February 27: Alice Hamilton (1869-1970)

Living in a working-class quarter, coming in contact with laborers and their wives, I could not fail to hear tales of the dangers that workingmen faced, of cases of carbon-monoxide gassing in the great steel mills, of painters disabled by lead palsy, of pneumonia and rheumatism among the men in the stockyards. Illinois then had no legislation providing compensation for accident or disease caused by occupation. (There is something strange in speaking of 'accident and sickness compensation.' What could 'compensate' anyone for an amputated leg or a paralyzed arm, or even an attack of lead colic, to say nothing of the loss of a husband or son?)

Ever met someone with phossy jaw? How about painter's colic? Probably not, if you live in the West; the early 20th century saw a successful movement in the US and Europe to improve workplace safety and hold employers accountable for hazardous conditions in the manufacturing process. One of the scientists at the forefront of research on industrial medicine in the US was Alice Hamilton, born on this date in 1869 (image at right is her portrait on a 55-cent US postage stamp), in Indiana. She was a longtime resident of Jane Addams' Hull House, the first woman on the faculty at Harvard Medical School, an active member of the Woman's Peace Party, and she lived long enough to denounce McCarthyism and US involvement in Vietnam. Read here from her memoir how she became interested in industrial medicine, and the resistance she faced in trying to study workplace hazards (the quote above is an excerpt).

Symmetry is overrated...

Forest Whitaker took home the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role last night, for his portrayal of Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland. Whitaker is hardly a conventional-looking actor-director: a noticeable strabismus (turned-out eye) and ptosis (drooping eyelid) have made him recognizable in a wide range of roles, and he has said that he thinks his appearance gives his characters more depth. It could have been repaired in recent years; even now, there are commentators asking if it should be. Whitaker has said he'd consider the fairly routine surgery to improve his vision, but not for aesthetic reasons.

Unequivocal

John Hockenberry's got a really strong essay on the "Ashley" controversy, just posted at his blog (thanks to Ruth at Wheelie Catholic for the tip). He's not hemming and hawing here....

I am not going to argue that Ashley’s parents are immoral or unjustified in what they did. I will argue that they are no longer Ashley’s parents. Regardless of their love and affection for their daughter their decision to remove her breasts and uterus and maintain her in a state of pre-puberty is not a parental decision. It is more the kind of control one might enforce on a pet to manage the relationship. It is something a farmer managing the productivity of his or her operation would naturally enforce on livestock. This would be done humanely, morally, and no-doubt with considerable tender affection and love for the subjects. There would be no outcry and no controversy, yet no one would confuse these acts of husbandry as parenthood.

Of course, some cultural forces can produce pretty warped definitions of parenthood--the examples are well-known and numerous. I just finished reading Lisa See's Snow Flower and the Secret Fan--it's set among women in 19c. China, among whom a "good mother" is the one who most skilfully breaks and deforms the bones in her daughter's feet with excruciating bindings. (I'm reading it as part of a book club attended entirely of mothers of young children--most of us have daughters just the age of the girls in the story, so it resonates and haunts at that level as well as other levels.) What warp in the cultural fabric makes the Ashley scenario seeming like a decent choice to so many people?

Disability Blog Carnival #9 is up NOW!

Mark Siegel posted the latest edition at the 19th Floor, as soon as he could ethically do so (ie, after work, not on the clock). It's up now and it's another fine collection of the latest in disability blogging, this time with an employment theme. Thanks to all who participated. Leila Monaghan is taking a turn at hosting the next Disability Blog Carnival, and the theme is..... HIV/AIDS and Disability. So, if that theme challenges you, write something, post it, and submit it before March 5; if you notice anything else that should be linked in the next carnival, submit that too--with a growing disability blogosphere, we have to alert each other to keep track of what's new and worthwhile.

We're scheduling hosts for May and June now, if anyone is interested, they should contact me (leave a note in the comments here) to get a host assignment for a future edition.

