Wordgathering

Chris Kuell, the editor of Breath & Shadow literary journal, was interviewed in this month's issue of Wordgathering. Read the interview here!

Wordgathering: A Journal of Disability Poetry, as its name suggests, was launched as a poetry journal with a focus on disability. However, as it's established itself -- now in its sixth year -- the journal has branched out to include disability-related reviews, essays, visual art, and fiction, too.

This interview is a terrific behind-the-scenes look of what goes on at Breath & Shadow and is a must read for writers who are interested in submitting their work to the publication. Chris discusses favorite writers and pieces from past editions of Breath & Shadow, upcoming work in the journal, his own writing background and projects, and the history, mission, and goings-on at Breath & Shadow.

Chris keeps things interesting with his wit and political perspective, too, as this excerpt shows:

Wordgathering: What role do you feel a magazine like Breath and Shadow and Wordgathering play in disability culture? How do you feel they can influence what people think about people with disabilities?

Chris Kuell: The goal of the disability movement, and I do think of it as a movement, is to bring about a change in the way that society sees us. From a stereotype of "less than" to a new paradigm of unique person of value–which is how I try to think of everyone (Rush Limbaugh, I'm not so sure about). There is no single way to bring about such a societal shift in thinking, so it requires a multi-pronged approach. One of those prongs is through disability literature. Our goal, our hope, is to encourage people from all walks of life to dip their toe in the water and give us a try. I'm a writer, so obviously I'm biased, but I believe literature is a very powerful tool for change. If we can get them to dip that toe, we might get them to feel something new, to dissolve that stereotype and glimpse truth.

Breath & Shadow is a project of Ability Maine and is entirely written and produced by people with disabilities. If you're interested in fiction, poetry, essays, reviews, and other literature by disabled writers, Breath & Shadow is for you. For a free, quarterly email subscription, send an e-mail to  breathandshadow@gmail.com and put "subscribe" in the subject line. Or, for more information, visit Breath & Shadow's subscription page.

Thanks, Wordgathering, for this engaging interview! (And make sure to check out the rest of the September 2012 issue of Wordgathering for poetry, fiction, reviews, and essays from a wide variety of new and emerging writers.)

Languaging Disability: Where do "Ability" and "Dis/Ability" Fit In?

What word do you use for people who either have or don't have a disability, such as for an antidiscrimination policy? Do you say, "We welcome everyone, regardless of  age, race, religion, sexual orientation, class, gender, or ability?" Or do you say "dis/ability"?

In a new essay at Ability Maine, Sharon Wachsler argues against the use of "ability" to mean "disability" and offers two alternatives that she believes are more accurate, honest, and respectful.

Why is using "ability" this way problematic? The first reason is that it's inaccurate and misleading because whether or not one is disabled doesn't actually have much to do with one's abilities. I know that the letters "a-b-i-l-i-t-y" are contained in the word "disability," but the etymology of the word and its meaning as a social construct are not the same thing.

Read Languaging Disability by clicking here. (Have comments on the article? Agree? Disagree? Other ideas? Come back here to our blog and speak your mind!)