Disability Justice at Brown

I’ve posted about this topic before, but I’d like to speak on it again for ADHD awareness month. Dyscalculia is a term used for a wide range of life-long learning disabilities involving maths, numbers, and arithmetic skills.

It can be referred to as the mathematical equivalent of dyslexia. But this term is often misleading. Even though the condition shares common mechanisms with dyslexia, terms like these can create confusion around these two learning differences.

Dyscalculia is present in about 11% of people with ADHD. Other learning disorders, including dyslexia and dysgraphia, are also common – up to 45% of those with ADHD have a learning disorder.

Autistics also have a higher risk of having dyscalculia. And after a lifetime of feeling stupid despite being gifted in most other subjects, I was diagnosed at 39.

It’s a brain-related condition that makes basic arithmetic hard to learn, and 5 to 10% of people have dyscalculia—some of which, I’m sure, don’t even realize it.

So much more awareness is needed for dyscalculia. I can tell you from experience that living with an undiagnosed learning disability is maddening.

Because of my good grades in other subjects, I was called lazy and told to try harder every time I voiced my frustrations; from elementary school all the way up to college when I was crying in the counselor's office sobbing about how I could be such a smart dumb person.

It made me feel like a fraud and diminished my other accomplishments. I never want anyone else to feel like that. So please share, and let’s raise more awareness for this unrecognized very real learning difference.

Image ID: [Dyscalculia a math learning disorder. Trouble recognizing quantities without counting. Struggles to keep score in games often losing track of whose turn it is. Difficulty remembering number related dates and facts. Often needs a calculator. Misplaces objects frequently. Misjudges how long it will take to drive somewhere. Trouble with mental math. Gets lost easily. Frequently late. May count with fingers. Has trouble telling time on an analog clock. Difficulty sorting out direction (right from left).]

Today is Disability Day of Mourning.

It is a day to remember disabled people lost to filicide and violence.

will be holding a reading of the names on IG Live at 3PM ET/Noon PT today. Please join us if you can.

image by

Image: Two Black disabled people hugging. Over the caption, it says “Mourn the dead and fight like hell for the living” over a multicolored background.

             

Our first general body meeting is this weekend!
When: Sunday 11/7 @ 5:00 to 6 pm (EST)
Where: Disabled Student Study Space (Rockefeller library A10) and on Zoom (link below)

DJAB advocates for disability justice at Brown by holding space for a broad coalition of voices in the disabled community. Our mission is to look beyond the superficial markers of diversity to a radical, disability justice transformation of the University. Our first meeting will be a brief introductory meeting where we'll be talking about DJAB's missions and principles, along with our goals for this year. We will also talk about how you can get involved formally and/or informally, whether that be through leadership in the DJAB eboard or by simply connecting with us through community events (held virtually and in person) that we will hold later this year.

Join us at:

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Happy ! When celebrating this month remember: Pride started as a riot, led by Black trans disabled women. Our celebrations should be accessible, intersectional, and political to honor their legacy. 🏳️‍⚧️ 🏳️‍🌈

How are you celebrating Pride this month?



[Image description: Rainbow header text reads “Pride Should Be”. Beneath are the words “Accessible”, “Intersectional”, and “Political.” Each word is paired with a graphic. The graphic for “Accessible” is of a Black person seated in a red wheelchair in conversation with another Black person standing next to them. “Intersectional” is of a fat light-skinned person of color holding a trans Pride flag wearing a crop top and shorts with a rainbow. “Political” is of an Asian-appearing person wearing a bandana and a face mask, holding a yellow protest sign in one hand while the other hand forms a power fist. Beneath the graphics is text that reads “Pride began as a riot led by Black transgender disabled women. Our Pride celebrations should honor their legacy.” The Crip Camp logo is in the bottom right corner.]