Cryptophobia Explored
Thursday, February 10th, 2011 01:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jesse_the_kI'm glad WisCon introduced me to Haddayr Copley-Woods, who writes fiction and copy, mothers a couple of energetic kids, makes eloquent commentaries on Minn Public Radio, and bicycles through the winter in the Twin Cities. The last is made a little more unusual because she's got MS, and when walking lurches with crutches — she's fashioned a crutch holder from PVC pipe to tote her walking tools while she's biking.
http://www.copleywoods.com/haddayr for stories! blog! more info!
Haddyr's bike hack particularly delights me because it's functional and it blows up common assumptions. "How can a crutch user ride a two-wheel bicycle?" The answer illuminates why the USA disability rights movement has advocated "person first" language. Haddyr isn't a generic "crutch user";' she's specifically Haddyr, who uses crutches. She's got strong muscles in her legs and and she can balance a bike.
So I was thrilled when I clicked the first number of Disability Studies Quarterly and read about a blind person who rides her bike all around the planet during daylight when she can see enough.
Black Bike, White Cane: Nonstandard Deviations Of A Special Self
Catherine Kudlick
Department Of History
University Of California, Davis
Cryptophobia is an excellent term for the perplexity many people display around disability. I suspect cryptophobia is the source of much "disability policing," when people feel the need to make sure those people on disability benefits are not "scroungers," that this woman taking strong narcotics for chronic pain isn't "abusing"; that this person with a learning disability isn't getting an "unfair advantage" from longer time to finish tests.
Do check out the rest of the Disability Studies Quarterlies. Each issue includes some creative non-fiction and fiction, book and other media reviews, and peer-reviewed articles. I can always understand at least one of the articles, and at least one leaves me scratch my ears, perplexed. All for free in HTML!
http://www.copleywoods.com/haddayr for stories! blog! more info!
Haddyr's bike hack particularly delights me because it's functional and it blows up common assumptions. "How can a crutch user ride a two-wheel bicycle?" The answer illuminates why the USA disability rights movement has advocated "person first" language. Haddyr isn't a generic "crutch user";' she's specifically Haddyr, who uses crutches. She's got strong muscles in her legs and and she can balance a bike.
So I was thrilled when I clicked the first number of Disability Studies Quarterly and read about a blind person who rides her bike all around the planet during daylight when she can see enough.
Black Bike, White Cane: Nonstandard Deviations Of A Special Self
Catherine Kudlick
Department Of History
University Of California, Davis
begin quote Ever since I chose to use a white cane in selected situations, I've collided head-on with society's (undiagnosed) case of "cryptophobia" - my term for everyone's panic in the face of ambiguity. It might be the same angst many feel when they can't immediately determine someone's gender; as they search their data banks for clues - expected behaviors, dress, voice, gait, facial expression, body space - they overload if some detail doesn't come to the rescue in fixing the mysterious identity. quote ends
Cryptophobia is an excellent term for the perplexity many people display around disability. I suspect cryptophobia is the source of much "disability policing," when people feel the need to make sure those people on disability benefits are not "scroungers," that this woman taking strong narcotics for chronic pain isn't "abusing"; that this person with a learning disability isn't getting an "unfair advantage" from longer time to finish tests.
Do check out the rest of the Disability Studies Quarterlies. Each issue includes some creative non-fiction and fiction, book and other media reviews, and peer-reviewed articles. I can always understand at least one of the articles, and at least one leaves me scratch my ears, perplexed. All for free in HTML!
