This page is a list of blog posts and op-eds, published online, written by students enrolled in “Neurodiversity, Narrative, Activism,” taught by Dr. Marion Quirici.
Disability Pride Week at Duke: A Reading List
By Cady Bailey
A guest blog post on the Duke University Libraries Blog.
It’s Disability Pride Week at Duke! Last year, the name of this week changed from Disability Awareness Week to its current name. This represents an important shift from simply taking a week to say, “Hey, people with disabilities are here,” to sending a message of acceptance and celebration. This blog is a list of recommended books with positive representations of disability.
“Just Say No”: The Perils of Overprescribing Drugs in Psychiatry
By Valerie Roberts
tumblr blog with original memes.
Do you roll your eyes every time someone tells you to “just say no” in school? Maybe you haven’t heard it enough. “‘Just Say No’: The Perils of Overprescribing Drugs in Psychiatry” explores the how lack of regulation in the pharmaceutical industry means that some psychiatrists may need a refresher on the danger of too many drugs.
Folk Autism Hurting Autistic Folk
By Noah Lanier
Op-ed published on Medium.
Recently at Duke, when discussing the neoliberal economics that enrich the wealthy and further impoverish the poor, professor Nancy MacLean said,
It’s striking to me how many of the architects of this cause seem to be on the autism spectrum — you know, people who don’t feel solidarity or empathy with others, and who have difficult human relationships sometimes.
This op-ed explores the origins of the assumptions that autistic people lack empathy in the work of cognitive psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen. The author argues that Baron-Cohen’s deficit model is not only socially harmful to autistic people, but also rooted in a deeply flawed scientific method.
Disability Representation On-Screen
By Lauren Berman
Blog series published on Medium.
This blog series takes a look at a range of disability representations in movies and television series. Each blog post reviews a particular disability portrayal and explores its effects. Examining current and popular movies and shows like Wonder, Wonder Woman, The Theory of Everything, and Stranger Things, the blog brings conversation about disability representation into the mainstream.
Disability in School
By Karina Heaton
Mental Health Language Awareness
By Daniel Kingsbury
In this blog post, Daniel investigates how casual use of disability identity language, although it can seem dismissive, may indicate progress and a growing cultural awareness of mental health differences. His musings on disability language and representation draw on an interview (below) with Danielle Oakley, the director of Duke’s Counseling And Psychological Services (CAPS).
