Judith Snow
2003
Gleaned from correspondence with John McKnight
This e-mail is the announcement of the formation of the »lnternational Association for Inclusive Citizenship.
This is going to be a long e-mail. I encourage you to skip to the »end if you are not inclined to read long documents. I have a few requests at the end to ask you — simple ones! I don’t want you to miss them so please go there now if you are In a hurry.
There are already sixteen members of the International Association for Inclusive Citizenship (lAIC). We are going to be a real presence in the world – with members, chapters, projects and »resources. Our fundamental purpose is very important – Pride and Celebration.
My desire to start the lAIC comes from my life Journey. I have long struggled with the idea that I am “disabled”. I don’t experience myself as disabled. Of course, I don’t mean that I don’t notice »that I have very limited use of my body. I am perfectly aware that l don’t walk, I require hours a day of assistance to accomplish the simplest of tasks. I struggle to keep breathing adequately and I »can’t spontaneously hug and kiss friends, lovers and family.
These realities impact me and others around me moment by moment.
These realities can’t be denied!
What I find to be the REAL struggle is the ever present assumption »that this state of “me” – this way of being – is somehow a lesser path, a misfortune, a mistake, a disadvantage, an embarrassment.
ln the past thirty years more and more people have been claiming »our right to be respected as we are. As an example, the Social Model is a theory of disability that is popular in the UK and »Canada. It aims to empower us by locating the source of our difficulties in the social and physical environment. This is a very »strong idea.
