Weekend reading and viewing: 7th - 8th November 2016

It's only an awkward society that believes Stevie Payne needs to be a 'joyous beacon'
Kathy Evans, Sydney Morning Herald, 4th November 2015
(People with disabilities) are either an inspiration to, or a burden on society; they cannot just 'be'.

Until Tuesday, Payne's brother, Stevie, was a perfect example of a man with Down syndrome who could just be an ordinary bloke. Working as a strapper at the Ballarat stables, he got on with the daily tasks of feeding, grooming and saddling race horses.

Overnight he has become, according to to one report on Tuesday, "a joyous beacon for the life those afflicted with Down syndrome can lead."

There is so much wrong with that statement ...

Advocacy Counts
Thea Calzoni, Every Australian Counts, 2nd November 2015

Leah, 33, helps to advocate for others with an intellectual disability ...

Ten Things that Help Keep Our Marriage On Track
Mumma Love, 30th October 2015
I recently told Ben that sometimes in our relationship I marvel at how great it is and can’t imagine it being any other way. We are happy and in love and communicating well and it’s blissful. And then we have times where it feels as though we’re on the brink of divorce and I wonder whether we’ll ever get back to that uber happy place again ...

Parents Of Kids With Disabilities Buck Divorce Trend
Michelle Diament, Disability Scoop, 3rd November 2015

Parents of those with developmental disabilities are no more likely to divorce than other moms and dads, new research suggests, but different factors are at play.

For most couples, divorce odds increase as they have more children. Among parents of kids with special needs, however, this phenomenon is absent ...

When 'helping' people with disabilities is patronising and rude

Carly Findlay, Daily Life, 3rd November 2015
On a rainy Saturday evening in August, I was travelling home on a train. I'd just been at rehearsals for Melbourne performance night Quippings, where I'd been discussing disability politics, including the excessive niceness and pity thrust upon disabled people.

I was looking at social media on my phone, not speaking and not in any need of assistance (I would ask if I was - and that's rare). Suddenly, I was faced with the following situation.

Stranger on train: "Excuse me, would you like a wet wipe?"

Me: "No thanks."

Stranger: "I think your face is a bit sweaty and you could use one."

Ahh they mean well, don't they?

No Blowout of Disability Support Pension Costs - NFP
ProBono Australia News, 3rd November 2015
The number of people receiving Disability Support Pensions in Australia is in decline and so there is no blowout occurring despite media claims to the contrary, according to the CEO of peak body, National Disability Services, Ken Baker.

“The number of DSP recipients is falling; so is the proportion in work,” Baker told Pro Bono Australia News ...