



Hello, everyone! Today, I have a proposition for you all: let's get together. What I love best about disability studies is that it is representative (people who identify as disabled are active contributors to the field) and multi-disciplinary (people coming from many different perspectives collaborate together). Since I view this blog as Disability Studies 101, I would really like to embrace those principles here.





So let me tell you what I'm thinking:





Who can contribute?





You! And you! And even you! I am looking for anyone who identifies as disabled, has a family member with a disability, professional support staff, advocates, or anyone else who feels they have something to say and would like a platform to say it. Anyone who feels compelled to write about disability pride, physical and neurodiversity, identity, intersectionality, their own experiences, or anything else regarding disability is welcome here!





What are you looking for?





The format that I use is a 1,500-2,000 word article interspersed with pictures, and if that works for you, great! If you would prefer to use drawings, photos, videos, or audio to express yourself, those things are more than welcome!





Write about what you care about. If you need to vent about an ableist event, do it. If you want to film friends or family who embody disability pride and the celebration of neurodiversity, send it in. If you want to have an academic dialogue about where chronic pain slots into the disability paradigm, I would love to read it.





Have an idea but aren't sure how to present it? Want to collaborate on something? Email me at insertdisabilityeuphemismhere@gmail.com





When should I do this?





Anytime! I am hoping to intersperse my own theory-focused posts with narratives, op-eds, etc on a regular interval, so write and contribute whenever you can!





Where should I send my submission?





All submissions, questions, and ideas should be sent to insertdisabilityeuphemismhere@gmail.com .





Why should I do this?





No subject ever suffered from more voices.





I am just one person, and my perspectives are hardly universal. Furthermore, as someone who identifies as able-bodied, it would be presumptuous of me to continue writing this blog without trying to incorporate disabled voices and the voices of people who engage with disability in ways that differ from me.





*Cue sappy music*





We're better together.





How?





Submit to insertdisabilityeuphemismhere@gmail.com !













As I've stated a few times, my field is intellectual disability, but I am looking for people of all identities and experiences, including intellectual disability, ASD, physical disability, chronic pain, mental health, etc. Together, let's build a platform for all of our voices to be heard.





Insertdisabilityeuphemismhere@gmail.com





Hope to hear from you soon!