"Everybody feels free here"

May 24, 2019 4:13 PM

Much has happened in the past 30 years to try to give disabled people a life that looks the same as for anyone without special needs. People who would have at one time been institutionalized are living in group homes. Sheltered workshops are closing as people are moving into integrated workplaces that embrace what’s called the “neurodiversity” movement. And social opportunities are growing to include specific dating sites, cruises and proms. But adults with disabilities, like Jones, yearn for more opportunities to socialize. Club 1111 is unique for how often it is held — once a month — and for how many people it draws. Local, state and national advocates are not aware of another event like it anywhere in the country.
posted by Johnny Wallflower (6 comments total)

Jesus Christ was this article ever written by an abled person. We’ve got “special needs”, neurodiversity in quotation marks bit without explanation, and person-first language, all in the pull paragraph. Later in the article, she talks to the parent of a disabled adult, because we disabled people can’t ever speak for ourselves.

The club sounds like a delight. The article is disgusting.
posted by epj at 8:48 PM on May 24, 2019 [14 favorites]

The club sounds like a delight. The article is disgusting

Agreed.

If you have special needs, or your child has special needs

You might want to learn a little more about why tossing around "special needs" is a huge problem.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 9:08 PM on May 24, 2019 [3 favorites]

Does anyone have a direct link to Club 1111 or a mirror link for this article? I am in the UK
posted by parmanparman at 2:23 AM on May 25, 2019

Can't find a mirror link, but here's the site for The League for People with Disabilities. I should have put that in the post, sorry.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 7:06 AM on May 25, 2019 [2 favorites]

neurodiversity in quotation marks bit without explanation,

No, in fact it links to an article-length explanation. you may take substantive issue with that explanation considering that it's written by the same reporter. you can do that easily because it's right there.

Later in the article, she talks to the parent of a disabled adult, because we disabled people can’t ever speak for ourselves.

In fact, the first person quoted is a club attendee, not a relative. The second person quoted is a club attendee, not a relative. Quotes from relatives only appear further down, along with more quotes from attendees. if you think there are too many third-party quotes, or that any at all is too many, or parents should not automatically be considered qualified to speak as authorities about their adult children's emotional lives and social experiences, I fully agree. but the author demonstrably did ask disabled people to speak to her for and about themselves. and they did, and she wrote down what they said, and published it.

there is also no indication that the club is so restrictive that people who can "speak for themselves" are the only ones allowed.
posted by queenofbithynia at 10:22 AM on May 25, 2019 [9 favorites]

queenofbithynia, thank you for correcting me. I was angry and posted without any re-reading to check my facts. I did not mean to imply anything at all negative about the club, and I do see that the reporter quoted disabled folks. I think the quote from the relative should have been omitted entirely, but should have re-read and been precise about my objection. Also, I do see the “neurodiversity” link.
posted by epj at 1:27 PM on May 25, 2019