Disability Culture in New York City

So I’m going to preface by saying that, while I do live in New York City, I do not have a disability. Therefore, I am looking at disability culture in New York City from the outside looking in. I hope this will be a helpful perspective to all of you, my readers.

Anyway, I think that we must start by defining what disability culture is before explaining what disability culture is like in New York City. As such, for the purpose of this writing, I will go with the Encyclopedia Britannica definition of disability culture: “the sum total of behaviours, beliefs, ways of living, and material artifacts that are unique to persons affected by disability.”

One belief that exists with many disabled people I know in New York is that institutions do not come close to adequately serving people with various kinds of disabilities (physical ones too, but other kinds of disabilities as well). From the schools and how they do (or don’t) address children with educational special needs, to wheelchair accessibility issues in many places (including the subways in New York), there is a general belief among many disabled people in New York City that not nearly enough is done to address the needs of disabled people. This belief is a part of disability culture in New York City.

Since institutions fail to properly provide for people with disabilities, they need to work very hard to compensate for the fact that they’re disabled in an ableist world. One example of that would be with the subways: since the subways in New York are notorious for their lack of wheelchair accessibility, people in wheelchairs need to meticulously plan out their trips so that they can travel. An example like the subways demonstrate that in New York City, part of disability culture is encountering systems which are inadequate, and finding things for themselves which do work.

However, these negative circumstances, while they are a part of disability culture in New York City, should not be the only thing about disability culture in New York City, or even the thing which hopefully defines disability culture in New York City. No, the thing that I hope can define disability culture in New York City (at least from the outside looking in) is the deep desire to have the same opportunities that people without disabilities have. Those opportunities don’t exist, but there is a desire for those opportunities to exist.

I am sure that there is much more to disability culture in New York City, and that there is quite a bit I’m missing here. Hopefully, one day, someone (either on Joe’s blog or in another place) can fill in some of the gaps left by able-bodied me. But what I’ve written above are just a few things I’ve noticed about disability culture in New York City.

By: 

Brendan Birth 

What is Disability culture?

This is a movie on youtube called Sound and Fury. This is a live example about disability and culture. Mainly about the deaf community. Recommend watching it. I choose the picture it reminds up were are all able not disabled.

Today you as the reader as going to learn  some concepts some concepts when it comes to disability culture order to understand next weeks post written by my friend Brendan Birth who lives in New York.   He is going to talk about what Disability culture is like and what he thinks about it.

In my post this week you will learn some new concepts and reiterate some old concepts I wrote before. Before I began I began I could write 20 pages or more on this subject? I am going to teach you some concepts and words that stand out the most. Then apply it to and give examples of what the mean.

Think about this when you thinking about what culture is.
Disability Etiquette: a way of interacting with people with disabilities which demonstrates respect and consideration. 
Keys:
- first person language
- being okay with differences
- have all something to contribute
- have people the way you want to be treated.
- want all the same basic stuff.

At first let me tell you what what culture means in the most broadest sense. "A fluid system of leaned beliefs values and traditions  principles and guides for behaviors that are shared among a particular group. " How how people hold themselves in a particular group. An Example of that is many deaf people are proud to be deaf and use sign language. A lot of those people do not want to make way for them to hear because they are to proud to be who they are as people.
What is visible:
- age
- race
- Gender
- Language
This what is the most truest when it comes to culture and what you can point out in people. To me gender is becoming harder. Sometimes it is harder to point out if this person is Female or male or something. Since understanding a little bit about culture. Language is powerful and the way we use words is to as people.

Person First language: is putting person first before the disability. An example of that is Justin has Autism. It is not saying that Justin Autistic. It all depends on the person. If the person can speak for themselves ask what their preference is. Sometimes people are to say they have a disability and some are not. It sum it up it is all about preference. 

What to think about when it comes to the end of the post.

