I just got a note that my 15th high school reunion is happening while I'm in town for Christmas. I don't know how I feel about it.

Happy birthday, Jilli!

I got a save-the-date last week for my tenth college reunion. Along with a request for money, which I threw away.

Congratulations, Nora!!

Happy birthday, Jilli!!

First, sumi, did you ever figure out the sciatica thing? I don't know if that is what is bothering, but I've hard a sort of ache and feeling of weakness in my left hip/butt. It goes away when I do the stretch Steph mentioned here (all I can remember is the dominatrix part, and not the actual name.)

Second,

But regardless of the more detailed debate, I think it's one of the best resources that disabled people have for arguing for change in society. Where the focus is mistakenly on us as 'wrong' or 'broken' individuals, we can argue that the biggest problems - the ones that can be prevented and fought against - are those that society imposes *on top of* our conditions or impairments.

I was just thinking about this topic this morning after a conversation I had with Joe. The Army is really struggling with soldiers with new, combat induced disabilities. The ones with physical injuries or clear mental issues seem to get treated (finally). No one really doubts the legitimacy of an injury. But the ones with mental issues that are severe enough to interfere with work but not enough to make them violent (or the ones that are seen as faking their injuries to get our of future deployments), well, the Army doesn't know what to do with them. Those soldiers are perceived as "broken". It's a huge part of Army culture. I don't want to say too much about Joe and his role in all this (um, as someone looking for solutions), but I'll be curious to see what others have to say about Seska's post.

I haven't had a chance to check out the links, but I remember a few years back (okay, like 15, since I think I was in Montreal at the time) when there was a lot of discussion and press around universal design, which I think is such an underused idea. That involves a focus on the built environment that acknowleges the potential advantages to everyone of incorporating accessibility into design from the get-go, rather than on ad hoc modifications to "fix" one person's needs.

when there was a lot of discussion and press around universal design, which I think is such an underused idea.

Extreme Makeover:Home Edition tends to use a lot of universal design concepts in the design of the main living areas of the houses they build, though I don't think I've ever heard them actually use that phrase. It's definitely what they're doing, though. It always surprises me a bit to see so much thought about how people use the space and how their needs might change put into the main living areas, while they continue to do stuff like built-in princess-themed furniture in a preschooler's room.

My absolute favorite easy yet useful Universal Design thing -- a kitchen with counters at different heights in different places. So some parts of the counter are the right height for an average-sized person standing up, other parts are designed for someone in a wheelchair, other parts are higher up and have stools to sit on, and so on. It accomodates a lot of different people, and it's visually much more interesting than a flat counter.

I got a save-the-date last week for my tenth college reunion. Along with a request for money, which I threw away.

Yeah, I got a "what do you want to do during your twentieth reunion weekend?" letter from my college, along with a request for money. That time of the year, I guess.

there was a lot of discussion and press around universal design, which I think is such an underused idea.

Totally. It can never be completely achieved (mainly because people with different impairments need different things - so crutch-users slip over on the raised bumps that are useful for blind people, in a small example). But it's a great concept that should be attempted more.

If The Girl and I can ever afford a place of our own, we want to install regular-height kitchen units that move down to wheelchair-user-height with a button-push. We've seen some, so we know this is possible. They weren't overwhelmingly affordable, but they weren't priced just for millionaire disabled people either.

regular-height kitchen units that move down to wheelchair-user-height with a button-push.

Wow, that sounds really neat! And it would be great for households with kids, too.