Crip News v.69
The Romance Myth, ableism and borders, QALYs, new works, and more.
well how about that: issue 69 and valentine’s day on the same week. [upside down smiley face emoji]
tomorrow, the Fireweed Collective is presenting an event with Dean Spade on Dismantling the Romance Myth, “what toxic lies it tells us, and how it impacts our lives, relationships, and social movements.” you can check out the videos and slides from last year’s event here.
and maybe it’s a good week to:
stay updated on where we’re (not) at with disability marriage equality
check out Full Surrogacy Now by Sophie Lewis
order up some literally sexy vibes
do precisely whatever you want!
[whichever heart emoji you can separate from the relentless consumerism of this week!]
-kevin
NEWS
Touring Artists, Borders, Disability
The U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security announced major price hikes on visas, including the P and O visas that touring artists use. The new funds will support the so-called “humanitarian programs” for asylum seekers.
Right now, disability status is supposed to constitute an exception to the Title 42 process (possibly ending in May) that allows the U.S. to rapidly deny asylum requests. But disability civil rights protections routinely fail to support asylum seekers, sorely unsurprising when the entire immigration system is built on ableism and eugenics. And previously proposed pathways to citizenship have included education and earned income requirements that are particularly discriminatory against disabled artists.
Banning Ableist QALYs
In its first hearing of the new congress, the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee considered the Protecting Health Care for All Patients Act (H.R. 485). This bill that would ban federal healthcare programs from using quality-adjusted life years, or QALYs.
QALYs put a price on life. And the value is greater for a year in the life of a “healthy” person. This is how government agencies deny life-saving and -sustaining coverage and reimbursements to disabled people. And the methodology is produced by a private organization that was never elected or appointed.
For more, check out the Action Center from Patients Rising Now.
In Other News…
Former NFL football players are suing the league over a pattern of denied disability benefits to athletes who experience physical injuries and mental disabilities.
Blind Bogotá-based birder Juan Pablo Culasso is developing a series of accessible trails in the cloud forests of Colombia.
Recording Artists and Music Professionals With Disabilities (RAMPD) was instrumental in securing the access features at this year’s Grammy Awards.
U.K.-based CRIPtic Arts announced an expanded programme of support for Deaf and disabled artists, including commissions, residencies, and trainings.
The Digital Access Research Project (DARP) at Harvard “will focus on the digital accessibility of performing arts to develop guidelines for law- and policymakers and performing arts organizations.”
The 2023-2025 Jerome Hill Foundation’s new cohort of Artist Fellows includes disabled artists Kayla Hamilton, Christopher Nuñez, and Yo-Yo Lin.
Christopher Nuñez, with Henry Street Settlement, has also been awarded $212,000 from the Mellon Foundation for his artistic practice and collaborations.
“Off-the-book” suspensions continue to threaten access to education for disabled students.
New Works
The Mental Health Project of the Urban Justice Center collaborated with the Center for Urban Pedagogy and designers 13 milliseconds to create Stay Steady with SSI and SSDI, an English and Spanish booklet that connects formerly incarcerated people to financial support through SSA programs.
Carleton University Art Gallery recently presented a lecture and workshop by Sarah Mihara Creagen called “Toxic Bodies/Bioremediation.”
Authors Ashwini Bhasi, Nazifa Islam, Stephanie Heit, and Petra Kuppers recently read from their works in Ann Arbor, MI.
Teenage Dick, Richard III reimagined in a high school, is at the BMO Theatre Centre in Vancouver through March 5th.
The late Haitian American model and disability rights activist Mama Cax is celebrated in a Google Doodle.
And check out some audio content and transcripts from other disabled artists on Substack:
CALLS
504: A New Musical is seeking actors for a concert presentation at Lincoln Center’s Bruno Walter Auditorium.
The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is seeking paid interns.
EVENTS
ART, GENDER, AND DISABILITY: AESTHETICS OF ACCESS
Feb. 18th & 24th in person in NYC and on Zoom.
TFAP@CAA Day of Panels brings together exceptional groups of artists, art historians, curators, and critics for a free and open to the public day of dialogue during the annual College Art Association (CAA) Conferences. Featuring Jesse Darling (Keynote), Shannon Finnegan, Bojana Coklyat, Jordan Lord, Krishna Washburn, Kayla Hamilton, Jerron Herman, Christopher “Unpezverde” Núñez, Panteha Abareshi, Jillian Crochet, Berenice Olmedo, Feminist Health Care Research Group (FHCRG), Sickness Affinity Group (SAG), Power Makes Us Sick (PMS), and a REMOTE Access Party.
An Introduction to Access to Work for Self-Employed / Freelance Artists
March 2nd, 1:30 - 4pm GMT, online
Access to Work is a U.K. resource that helps to create a more accessible work environment. It provides grants to remove barriers that disabled people face in undertaking paid employment.