01 Women And Disability (Intro)
Description
This article is from the Essays on the topic of Women and Disability.
01 Women And Disability (Intro)
Canadian Woman Studies is published 4 times a year by Inanna
Publications and Education Inc.
August 1993
Publications Mail Registration Number 5912
This issue is available in alternative formats.
CANADIAN WOMAN STUDIES is a feminist quarterly which was founded
with the goal of making current writing and research on a wide
variety of feminist topics accessible to the largest possible
community of women. During our fourteen years of publication we
have attempted to create a forum in which all of us--not only
university women--can exchange our ideas, personal experiences,
expertise and creativity. By demystifying our communications with
one another we are actively working towards serving as a middle
ground between the scholarly and the popular, between theory and
activism.
We welcome experiential articles and essays; book, art and film
reviews; and creative work. Our key criteria for accepting
material for publication are clarity, interest to the diverse
lives of our readership, and thematic relevance. While we do not
restrict our always-expanding sense of what makes a contribution
'feminist'--we strive for a presentation of different
perspectives--we will not publish writing that is sexist,
racist, homophobic or in any other way discriminatory.
We particularly welcome French-language contributions and
manuscripts in both languages that deal with issues pertaining to
the lives of women of colour, immigrant women, working class
women, lesbians and other marginalized women.
FOUNDING EDITORS AND PUBLISHERS: Marion Lynn and Shelagh
Wilkinson
MANAGING EDITOR: Luciana Ricciutelli
EDITORIAL/PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: Jacqueline Code
BUSINESS/CIRCULATON: Rosemary Moore
GUEST EDITORIAL BOARD: Karen Blackford, Cathy Cuthbertson, Fran
Odette, Miriam Ticoll
BOOK REVIEW EDITOR: Frances Beer LITERARY EDITOR: Libby Scheier
FRENCH LANGUAGE EDITOR: Sylvie B. Cote
EDITORIAL BOARD: Nuzhat Amin, Frances Beer, Brenda Cranney,
Denyse Hayoun, June Larkin, Helen Lucas, Meg Luxton, Marion Lynn,
Nakanyike Musisi, Eimear O'Neill, Carmen Perillo, Libby Scheier,
Milana Todoroff, Shelagh WiLkinson.
FRENCH EDITORIAL BOARD: Sylvie Arend, Gail Brandt, Sylvie B. Cote
A REGIONAL EDITORS: West Coast--Hannah Gay, Deborah Poff.
Prairies--Claire Harris, Ann Smart. East Coast--Sharon Taylor.
ADVISORY BOARD: Nicole Brossard, Shirley Davy, Ursula Franklin,
Doug Light, Jeanne Maranda, Greta H. Nemiroff, Elizabeth Weir,
Lois Wilson, Sandra Wool Frey.
DESIGN/LAYOUT: Jacqueline Code and Luciana Ricciutelli
PRINTING/BINDING: University of Toronto Press, Inc.
WOMEN AND DISABILITY
Editorial
BEGINNINGS
The Disabled Women's Movement 1983 to 1993
by Pat Israel and Fran Odette
Must Disability Always Be Visible? The Meaning of Disability for
Women
by Sharon Dale Stone
VOICES
Margins Are Not For Cowards
by Cheryl Gibson
The First Step Is To Be Noticed
by Dianne Pothier
Coming Out of Two Closets
by Jane Field
An Indonesian Experience
by Wahyu Handayani
The Double Objectification of Disability and Gender
by Christine Malec
Body Image Then and Now: My Experience of Disability in
Argentina
by Sara Leiserson
Having a Disability 'Sometimes'
by Sherry Peters
"You Think I Want to Make Fuck With You": Travelling With A
Disability or Two
by Milana Todoroff
Snapshots From the Margins: Women With Disabilities in El
Salvador
by Patricia Pardo-Demiantschuk
The Energy Crisis: Mothers With Chronic Illness
by Renee Lyons and L. Darlene Meade
Perspectives on Caregiving
by Jacqueline Low
Navigating Through Dyslexia and Sexual Abuse: Reversing Abusive
Power Relations and Narrative Structures
by Victoria C. Littman
Women With Disabilities in Bangladesh
by Anita Rahman and Polloby Ahmed
Marriage-able? Cultural Perspectives of Women With Disabilities
of South Asian Origin
by Linda Nancoo
STRUGGLES
Triple Jeopardy: Native Women With Disabilities
by Doreen Demas
Disability and Relationships
by Tracy Odell
New Reproductive Technology: My Personal and Political Dichotomy
by Maria Barile
Visually Impaired Women as Mothers
by Ruth Bieber-Schut
Childbirth Support for Women With Disabilities
A Report of the Equity Committee of the Interim Regulatory
Council on Midwifery
Sunnybrook
Sculpture and text by Persimmon Blackbridge
Did I Scream?
