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NEWS
Ali Stroker Nominated for a Tony Award
Ali Stroker, best known for her guest-starring role as Betty Pillsbury on the TV show Glee, has become the first wheelchair-using actor ever nominated for Broadway’s highest honor. She received the nod for her role as Ado Annie in the 2019 revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! The role wasn’t originally written for a wheelchair user, but “they said I was the best person for the role and I happen to be in a chair,” says Stroker.
TRENDING
Twitter Conversation: #TheCostofBeingDisabled
In a recent article for Good Company, disability activist Imani Barbarin outlined the hidden costs of living with a disability. Now she’s created the hashtag #TheCostofBeingDisabled, and disabled people all over the world are using it to share examples of how expensive — whether monetarily, socially or psychologically — disability can be. Use the hashtag to add your voice to the conversation.
NEW COLUMN
In the Media: An Authentic Voice in the Writer’s Room
In her new column “In the Media,” Teal Sherer gives a behind-the-scenes look at disability in the entertainment industry. The first installment shares how NCIS: New Orleans recently broke new ground with an episode written by a wheelchair user, featuring wheelchair-using characters played by actual wheelchair users. Authentic disability representation on TV might seem like a far-off dream, but in some cases, at least, it’s starting to happen.
PRO TIPS
Adaptive House Painting
This month’s Gear Hacks will help you give your house a fresh glow, as we tackle tips and gear for house painting from a wheelchair. With a little help, a lot of patience and some common painting tools — extension handles, mini rollers and a box cutter, among others — you can DIY an otherwise expensive home improvement.
Dreaming with a Spinal Cord Injury
Hunting to locate an elevator in outer space, wandering through labyrinths looking for barrier-free exits and worrying about your wheelchair while walking — welcome to the strange world of paralysis at night. Brook McCall looks at the quirks and commonalities of dreaming with an SCI, and how some even use dreams to help solve problems and “explore physical experiences … and feel the sensation of activities we may not otherwise be able to access while awake.”
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** This post was originally published on http://www.newmobility.com/2019/05/newsletter75/
