disability pride

Here's what happens when you don't follow pop culture: people you know are on major TV shows, and you never even hear about it.

Friend of wmtc mkk (my sister-in-law) just sent me this very cool story from the New York Times. Check out the picture at the top of the story: that's Sarah Reinertsen, who I've written about several times.

Reinertsen is a extraordinary athlete, an excellent writer, a very smart woman, and an amputee. And as everyone but me probably already knew, she has been a contestant on "The Amazing Race". Wow!

The Times story is titled "Clearly, Frankly, Unabashedly Disabled"; in my line of work, we call that Disability Pride. Pride means no longer viewing disability as a tragedy to be overcome, but as a natural, normal, beautiful part of human diversity.

Reinertsen is one of many poster-girls for Disability Pride. As she lives her life to the limit, she helps young amputees - and there are thousands of them - feel good about themselves. You can read more about her here; among other things, Reinertsen was the first amputee to complete the Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Hawaii.

Thinking about Disability Pride reminds me of another Sarah I know.

This summer, the city of Chicago will see its fourth annual Disability Pride Parade. One organizer of this joyous event is Sarah Triano. If you want to learn more about Disability Pride, one of the best things you can do is read what Triano has to say. Follow the links on the left side for some serious enlightenment.