First, take away the intellectual impairment aspect, and how would you prevent this happening to any vulnerable person?

Not sure what you mean by 'any vulnerable person'. Perhaps anyone who's taken advantage of in daily life could be seen as intellectually impaired?

As it happened, the young person I've given…

First, take away the intellectual impairment aspect, and how would you prevent this happening to any vulnerable person? Ideas could include good life skills and budgeting education at school, supervised work placements while at school etc. Students with…

People have a variety of impairments – intellectual, sensory, mental health, ASD, physical – but it is society (attitudes, structures, laws, even pay rates etc) that disables.

A practical case: a young person leaves school and starts work in an IHC facility. Their earnings are supplemented by a disability benefit.…

medicalised silos

heh!

Can I suggest that it is not only about the traditional groups defined by impairment types though – although that's the level a lot of policy still responds to and it…

What we need to recognise and get government to recognize is that a one size…

Some hard and…

Joe, have you seen "Out of Sight, Out of Mind"?

Thanks Sacha, wonder how I might be able to track that down?

Try googling "frank film" in NZ.
Gerard is Chch based, and would probably be happy to talk. The "Eugenics" doco screen about three years ago, I think. (Out…

Joe, have you seen "Out of Sight, Out of Mind"?

Thanks Sacha, wonder how I might be able to track that down?

I've known a few people who worked at Templeton as far back as WW2, and a few who were 'patients' there. A couple of them are still on…

And you could argue that it is peer-reviewed in the sense that they frequently publish letters that offer an opposing or…

Te Listener briefly noted in 2004:

Film-maker Gerard Smyth was asked in 1995 by parents of Templeton residents to produce a documentary that would help keep the Christchurch institution open. However, he found that, overwhelmingly, the residents wanted to leave…

I'd argue that it's probably the highest profile science/technology magazine (with the arguable exception of Scientific American among non-specialist audiences.

Which may be true, but NS have admitted that the vast majority of their readership are scientists. This biologist uses it to keep abreast of the rest of science that…

I've learnt the hard way that one should attempt to remain open to all developmental possibilities, even when such…

It's not only for people with a high degree of intellectual impairment – and as you know, being impaired in…

People First is a self-advocacy organisation for people with learning disabilities (their preferred term) and I'm sure it has members with microcephaly.

Sure Hilary. And if the entire site wasn't designed, built and maintained by those with profound intellectual disabilities then I'm sure it's only due to the entrenched prejudices…

I sure hope the New Scientist was pretty careful about the distinction.

I'd hope so too Craig

So from the PNAS paper (the original peer reviewed article) we get

Our results suggest that prenatal androgens increase risk preferences and promote more rapid visuomotor scanning and physical reflexes. The success…

It is a very natural human trait to see correlation and think causation. I'm betting most people are genetically wired that way.

But epidemiology, the statistical study of disease and health in populations, is rife with correlations that later proved to be either plain wrong or irrelevant.

It's an incredibly…

Women with high in-utero testosterone may be attracted to men with a genotype that is linked to mathematical skills which is in turn linked to a pheromone they produce.

"Mmmmmm, smells like... maths."

Another study reported in New Scientist implicated high levels of uterine testosterone as a cause of successful financial trading in the resulting adult children!

Ugh!

It is a very natural human trait to see correlation and think causation. I'm betting most people are genetically wired that way.

But epidemiology, the…

I believe that this country has largely treated the severely intellectually disabled in a humane fashion. Euthanasia was hardly ever the norm, and eugenics never gained a real foothold.

With respect, Joe, there is a great deal of evidence, including personal testimony, that people disliked being locked up in institutions,…

I'm far from convinced by the whole idea that you can "reclaim" or "re-contextualise" poisonous hate speech, like taking small, regular doses of snake venom to build up an immunity. Nice theory, shame about the reality it has to operate in.

What pisses me off is that it seems as…

However, when it comes to addressing groups in big social and political processes then the language we use does matter. I want to discuss that in a separate post rather than rushing it here.

And I look forward to it, Sacha, because I'm sure it will be typically thoughtful and…

But just a couple of comments about Autism testing etc.

The reality is that over the next 50 years, which is not that long, we will develop the ability to determine which genetic changes cause, or make it more…

I note that we don't yet have a Disability Act, let alone a Diffability one. I do like the idea of that word but is it just me or does it risk sounding like a lisp?