by Sheila Lindsey
Opening the Doors: Addressing the Sexual Abuse of Women With an
Intellectual Disability
by Miriam Ticoll and Melanie Panitch
To Be or Not To Be? Whose Question Is It Anyway?: Two Women With
Disabilities Discuss the Right to Assisted Suicide
by Tanis Doe and Barbara Ladoceur
Women, Disability and Education Research Project
by Kelly Scott
Income and Social Support for Older Women With Disabilities by
Carole Miles-Tapping
Sharing Our Expertise Through Peer Support
by Teresa Andreychuk
Empowered Adolescents: A Self Help Prevention Framework for
Adolescents At Risk
by Traci Walters
Women Speak: A Participatory Research Project
by Denise Young and Brenda Aries
TRANSCENDENCE
You Can Dance Too
by J. Estelle Reddin
Busting the Myth
by R. Rochelle
Feminism, Disability and Transcendence of the Body
by Susan Wendell
Feminizing the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada
by Karen Blackford
REVIEWS
Feminism & Disability
by Shelley Tremain
The More We Get Together
by Deborah Kent
Double the Trouble, Twice the Fun
a video review bv Shelley Tremain
The Change: Women, Aging and the Menopause
by Deborah Heller
Theorizing Patriarchy
by Kiran Mirchandani
Gendered States: Feminist (Re)Visions of International Relations
Theory
by Joanne Wright
Women in Irish Politics
by Wendy Schissel
Assertive Biblical Women
by Rev. Louise Mahood
POETRY
Songs From My Cerebellum
by S. Jones
Hospital
by Diana Thompson
Under the Dislexic Tree
by Alexandra Pasian
Amputations
by Jennifer Footman
It runs in the family
by Diane Driedger
Tilting
by Mariana Colleen Perry
Deaf Mute?
by Jancis M. Andrews
Death of a Fishwoman
by Yeshim Ternar
Marilyn
by Kathy Fretwell
November Rain
by Lorinda Peterson
Full Circle Deli
by Alice Aisgill
Lions
by Joanna Weston
Voices
by Joanna Weston
Yesterday's Lips
by Joanna Weston
Poem for Dee
by Heather Spears
Live Fish
by Yeshim Ternar
talking to mirrors
by Alice Aisgill
FRONT COVER
Sheree Clarke, Coming Out, 1992. Acrylic on canvas, 40" x 46".
BACK COVER
Sheree Clarke, Birth, 1991. Conte on paper, 27" x 36".
"As a person who is constantly changing, I am presently evolving
from being a teacher and therapist to being a care giver and
creator of myself. Whereas my writing and artwork had always been
the means for escape and refuge, now it has become the foundation
of my self and social expression. Still struggling with what to
call myself I have recently adopted the word artist and all its
possibilities. " Sheree Clarke is from Kingston, Ontario.
This is a sample, if you find it useful, please write for more
pubications from: York University, 212 Founders College,
York University, 4700 Keele Street, North York, Ontario M3J 1P3
A York University Publication
Women and Disability
212 Founders College,
York University
4700 Keele Street
North York, Ontario M3J 1P3
Telephone: (416) 736-5356
Editorial
Feminists with disabilities have been relegated too long to the
margins of the women's movement. Therefore, it is timely that
Canadian Woman Studies has invited us to gather papers related to
women and disability. Our editorial group is made up of
academic and activist women, the majority of whom have a
disability.
Pat Israel and Fran Odette introduce us to the issues and point
out that our movement of women with disabilities is relatively
young.This CWS issue is not intended to be the final word, but
one contribution toward a larger project.
How will these writings of feminist disability theorists compare
with those of other feminists? Like other feminists, we insist
that the personal is political. In contrast to some other
feminist publications, we include perspectives that do not all
conform to academic, middle class, western notions of feminism.
The experiences of women from varying backgrounds have been
included to highlight the diversity in the lives of women with
disabilities.
On a theoretical level, the discussion of transcendence
challenges some traditional feminist thinking. Most feminists
advocate celebration of the body as we experience it, and argue
against transcendence theories which propose working toward some
future ideal bodily form. Susan Wendell in this issue agrees that
a recognition of the present body is vital, but raises questions
about celebrating a painful or disabled body that in itself may
be a source of oppression. Such questions turn
feminist arguments about transcendence and celebration of the
body in new directions. Feminists have long argued that
oppression related to gender is socially constructed through
negative expectations of women and socially created by barriers
which restrict women. Learning about how relations create and
construct oppression for disabled women can bring new insights to
many women who also struggle against medicalization and
colonization.
We are committed to using language that is empowering. Women with
disabilities do not see themselves, nor do they want to be named
as part of an anonymous, gender less group called "the disabled."
We are persons and we are women. There is some
contention still among women with disabilities about whether we
should accept the label "disabled women." Some insist that the
term disempowers us. They argue that the adjective "disabled"
negates the abilities that each of us has. Others advocate the
use of "disabled women" to insist that disability need not be
hidden, and to demand that disability be recognized as an
integral part of who we are. Articles in this issue reflect this
debate and use both of these terms. Acceptance of the term
"able-bodied" also varies among women with disabilities.
Occasionally, authors have used that term. "Consumer of
services" is preferable to terms connoting dependency such as
"recipient of care." "Consumer" implies someone with choices who
plays an active part in the economic market.
This issue is available on audio cassettes for vision impaired
readers.This issue is also available on a computer disc for the
use of those deaf-blind readers who have access to a computer
with a Braille printer. We would like to challenge other
journals to emulate Canadian Woman Studies with regard to
creating access, inviting editorial participation, and including
women with disabilities in feminist publishing.
We wish to thank Marie Fafard for discussing plans for the
issue, and for encouraging us to publish work in this area.
Karen Blackford, Cathy Cuthbertson, Fran Odette and Miriam
Ticoll
Funding Acknowledgements
Canadian Woman Studies/les cahiers de la femme gratefully
acknowledges the generous support of:
ùWomen's Program, Secretary of State
ùFamily Violence Prevention Division, Health and Welfare Canada
ùSocial Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
ùthe Government of Ontario, through the Ministry of Culture and
Communications.
Contributors retain copyright. No reproduction of any part of
this magazine without prior written permission.
The articles printed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect
the views of the editors and the staff of CWS/cS, or of our
funders.
A York University Project.
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