Icon by @ThatSpookyAgent. Call me Tir or Julian. 37. He/They. Queer. Twitter: @tirlaeyn. ao3: tirlaeyn. BlueSky: tirlaeyn. 18+ Only. Star Trek. The X-Files. Sandman. IwtV. OMFD. Definitionless in this Strict Atmosphere.
auston matthews, a 19-year-old latino kid from a non-traditional hockey market, just scored four goals in his nhl debut, something that has never been done in history
I use a mobility scooter if I have to walk long distances or stand for long periods of time.
I am working at New York Comic Con and only able to see 1 or 2 panels, so I was really excited for them.
I was removed from my seat at the Women Of Marvel panel because they are unable to accommodate two wheelchair users in one aisle.
Because there were wheelchair users in every aisle at this point I had to leave the panel.
I had waited in line and went to the front to see all of the talented women I look up to so much. I made sure that I wasn’t in anyone’s way. Unlike other conventions, there is no dedicated wheelchair seat, you just have to pull up to the end of an aisle and try not to be an inconvenience.
Moments before the panel was to begin, a convention staffer in a blue t-shirt told me that they could not have two wheelchairs in the same aisle. She didn’t see who had arrived first. I believe we had been there nearly the same amount of time.
The other person asked if she could perhaps sit closer. That was refused as a solution. All of the other front row seats were full or would not accommodate a wheelchair. Neither of us wanted to sit in the back of the panel room. The staffer decided that I would be the one who was ejected, because I was alone and had no one else who would be inconvenienced, whereas the other person had a friend seated next to her.
This was a very disappointing end to my NYCC experience. I don’t post this to vent or complain, but to provide awareness to this problem and encourage the con to develop solutions to prevent this from happening to anyone else.
New York Comic Con needs to have dedicated reserved wheelchair accessible seating in every single panel room. This is not difficult to implement. Remove a chair from the end of the first six aisles. Place a disabled logo on the floor. There are MANY fans with disabilities. Without a doubt these spots will be filled, and without inconveniencing others with having to walk around a wheelchair in the aisle.
I hope New York Comic Con 2017 is more accessible for everyone. Thanks for listening.
THIS
ALL comic book fans who can get tickets deserve to be able to attend a comic convention…making it so that conventions are only accesible to people who aren’t disabled in some way means that people who love and want to take part in this are left feeling like it doesn’t matter if they’re left out
I think that Hillary finally won this, I really think that after the debate and the video, and the republicans not supporting him, Donald Trump is NOT going to be the president
National polling is leaning that way too.
Remember- polls are only accurate if you actually go vote on Nov 8th! Check that you are registered, talk to your work now about when you can go to the polls, get it done.
Donald Trump lashed out against the women who have come forward to accuse him of sexual assault, calling them “horrible people” and “horrible, horrible liars” who are part of a conspiracy to undermine his candidacy. In a speech, he suggested the People reporter wasn’t hot enough for him.
Update: The Trump campaign has threatened to sue The NY Times for libel after it published interviews with two women accusing Trump of sexual assault.
In response, the Times published the letter its lawyers sent back to Trump.
“Nothing in our article has had the slightest effect on the reputation that Mr. Trump, through his own words and actions, has already created for himself”
After what happened yesterday, I’ve decided to teach you the single most important thing you will ever learn about dealing with autistic people, especially under stress:
A meltdown is a defensive response, not an aggression.
Meltdowns happen because we are in pain - either the direct sensory pain of too much light or too loud noise or terrible textures or what have you, or the emotional pain of just being overwhelmed by so much input we can’t handle it, of being told were horrible burdens who can’t love, etc.
Meltdowns are born of pain.
In particular, they’re what happens when we can’t escape that pain. Y’all know about the fight-or-flight response? Well… that’s what a meltdown is. And all of those stories of autistic people destroying things or hurting themselves or lashing out at people? That’s what happens when “flight” is no longer an option. That only leaves “fight.”
We’re trying to defend ourselves from things that are hurting us, and you won’t let us. You stand between us and an escape from pain. That’s what makes us lash out, as surely as if you cornered an animal and poked it with a stick.
So how do you prevent this from happening? Simple. Find out what’s causing us pain, and give us an escape from it. Too much noise? Give us earplugs or a quiet place. Too-bright lights? Maybe we need sunglasses or a darkroom. Draining social expectations? Let us be alone for a bit.
Just let us escape the pain. That’s all we need.
(The implication of this, of course, is that people who think autistic people are inclined to violence? Are people who hurt us and keep us in pain. They’re abusers. This is something that has held up literally every time I’ve heard someone talk about how terrible and violent we are, and then describe their interactions with us. Every. Single. Time.)
May I add that if you don’t personally know the person who’s having the meltdown, or even if you do and you haven’t worked out another plan ahead of time, here’s meltdown intervention 101:
Don’t
Do not touch them unless you’ve specifically worked out a plan with them beforehand
Do not stand close to or crowd them, especially if they are on the floor or in a corner
Do not prevent them from stimming unless they’re hurting others or seriously hurting themself,even if they’re disturbing others
Do not yell at them, I can’t think of a single situation where this is a good idea
Do not try to move or relocate them unless they are in immediate physical danger or you’ve worked out a plan beforehand
Do not force them to speak or communicate, these take a lot of energy and can be very stressful or impossible, even for someone who’s normally verbal
Do
If you can, try to get other people to leave the room while the person calms down.
Move slowly, the person having the meltdown is already in fight-or-flight mode.
Speak clearly and use simple sentences, most autistic people have poor auditory processing all the time, and trying to understand what you’re telling us during a meltdown can be difficult or impossible.
Try to eliminate overstimulating things in the environment like clocks with second hands, cathode-ray tvs (fucking pain boxes), flashing lights, or strong smells.
Remember that many autistic people also have trauma. Some common triggers (things you should avoid like the plague) include being restrained (don’t grab any part of their body) and phrases like “quiet hands”
Be patient and wait for them to calm down
It may take more than an hour for an autistic person to calm down from a meltdown. During this time, give them the option to go to a quieter and less-stimulating space. Offer alternate methods of communication, like allowing them to type on a phone, write on a pad, or nod their head in response to questions. Don’t force them to do anything. Meltdowns are exhausting and many people are unable to do things they normally find easy.
If you are allistic and any of this seems wrong to you, I would like to politely invite you to shut your quiznak. Yes, especially if you are an “””Autism expert”””