Golden Rules:
- Let them be their own advocates.
- Put yourself in their shoes

Types Of Disabilities and how people with disabilites deal with it?

Since you have gotten a view of what special needs are from my last post by reading a paper I wrote on this very subject. You have a basic understanding of what a disability is and what a special needs people are. As a refresher a disability is a physical or mental condition that limits a persons movements sense or activities. Again, for me I am hard of hearing. I have trouble on some level. To help with that I wear hearing aids to help with amplifying the sound so I can people better.
Today is going to be the many categories that deal with what  disabilities are and what stages of a response to a disability. Then going to understand the acceptance of a disability of a scale. Sometimes this is commonly used. People with disabilities as an acronym which is PWD is how it is used. 
Categories of a Disability 

1. Physical Disability 
2. Intellectual/Development 
3. Cognitive 
4. psychiatric   

Acceptance of a disability scale 
- Developed in 1971 as a way to determine the characteristics of what makes a person with a disability accepting of his/her disability.

1. Focus on certain individual values 
2. DE-emphasis on Physique 
3. containment of disability 
4. Stop comparing self to others' assets. 

Stages of response to a disability 

1. shock
2. denial 
3. depression 
4. anger
5. acceptance. 

At the end just let the person with special needs just be themselves and just be their for them. It is okay to not understand at first. Being their sometimes just means  the world to them. 

P.S I am going to write about what person first language and what disability culture is. That will be introduction to something. My very dear friend is going to write about what disability culture is like where he lives in New York. That will be the week after when I give my introduction to the ideas he is going to write about. 

What is Special needs?

I was thinking about what to write here in this weeks post. Today I am going to share a paper I wrote for an Educational Psychology class.  In this I class I learned about how to identify and help different learners and much more. One of things I learned was identifying what special needs people are and what gifted people are. That is some of things I have learned in the class. This paper goes in to what special needs are and what special education is. Then it is what the government should do about it. Take your time reading the paper and let me know your thoughts reader. Just as a reminder this is just my own thoughts about the topic. Copy and paste the link.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PTna0lEOTfF5JhQ_6G2tCt4sPhKl6pjDhAluKsB5XaA/edit?usp=sharing

Get to know the Author

My name is Joseph Gronski and I am a special needs person. Which means that I am hard of hearing and my I.Q is lower than the average person. I have a passion for working with the special needs community. Right, Now I am a student Pennsylvania State University studying Rehabilitation and Human Services along with a minor in Special Education. They are both an education major and minor through my school. I have a passion for promoting special needs people through  school and education. I know what it is like to be a special needs person and thinks I can relate to people and jobs I want after school. I want to become a special needs teacher through Teach for America because I was once in special needs classes myself and know what it is like to struggle myself. On some level I can relate to the people I teach or counsel. I also want to become a psychiatrist specializing in Adolescent psychology because I know how it is be yourself at that age. Lets go back a step to understand a little bit about how I became hard of hearing.

When I was four my right middle ear bones  had erupted and my parents had to take me to the emergency room. All of a sudden this blue liquid was coming out of my ear. They had to replace the middle ear bones with fake ones. Then it affected my left ear and that is how I became hard of hearing. From that my physical disability has impacted my mental disability. That only wants to make me want to work harder at school because I know I have these obstacles I have to overcome. What does all this mean when it come my blog and what I am passionate about?

I will be sharing a weekly blog post about mental health and special needs people are. I will be posting every Sunday night. Related topics to on the subject. It could be through my daily life or what I did learn or what I am currently learning. One day were are all going to say we are all able not disabled. To me everyone has something good to contribute to this world not matter how small it is.

P.S I am a lot different about than other blogs that are similar because I am a special needs person who wants educate other people about special needs or mental health. I will be blogging various topics from my Psychology courses, Rehabilitation and Human Services Courses or my Special education courses.  I might even take topics from my Sociology courses. Thanks for taking the time to read my very first blog post and can not wait until next week.