ACT Memo

As you requested, this is your ACT Self-Advocacy Resource Network Memo facilitating a national dialogue among self-advocates and supporters and a clearinghouse for materials and training that support self-advocacy.

June 25, 2008

Don’t Disabilitize Me

Sometimes there is no word that fits what you want to say. What do you do?

Make one up. SARN reader Robert Hensel made up the word “disabilitize.” It means “to judge someone by their disability alone.” (“Don’t disabilitize me. I’m a regular person.”)

Anybody else have words that they made up? New words about disability? Send them to SARN and we’ll post them.

1.	More from Robert Hensel
2.	Group Work
3.	Resource


1.	More from Robert Hensel Robert Hensel is a disability advocate from New York. He was born with a birth defect known as spina bifida. You can find out more about Robert at his Web site. Here’s another of Robert’s new words: handiparking – When a non-disabled person knowingly parks in an accessible parking space just because it’s more convenient to him or her. (“Anyone caught handiparking should get a big ticket.”) [Return to top]


2.	Group Work Has anyone in your group made up any words? Make a list of your group’s new words. Be sure to ask every member. Send your list to SARN, with a definition for each word. Thanks. [Return to top]


3.	Resource Sticks and Stones Learn about how to advance self-advocacy with this kit telling the Minnesota story. (Includes award-winning video and group exercises.) [Return to top]

Respond to
this Memo!

Past Memos
and Readers’ Responses

ACT
home page

Please
forward this Memo to a
friend or colleague.

Add me

Remove me

Today’s Trivia Question:

Who holds the Guinness Book World Record for the longest nonstop wheelie in a wheelchair?

	a.	Bruce Pasternack, Special Olympics president
	b.	Robert Hensel (see above)
	c.	Julie Petty, SABE president
	d.	Franklin Roosevelt

(The answer will be published
in the next Memo.)

Answer to June 18th Trivia Question:
a. 2006 in Atlanta, GA (May 25–28)

Question was: In what year, and in what city, was the last SABE national self-advocacy conference?

a.	2006, in Atlanta GA
b.	2007, in Iowa City, IA
c.	2007, in Las Vegas, NV
d.	None. The 2008 conference is the first of its kind.

Do you have a trivia item you’d like to submit?

Create a trivia question and we will review your question for possible use.

Your trivia question:
The correct answer:

Would you like your name to appear as the author of the trivia question? If yes, give us your name and where you are from.