I tried doing a lisping sound, but it is difficult. It's you methinks.

Agree,…

I say our kids are Asperger.

That is a term I can live with. Thanks RB.

The most he has…

And I agree o the Grok – I think – as a nation – we've…

So on these sorts of issues – like this case – we need to be aware that our own values and perspectives are our own and not universal. What seems straightforward to us, may actually have negative implications and repercussions for others.

And do you really want me imposing Catholic…

severely intellectually disabled people – e.g.microcephalics
(who are NEVER going to have any kind of human life/independent life) and the pointlessness of keeping people alive – just to keep them alive.

There are two different issues here. The first is an example of assumptions made from our able-ist perspective. If…

the different skills, abilities and wonderous natures of different people makes for an interesting world

Agree, although we have some way to go to make a more compelling case than "interesting" for some of our harder-nosed decision-makers. I would be interested to hear your thoughts on that, Christopher.

I note…

I use the graphics card metaphor: the rest of us are wandering around with the latest Nvidia 3D graphics in our heads. ASD people are doing it all on the CPU. Life is a resource hog.

Word. And sometimes the CPU is last century's model.

And thanks for finding the…

One on one, I reckon by all means ask what people…

She parties with the best of them, and participates socially when people can remember to face her when they speak.

This is, IMO, much more important than semantics: remembering to face someone who's Deaf/deaf/hearing-impaired when you talk to them. And if they identify as Deaf, to make sure you keep…

Aint it, but.

This is not challenging anyone, or anybody's stance – but there is the matter of common English useage.
"She's blind as a bat." Ur, no: bats generally have good vision, and wonderful echo-location abilities.
"She's *so* shortsighted." Meaning, incapable of realising/envisioning future…

People who don't get a say, because others in positions of power or judgement can't see beyond their own prejudices, and so have decided their life has no worth or quality.

I don’t see it as anyone saying her life was worthless as such (and I'm sure her father didn't…

If in doubt ask about chosen identity and language. It's just like checking with someone to get the pronunciation or spelling of their name right.

Just don't say 'What's…

Who are these others?

People who don't get a say, because others in positions of power or judgement can't see beyond their own prejudices, and so have decided their life has no worth or quality.

I see this as possibly leading to the situation where murdering a disabled person (eg…

The one that's thrown me so much that I don't quite feel up to addressing it is the pre-natal test proposed by Simon Baron Cohen et al for autism spectrum conditions.

The thing that makes like a thought experiment is that the technique — measuring testosterone levels in…

disabled. I hate that word. I HATE it.

Christopher, please, what word do I use instead? Not being snarky just a pure honest question because damned if I can find a word that describes er you know ... that hasn't been made derogatory. I end up with that word because…

There are not protocols you can learn for dealing with those of us who are so defined that will cover…

I'm not suggesting that, but it is a thin edge of the wedge thing.

Not really following you : no one has suggested she was disabled (including you) and this is not about actively ending her life (as with the Nazi example); this is not even not euthenasia. The doctors,…

Good grief I don't think I ever knew there was a difference between Deaf and deaf. And now you've pointed it out it makes sense.

Hearing-impaired makes sense too, heck I'm slowly but surely heading that way myself especially from the right ... and if someone is…

Granted if I'm describing deafness then deaf is just fine. But what if I'm referring to one of several possibilities?

In the interests of satisfying general interest, no, it probably isn't.

'Deaf' with a capital D means culturally deaf. Someone who is part of the Deaf community, someone who uses…

Granted if I'm describing deafness then deaf is just fine.

Well that depends on how individual deaf people like to describe themselves. Some use Deaf (with a capital D) as they consider themselves a cultural/linguistic minority. Others are happy with deaf, or maybe hearing impaired. Unfortunately, you can't make assumptions,…

disabled. I hate that word. I HATE it.

Christopher, please, what word do I use instead? Not being snarky just a pure honest question because damned if I can find a word that describes er you know ... that hasn't been made derogatory. I end up with that word because…

On the other hand, and getting back to disability, how disabled are you allowed to be and still live, and who decides?

Could you be a little more specific? You're not suggesting in any way that Eluana Englaro could have been regarded as disabled, are you?