WHO's Premier Photo and Video Contest

"Images of Health and Disability 2006-2007"

The World Health Organization (WHO) invites photographers and video producers world-wide to participate in a global photo and video contest -- "Images of Health and Disability 2006-2007". This year's theme focuses on "Health and Environment" an invitation to provide high-quality photographs and video clips, capture emotions and give your creativity free reign. The photos and video contest will contribute to WHO's global efforts to raise the awareness of the importance of ensuring healthier environments.

Your photographs or short video clips should capture the positive or negative impact of the environment on people's health and functioning in their day-to-day life. Portray how a healthy and enabling environment can prevent or reduce diseases. Illustrate how environmental risks such as air pollution, poor sanitation, work-related stress, excessive ultraviolet radiation, chemicals, or built environments (such as streets, buildings etc) affect people's health, and hamper their functioning. Show how people and communities protect themselves from environmental risks, portray how people are living in healthy and enabling environments, or show how enhanced physical activity and public transport,and/or improved housing environment can make a difference in terms of preventing or reducing diseases.

Photos can be submitted until 09 March 2007 in four categories: (1) Colour photographs (digital or prints); (2) Black and white photographs (digital or prints); (3) Digital Art photographs (images created or drastically manipulated by computer software or electronic filters); and (4) short video clips.

In each category, prizes will be awarded from 100 to 1.000 US-Dollars.
1st Prize: USD $1000 + one set of ICF publications
2nd Prize: USD $750 US-Dollars + one set of ICF publications
3rd Prize: USD $500 US-Dollars + one set of ICF publications
Special mentions: USD $100 US-Dollars + one set of ICF publications

This contest is in its fourth year. It was launched in 2002 to coincide with the release of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) with the aim to promote the ICF understanding of health and disability.

For competition rules, and further information download their announcement; entry form.

February 21: Barbara Jordan (1936-1996)

Through the process of amendment, interpretation, and court decision, I have finally been included in 'We, the people.'"

When I wrote up some notes on disabled members of Congress in the past, back in the fall, I didn't bring my survey far enough into the 20th century to include Barbara Jordan, born on this date in 1936, in Houston TX. Jordan earned a law degree at Boston University. In 1966, she became the first African-American woman to serve in the Texas Senate. She started her term in Congress in 1973--the same year she learned that she had multiple sclerosis. Important moments in her career included her service on the House Judiciary Committee, where she made a memorable televised speech in favor of Nixon's impeachment (audio and text available here), and her keynote address to the 1976 Democratic Convention. titled "Who, then, will speak for the common good?" (audio and text available here). Jordan left Congress for health reasons in 1979, was a professor at the University of Texas's Johnson School of Public Affairs, and died in 1996, at the age of 59. Before her death, she had lived for many years with her longtime significant other, Nancy Earl.

Today, there's a Barbara Jordan Media Award given annually by the Texas Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities for "accurate and positive" coverage of disability issues in print and broadcast media.

The difficult road of recovering soldiers at the Walter Reed Medical Center

Today's Sunday Washington Post features a front page story on the administrative delays and outpatient challenges that war-wounded and war-weary soldiers are facing at the United States Army's top medical facility in Washington, D.C. The editors of DS,TU wish to express our gratitude to the investigative reporters Dana Priest and Anne Hull [email contacts] who spent four months conducting their undercover investigation of the out-patient world at Walter Reed. This is a major story that is getting heavy play in the blogosphere [see commentary of Pastor Dan]. Please share your thoughts with your congressional representatives; let them know that you care about the disabled veteran of conflict in Afghanistan and Iraq. We need to bear witness to and express our compassion for these men and women.

Share this shortened link, http://tinyurl.com/32sfbd

Update: The fallout from this published expose has been swift. Following the resignation of the general in charge of the Walter Reed Medical Center, Maj. Gen. George W. Weightman, on Thursday, the news arrived Friday, March 02, 2007 that Secretary of the Army, Francis J. Harvey, had also been asked to resign by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates.