Friday, December 25, 2020

Abundance, disability wise

 RantWoman's psyche tonight is a little like a room after all the Christmas presents have been unwrapped. Perishable items have been stowed or tended to. Snacks may remain but for instance the giant jar of (very tasty) mixed nuts have been stowed out of sight to tempt / nourish one another day. Wrapping has mostly been gathered and folded. Some of the bigger presents have yet to be carried to their destined resting places. RantWoman has digressed to a bit of  "real food" and to a radio show about Antonin Dvorak and the music of BIPOC in the US and then come back to themes muddling around in the crinkled and reused wrapping paper. Consider the following news items


An especially piquant #pandemic related item about care of people with disabilities, Sarah McSweeney and others in OR

NPR report on PWD and COVID treatment in OR


From RantWoman's favorite transphobic anti-abortion newspaper columnist

SueLani Madsen Christmas column


Warning to readers in love with the word "linear:"  RantWoman means to pose several questions and then to say "Discuss." How will we be led?


Further warnings to readers considering whether to scream that transphobic newspaper columnists cause harm by even existing: 

--RantWoman trusts but does not automatically entirely believe this author's perspectives on matters of agricultural economy in eastern WA

--RantWoman believes that of God frequently comes in difficult packages.

--RantWoman listens carefully for small increments of "wokeness" about the topic. RantWoman does not feel led or able to engage about every point she finds objectionable Sometimes RantWoman considers it more on point just not to engage than to get sucked into the hungry vortex of internet flame fests.


Now, back to the main point:

Around UFM, RantWoman has heard people use some of the following terms to encompass at least good intentions toward people with disabilities: accessibility, allyship, solidarity, spiritual accompaniment. Please discuss what in practice what these terns might mean for people with different leadings and gifts in a faith community. bonus points for anyone willing to consider which committees one might hope could tend to these different forms of presence.


Are there other words one might apply to any of the figures in these articles?


And for Disability Studies terminology geeks familiar with the concepts of "medical model" and "social model" please discuss how these concepts apply to either of these stories.

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