It's hypocritcal of them, for sure. And I'm starting to worry that, if we get legislation like that propossed by Berlusconi, human…

"“She didn’t die. She was killed,” Gaetano Quagliarello, a centre-right senator, shouted"... all class.

Well, I find it rather ironic (and ever so slightly confused) that in the minds of people like Quagliarello, it is God's will and respecting "human dignity" that people like Eluana Englaro be forced to endure…

"“She didn’t die. She was killed,” Gaetano Quagliarello, a centre-right senator, shouted"... all class.

That was almost the classiest thing said about it over the last few months. This was another Terry Schiavo case, in some respects more upsetting in fact. And it had the Pope in it and all,…

I'm assuming you're one referring to Berlusconi's attempts to rush through legislation:

The Senate interrupted the debate and observed a minute’s silence as a mark of respect. After the silence came recriminations. “She didn’t die. She was killed,” Gaetano Quagliarello, a centre-right senator, shouted, while others screamed “murderers, murderers”…

In terms of what people in IT can do as a protest, is not possible to refuse to do IP address lookups to ID people? or to 'break' that system so nobody else can? Obviously you would want to check the details of your employment contract first, perhaps couch it…

You do realise that disability is contagious, right?

I suspect it's more the weird human quirk where you're trying so hard not to be offensive or insensitive, you've quite offensively and insensitively made another human being feel like shit. And another paving stone on the Road to Hell gets lobbed…

I…

And I can't believe that toll road – you mean drivers who use wheelchairs have to get out of their cars to pay, and then can't access…

I've traveled the NJ Turnpike many many times – I can't see how they could improve on winding your window down, throwing change in a basket and having a machine count it

Dunno about you, but I *heart* the high-speed EZ-Pass lanes you get in bits of Jersey.

Conversely, I…

the machines are placed too high for people in chairs

Because who knew that wheelchair users can do anything for themselves let alone drive on their own? Oh it brings out the cynic in me..

I'll go you one better —

My day is already brighter, thanks for that.

(although between brishop Williamson and Eluana Englaro, these days I feel ilke dousing the rag in kerosene, sticking it into a bottle and... you finish that seditious sentence for me.)

I found people in public avoiding me, giving me weird looks

You do realise that disability is contagious, right?

Had…

While we're talking about disability issues I had an eye-opening experience – I lived in Berkeley in the 80s during the start of their disability rights movement – I'm used to being driven off the…

Can I get an amen to that?

I'll go you one better —

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f72CTDe4-0

I'm just surprised it measures up so highly against the government telling you…

Still though, I'll protest anything.

And you get to wear black! That's quite cool.

Still though, I'll protest anything.

Many things — but strategic incompetence, political naivete and deep denial about the nature and consequences of same is not among them

So what he means here is "no, nothing really."

Wearing another bloody ribbon doesn't mean half as much to me as reality-based, results-focused political action that gets results.

Can I get an amen to that?

Craig, just wondering, does anything in the world make you cheerful?

Many things — but strategic incompetence, political naivete and deep denial about the nature and consequences of same is not among them. Especially when the dignity and integrity of real families was at stake, and anyone who didn't have…

It was great meeting all these great folks at Foo this year. Russell, thanks for mentionning Sacha to me, so I could hunt him down. Sacha, thanks for letting yourself be hunted down :) And…

Must get my hands on it.

Day without a Gay was attempted in the States as a protest against Prop8. Unfortunately due to a variety of reasons it didn't work out so well.

You mean there were reasons beyond the brain-boiling lameness of it all? Might have helped if there was an Anti-Prop 8 Campaign Without…

Testing... testing...
What would black jesus do?

Give the Southern Baptists the heebeejeebee's methinks. Mind now there's a you know, black man in the White house possibly they are busy changing all and every picture of a white jasus with flowing locks to a Sylvester look-alike.

How about some offline…

I was discussing over the weekend with various people – including the head of IT for the whole government

It would be a really nice surprise if Dr M actually did something. Generally we do our best to ignore the piffle that comes out of the Ministry of Administrative Affairs…

I thought it was a fairly overt reference to the traditional symbol of anarchism, the black flag?

I thought that was the circle-A symbol? Or am I relying too much on Aro Valley graffiti and the back-packs of adolescent pseudo-punks?

But anyway, I'd have thought that the "blackout" reference was…

BTW, Webstock '09 is brilliant. The Town Hall is already buzzing with all sorts of webiliciousness.

