Core Values:
Article Series:
Trope of the Week Series: This series discusses harmful patterns in the representation of disability. It is designed to be useful to both writers and game masters. One of the unique things about this series is that it doesn’t just describe what the pattern is and why it is a problem, it also focuses on how to know if you are following one of these patterns and what to do differently.
Addressing Ableism in Tabletop Role-Playing Games: A series that aims to identify ableism in the core content of tabletop role-playing games, including game mechanics and central setting elements. There will be brief discussion on the reasons these game elements are a problem. However the focus will be on identifying a list of options for ways that participants can alter these games to reduce or remove this ableism.
Podcasting How To: For those situations where it is hard to find all of the steps for doing something in one place, I’ve made my own personal step-by-step guides. I’ve decided to make some of these available here in the hope that they will make it easier for others.
Most Popular Individual Articles:
Addressing Ableism: Ableist Monsters
Why Having Conditional Privilege Is Not the Same as Simply Being Privileged
Gamer Writing Solutions: Using Dice to Create Better Characters
Other Articles:
We Need More Room for Disability Representation
Why I Call Myself Neurodiverse
Current Events Show How Broken “We Will Come Back for You Later” Really Is
Five Frustrating Sexist Romantic Tropes
Anger, Entitlement, and Oppression
Celebrating the Long Night of Winter Solstice
Articles Published Elsewhere
“Five Common Harmful Representations of Disability”: This article published on the Mythcreants blog is a polished, updated, and expanded version of my short articles on Villainous Disability, Cosmetic Disability, Helpless Disability, Inspirational Disability, and One-Dimensional Disability that are in the Trope of the Week Series. Its main focus is on how to avoid these negative patterns and do better.
I’m a Sexual Asexual: This personal essay has been published as “Here’s Everything You Learn About Yourself When You Realize You’re Asexual” in Thought Catalog, and as “Sex Has Never Really Worked For Me And That’s Perfect” in Touchpoint.
Works by Others:
This collection of the articles and works by other people that I keep coming back to, either because they explain a specific idea so clearly or because they have a deep message that continues to be important.
1 in 4 US Adults Has a Disability: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/1-in-4-u-s-adults-has-a-disability-cdc-says/
“If You Ever Hurt My Daughter, I Swear to God I’ll Let Her Navigate Her Own Emotional Growth”: https://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/if-you-ever-hurt-my-daughter-i-swear-to-god-ill-let-her-navigate-her-own-emotional-growth
“7 Casually Racist Things That White Authors Do”: https://bookriot.com/2018/02/05/casually-racist-things-that-white-authors-do/
How I Use my Phone for Orientation and Mobility: https://veroniiiica.com/2019/01/28/how-i-use-my-phone-for-orientation-and-mobility/
Ecuador legalized gangs. Murder rates plummeted.: https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/3/26/18281325/ecuador-legalize-gangs
The Directory of Independent Audio Drama: http://indieaudiodrama.com/
Dissociative identity disorder exists and is the result of childhood trauma: https://theconversation.com/dissociative-identity-disorder-exists-and-is-the-result-of-childhood-trauma-85076
What free speech is and isn’t: xkcd comic #1357
The word “stupid” is a slur: “Why the Words ‘Stupid’ & Other Slurs Against People with Cognitive Disabilities Are Harmful” by belenen
Why it is important to not replicate bigoted tropes in writing: “Diversity, Political Correctness and The Power of Language” by Mikki Kendall
Mansplaining: “Men Explain Things to Me” by Rebecca Solnit
Spoon Theory: “The Spoon Theory” written by Christine Miserandino
Fork Theory: “The Forks Model of Disability” by Ozymandias
Making friends with failure: “Be Friends with Failure” comic by Stephen McCranie
The importance of predators to ecosystems: “How Wolves Change Rivers” youtube video
