IndependenceChick's Nest – You are entering the Independence Zone!

Blog Bonus: “Unless You’re Disabled.” Say What?

Hello readers, and welcome to the first bonus round of 2020. Gosh, we need more of these. Hands up. Have you ever either said or heard some form of, "You…

Carly or Leah? Charles or Levi? There Should Always Be More than One Choice.

Hello readers, Let's get straight to the point. Oh, wait, before I do, I must acknowledge--my niece turns three today. Happy birthday, Princess--Auntie loves you. Love is what I'm discussing…

Let Us Grow Up…But How?

Happy New Year from the Nest! It's 2020 and everybody's getting "back on track," so to speak. Back to work after a holiday break. Back to health after a few…

We’re Not Angels…But Let Us Be Good

Hello readers, With the Christmas prep hoopla winding down, I finally have time for another post. It's also taken me this long to settle on a topic, I'll admit. It…

Hard, Yes. Worth It? You Decide.

Hi readers, Well, December didn't get off to the start I anticipated. Our tree and house took longer to decorate this year because Thanksgiving was late, Mom caught a raging…

How I Float

Hello readers, Like many of us, my family recently got a Disney+ account. I suggested it "for the kids" (meaning my toddler niece and baby nephew) but let's be real…

“Presume Competence”: What it Means and, Perhaps, Does Not Mean

"When you meet, see, or hear a person with a disability, presume competence." It's a basic tenet of disability's social model, a rallying cry of today's advocates, and I am…

Off the Shelf: Stop Shelving People With Severe Disabilities

I mean like, for real. Why are we doing that? I've had this type of conversation/debate a lot, and I've even said the key line myself. You know, the one…

“They Didn’t Mean It”: Why This is Not an Excuse

You'd think, wouldn't you, that we don't need to talk about this. In this era, bullying and subjugation are treated more seriously than they've ever been. If there is even…

Is Abled Privilege Actually a Thing? And If Yes, What to Do About It?

Hello and happy October readers, It's finally cold enough for light sweaters, hot chocolate, and pumpkin everything! Yay! I'm so glad these things are "things" in my world. I'm so…