In the next episode, why ableist language is like guide dog refusals, does anyone else remember the bulletin board days, and what’s it like being blind and seeking elected office?
Kia ora Mosen at Largers. Our amazing community has put together another informative, thought-provoking listen for you, and it’ll be in your podcast app this weekend. Here’s a sneak peak of what you can expect. You’re welcome to comment on these or any other issues that are on your mind.
What do ableist language and guide dog refusals have in common? Well apart from the fact that both are discriminatory, harmful, and upsetting, I think they’re similar in that even though you know they can happen at any time, they often catch you unawares when they suddenly occur. Last Sunday I was doing what many people enjoy doing and browsing the Sunday papers, when I read something so outrageously ableist that it stopped me in my tracks. I find it interesting to try a range of advocacy approaches to see which ones yield results in a given situation, so this week I’ll tell you about dialogue I have sought to initiate with the Chief Executive of one of new Zealand’s big media companies over this blatant ableist language incident to try and see if we can achieve long-lasting change.
Computing is a bit like fashion. Eventually, what was cool once can become cool again. We used to use mainframe computers, then computers went personal, and then as our computer technology proliferated and we all started using multiple devices, the cloud came along, which sort of centralised things again. A listener contribution got me thinking about this in the context of the old bulletin board systems that many of us used before the Internet was on tap in our homes. If product names like Fido, Opus, Silver Express and PC-Board bring back memories for you, I’d like to hear about the bulletin boards you used, perhaps even the bulletin boards you ran, what you did on them and what you remember about them. Having been online since 1986, I have so many great memories of the BBS era that I could go on for yonks. Yonks I tell you!
Most of us have had the occasional thought that politicians are useless and we’re sure we could do a better job. But most of us leave it at that, just a passing thought. But a few of us do take it a step further and seek elected office. I’ve done it twice, and my guest this week has also just had a go. Rebecca Blaevoet was a Green Party candidate in Canada’s recent federal election and talks to me about some of the blindness-specific aspects of seeking office. She has also had a fascinating personal history which we’ll touch on.
There’s plenty more on the show as well. If you want to raise something new, you’re very welcome. Please don’t be shy, I’d love to hear from you. What makes Mosen At Large special is the global community we’ve built and all the perspectives we share with each other.
To contribute, send an email with an audio attachment or just written down to Jonathan at MushroomFM.com, or call the listener line, +18646066736, that’s 1-864-60Mosen.
Catch Mosen At Large anywhere you get podcasts. Expect the next episode to drop on Sunday morning New Zealand time.
Thank you so much for listening and contributing to the show and see you soon for Mosen At Large.