I admit I get nervous when I have to talk sports.  But not only did I enjoy my conversation with David Davis on his book Wheels of Courage, I in fact devoured the book.

I think we often critique concepts like “inspiration porn” or “medicalization of disability” without full understanding why and how those ideas come into being. I think it’s worth remembering, even as we might reasonably critique the notions I’ve addressed above, that athletes with disabilities did inspire a nation recovering from War and that medical advancements might have shaped much of the discourse on disability in the post-war years- but doctors and other medical professionals also allowed paraplegics to live independently (where previously they were left for dead).

I think the legacy of disabled war veterans should not be forgotten, even as the memory of the second World War dims for many young people as the number of war veterans diminishes.

As to wheelchair basketball and other para sport, well, I don’t want to steal David’s thunder. I would highly recommend you go back and listen to the podcast of our conversation. Also, David was kind enough to send along some Youtube clips of those early wheelchair basketball games. Here they are:

Here’s footage of one of the first wheelchair basketball games ever played: at Madison Square Garden in 1948 featuring a team of paralyzed veterans from Halloran Hospital on Staten Island, NY, versus veterans from Cushing Hospital in Framingham, MA 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APAaeXgOfTU

Also, thought you'd get a kick out of this one: Here’s Marlon Brando in “The Men” (1950), a movie that depicted the rehabilitation of WW II paralyzed veterans and was shot at Birmingham Hospital in Van Nuys, CA. In the clip, Brando briefly plays wheelchair basketball:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szH2OMcWkuQ&feature=youtu.be

Jaclyn Seigal and her colleagues have undertaken important and somewhat overlooked  research into the impact of COVID-19 on people with eating disorders.

I say it’s overlooked because the issue could probably have received more attention in the media. With that said, the academic community is diligently working to substantiate the concerns first flagged by Jaclyn and her colleagues in April, with facts, figures and evidence.

The prognosis and treatment of eating disorders can be complex and the lack of suitable treatments during the pandemic has caused some concern.  That’s not to say that e-health and other remote options aren’t meeting some needs, but surely more can be done.

The most important take-away from my conversation would have to do with the importance of thinking through the messages we all put out about weight, bodies and health. Especially right now during the pandemic, with access to both nutritious food and exercise severely curtailed- it’s important not to tell stories of thinspiration or unchecked fat-phobia.

I want to start by thanking all the people who participated in our two-part exploration of Medically Assisted Dying in Canada. Each brought a unique point of view and made constructive and cogent arguments about an issue where typically emotions run high and passions go deep.

I have found this particular iteration of The Pulse challenging. I wanted to try and explore the issue with all its inherent contradictions and many profound questions. I hope I allowed everyone to have their say and approached the conversation without pre-conceptions or prejudice. I know that this is only a start. Bill C7 is not going away: I suspect we will return to coverage of this particular issue on the program. There were aspects of the discussion I had wanted to explore even now, such as the debate about excluding Canadians with mental disorders from seeking MAID and the impact on primary caregivers (nurses and doctors) who have to administer MAID. I suspect that those issues will yet have their moment of reckoning. And with COVID-19, the questions that have animated much of the discussion about medically assisted dying remain relevant.  MAID forces all of us to think about personal freedoms verses societal responsibility or whose lives matter when ICUS and other healthcare facilities become overburdened.

Deeply conflicted about this issue as I myself am, I nevertheless feel  I must make a plea to the disability community to try and endeavor some dialogue around this issue which animates both how we live and how we die.

I spoke to disability advocate Donna Jodhan about the 10^th anniversary of her landmark legal victory which compelled federal websites to become accessible and navigable for people who are disabled, particularly blind. Donna is well known to all of us at AMI—but this was the first time I had a chance to get to know the person behind the persona. Donna has a deep sense of gratitude for the people who helped with the legal victory and is humble when she says she is doing her political work for the future of our kids.

Her life and activism is a reminder to all of us about the importance of persistence in the face of the odds and a reminder to keep fighting the good fight. 

I spoke to Amy Amantea, Jennie Bovard and Sam Robinson or as I have dubbed them “the podcast panel” about their love of  podcasts,  why podcasts matter to people with disabilities (think having a  platform, creating community and telling a story) and what went into the creation of their  original podcasts.

Amy is the creator of Accessing Art with Amy and Jennie is the force behind Low Vision Moments.

It’s a short entry from me today… There are a lot of amazing AMI-audio original podcasts for you to check out.

And our panelists sent along some of their  favourite pods! Happy listening.

Sam's picks:

• The Gist
• Planet Money
• The Anthropocene Reviewed 
• Hardcore History 
• Home of the Brave 

Jennie's picks: 

Dark Poutine 
Canadian true crime and dark history with two ordinary Canucks. 
https://darkpoutine.com 
  
Wonderwerk, Heavy Metal 
“a twisted anthology podcast for people who like their stories dripping in orc blood, basted in starship fuel and lathered in some kind of, uh, disgusting black goo. Brought to you in immersive graphic audio.” 
https://www.heavymetal.com/wonderwerk/ 
  
The Nutrition Diva  
Quick and dirty tips for living well and feeling fabulous 
https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/nutrition-diva 
  
Guys We F****d 
“Hailed as changing the way society thinks about female sexuality, Guys We Fucked continues to pave the way toward a healthier outlook on sex. Hosted by stand-up comedians Corinne Fisher and Krystyna Hutchinson.” 
link to show 
  
Strange Tales  
Old time radio at its finest, vintage ads and all. “Tales of the strange and bizarre, the weird and the wicked. Stories not necessarily of the supernatural, but of the unnatural. Radio drama at its most mysterious and unusual.”