I walk into a record store and pelt the owner with rocks instead?

I'm pretty sure black Jesus would have something to say about that.

The hosts were impressed. I also managed to get through most of the te reo part without looking at my notes. It has actually motivated…

Maybe its time to start talking & strategising on ways around this in forums other than this?

You guys need a private group. Invite me.

really good to see a sane presidency again in the USA eh? And asking for input from people…

Our local Civil Defence has a list of people with mobility issues, dependence on respirators, meds etc who migh need speedy attention in the event of disaster. Perhaps yours has a…

This seems to be heading for a Twitter mass protest. The first?

How about some offline civil disobedience. Since nearly everyone who works in IT opposes section 92, why don't we all just call in sick on the same day and see what breaks without anyone to fix it..

Better: break something (quietly) first.

I mean, the net goes down all the…

what do people, who rely on meds to continue everyday living, do in the (likely) event of disasters?

That's a very good question, and one that I worry about too (for myself as a chronic asthmatic, and for family and friends). I don't have the answer.

Speaking from my experience…

The catch-22 is – as you noted- getting sufficient supplies. For the member of my family who is a transplant donee, and the other members of my family who rely on especial anti-depressants (all the foregoing are *very expensive* meds), you never get a script for more than…

what do people, who rely on meds to continue everyday living, do in the (likely) event of disasters?

That's a very good question, and one that I worry about too (for myself as a chronic asthmatic, and for family and friends). I don't have the answer.

Disability Services of the…

I thought it was a fairly overt reference to the traditional symbol of anarchism, the black flag?

I thought we were supporting the All Blacks.

How about some online civil disobedience.

How about some offline civil disobedience. Since nearly everyone who works in IT opposes section 92, why don't we all just call in sick on the same day and see what breaks without anyone to fix it..

DPA was set up as a peak disability lobbying organisation in the early 1980s but I think it is fair to say has somewhat lost its…

the position that, yes, New Zealand is fucked but when hasn't it been?

Craig, that was well-represented which made the eventual vote more heartening.

when I worked for him

I was thinking of you actually, Mark, and may welcome a conversation outside here if the time becomes right.

It was just an intiial chat and introducing a pragmatic angle that I'm not sure he had heard enough of, but my expectations are not overly…

Some important stuff came out of the weekend in Warkworth and you'll be seeing it and hearing about it as the week progresses.

Yeah, well we've heard that before though haven't we?

I can think of about a dozen disability 'thinkers and do-ers' that it would be good to get together (resources permittiing).

Starting with Martin.

I agree resources are out…

By the way are you going to the Auckland meeting with Professor Gerard Quinn of the Irish Human…

And to see the black gravatars you may need…

To all those that came up afterwards and asked me if I’m really so pessimistic…

Is it possible (but much less entiertaining) to hold the position that, yes, New Zealand is fucked but when hasn't it been? And somehow, the crafty ape called man keeps stumbling ever forward into the…

And I was just trying to come to terms with her as a green Orion slave girl!

A statement like that needs photographic evidence!

Russell's gravatar still hasnt turned black (I'm using a 10.5.6 iMac running Safari...)

as you may have noticed I’m no public speaker and was a little blown away by the other participants

No, I didn't notice that. Your point about the state of NZ agriculture was very well made. Still voted against you :-)

Then again, everyone was blown away by Rod Oram.…

Just want to say a quick thank you for the weekend, and sorry I never got a chance to speak with you Russell.

And I'd like to apologise for introducing you as "sad ginge" rebutting "happy ginge" (Roger Dennis). I was actually born ginge!

Yes, do stay in touch. We…

pesky apostrophes.

Also – I had a good chance to speak with Rod Oram about the debate (as you may have noticed I’m no public…

the racial overtones of your colour choice here

I thought it was a fairly overt reference to the traditional symbol of anarchism, the black flag? As in, we're all exhorting to smash the state and replace it with a series of copyright-free anarcho-syndicalist collectives?

I may have my wires crossed,…

Somehow, i think getting ISPs to shut off the internet for a day would be more effective.

Yes it would. But we are not as irresponsible as the truck owning companies.

I was talking at Foo with a smart disability activist from a US background about our disturbing local absence of strong leadership and of clear, shared understandings about what is needed

.

I agree about the shared understanding about what is needed (although there are definitely shared themes), but I disagree…

I did change it. If I hard-refresh the page it changes, otherwise it stays the same.

And I should mention that Sacha is indeed fabulous and I have a small part of my brain still mulling over stuff we talked about on the weekend and what I can do.

Which…

"section 92's about education, it's not about turning people's internet connections off"

More education/ less info.

Stephen Fry just tweeted 92(A)!

We're saved!

Stephen Fry's Twitter icon just went black!

cutting through hierarchies

Need sharper knives – maybe borrow Emma's new fangs. :)

I was discussing over the weekend with various people – including the head of IT for the whole government

And ain't that what cutting through hierarchies is all about.

I'm, oh fuck it, disabled. I hate that word.

Christopher, I assure you that I am championing an approach that is not about deficits or deficiencies, and I'll be writing more about that here soon.

I was discussing over the weekend with various people – including the head of IT…

Stephen Fry just tweeted 92(A)!

We're saved!

Juha got the linkylove.

@ Russell
Thanks for that – good to hear.

Good to know where you're at too, Christopher. I aim for PA to be a very disability=diversity friendly place, so feel free to send me links or even think of a guest post if you're moved.

Just stop buying CDs for a month, don't go to the movies for a month.
Stick it to 'em where it hurts, in their greedy pockets.

YFR!
They'll just blame it on "t3h p1rat3z!" and use it to justify demanding further draconian measures to protect their dying business model. It's…

Thanks for that – good to hear.

Foo, great. Many many thanks to the organisers. My only problem was that I was (on Friday at least) a bit too frazzled/late to communicate. Met some of the PA writers I had not met before and was barely able to string a sentence together.

Well it didn't show, Don.…

Perhaps have a statement to go with the gravatar?

That's coming soon. For now, it's just mysterious black boxen ...

2) I'm, oh fuck it, disabled. I hate that word. I HATE it.

Gotcha there. But sometimes it's the only word that everyone understands.

Hope the single malt shiftedthe viewpoint…

if the revolution only happens on Twitter

All together now: the revolution will not be twittered!

1) I see black boxes and I didn't need to do anything. The other boxes that don't have black have dark grey images. I'm no geek. But as a statement and political online action it's slightly disconcerting having black boxes down the screen. Kinda black, know what I'm…

Hmmm. My black gravatar ain't showing on Twitter.

To be honest, if the revolution only happens on Twitter, a bunch of us are going to be saying "Bugger off! I am so sick of your one-sided-don't-know-what-the-other-half-is-saying revolution!"

The United Future Comments page.

From Scoop

I know people get Scoop and Stuff confused, but in the same link?

DoSing Parliament? That would be entertaining.

That would be illegal. A day of "unexplained technical faults", OTOH...

Just stop buying CDs for a month, don't go to the movies for a month.

I don't do either anyway, so no point.

"However, it is now clear that we have a situation where internet users are vulnerable to the mere accusation of piracy, and that is simply neither fair nor just."

The Government should defer the section's implementation for three to six months with a view to discarding…

He says it would be too easy for internet users to dispute piracy allegations under procedures set out by the forum. "Then the process stops dead and we are concerned about that."

Yeah, that tiresome due process and having to prove an allegation is all criminal-coddling bullshit. Of course, we've…

Recording Industry Association chief executive Campbell Smith says the code is "inadequate" and does not go far enough toward protecting the interests of copyright holders.

He says it would be too easy for internet users to dispute piracy allegations under procedures set out by the forum. "Then the process stops…

Yeah right.
Just stop buying CDs for a month, don't go to the movies for a month.
Stick it to 'em where it hurts, in their greedy pockets.

Shutting off the internet? If done deliberately they'd be breaching contracts left right and centre.

Hmmm, thinking. And wondering if my avatar will show up black.

Yes, there has to be some kind of protest that has wide-reaching effects to bring the attention of the wider-world who simply don't know or care as yet, but should.

Your idea of turning internet access off for a day also has the added value of being somewhat…

I guess I should go make a gravatar too.

This is part of a mass protest about the impending coming into force of Section 92(A) of the Copyright Act, which requires ISPs (that definition is very wide indeed) to show plans to terminate the internet access of any customers accused of copyright infringement.

Somehow, i think getting ISPs to…

I can verify the gleam…

Does PA have a cache of its own that might be affecting this?