Tag: opinion

advocacy, Faith, Dance, Books, advocacy

The Causes I’m Passionate about

Telling people what Jesus has done in my life

I’m passionate about telling people about Jesus and what he has done in my life because he is why I am still alive. Even before I accepted him as my Lord and Savior, he was at work in my life, and he is still working on me today.

Getting people to stop using the words Disabled, Disability, and able-bodied

I have had a back and forth, up and down relationship with how I view myself and my cerebral palsy. I will admit that I started calling myself differently-abled when I came home from a week in Sacramento after graduating from high school. I was chosen to attend the governor’s committee of people with disabilities. One of the first nights there, we were shown a documentary that chronicled the history of how people with disabilities were viewed and talked about. The documentary said that the proper way to speak about a person with a disability was differently-abled.

Now that I am older and I am healing more every day from what people around me, honestly, primarily strangers, thought I should be. I have chosen not to use the words disabled, differently-abled, or disability as it relates to me personally. I have decided to say I use a walker or a wheelchair because I don’t see those things as part of my identity. They are equipment, and I am someone who uses them for assistance.

I am proud to be associated with people who use the term disabled community. Still, the reason why I do not like these terms is that they go against the things that these amazing people stand for. The word disabled means not able, yet I know tons of people who are kicking butt in life, so yes, they are able! And if you think of the word differently-abled, Everyone in the world is differently-abled because we were all created unique, not one of us is the same.

Furthermore, the word able-bodied is one of the most heartless words I have ever heard. I believe that it implies that people who are not equipment users or that are viewed as living without struggle are somehow better than those who use assistance and have to do things in life at a different pace

If I am asked, I will tell you that my name is Marie, and I have cerebral palsy, and I would be happy to give you a short explanation of what it is if you wanted me to

I am not Disabled

Books

I started reading a new book

Renee Marino

My first book of 2022.  I was honored to be in her first group of students in her course communication on Camera,  as well as a member of her Facebook group  #becomingamastercommunicatorthroughimperfectactiom for seven months

  The most valuable lesson I learned is, if you want something, you have to ask for it.  Great work Renee

Listen Now

Renee Marino’s Instagram

Buy Her Book

inspiration

This man could sing the phone book

D. Scott Eads and the Swing Dolls

I am 100% serious when I say that this man could sing the phone book and I would buy a ticket! Every moment about my friend Scott’s show last night was phenomenal!  

That being said, the standout moments to me were:

  • We Need a little Christmas. That song took me back to junior high when I learned it for our first Christmas concert
  • Scott performed a beautifully sung version of Twas the night before Christmas
  • The Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth, which was originally performed by Bing Crosby and David Bowie in 1977. Scott performed this with his friend Todd Murry
  • Lastly, the songs that he sang with a group of women called The Swing Dolls was amazing

Listen now

If you get the opportunity, you need to go see Scott. You will not be disappointed. This man could sing the phonebook, and I would buy a ticket to his show.

Marie Ncole Zimmerle

advocacy

More changing thoughts

It took me forever to want people around me who look like me, but making new friends who work to break the stereotype of the inspirational poster child has been awesome because we are finally living in a time where we can use our voices to provide value.

Thank you for your friendship Krissy and for genuinely. Knowing the frustration and struggle. that sometimes comes with the most basic daily task. It can be incredible sometimes for people who are equipment users to leave someone.in complete shock, but I would challenge anyone who has not lived this life to stop.using the I word, inspiration and thinking that it’s a complement

advocacy, inspiration

Who Can play me in a movie?

Should an actor who does not have a disability be able to play a character with a disability?

I don’t think so.

In a recent episode of Able, a show highlighting performers with disabilities, actor, and disability advocate Christine Bruno, was interviewed, and the casting habits of Hollywood were discussed.

Ms. Bruno said that there are a few terms that describe the actions of casting teams when it comes to casting an actor a disabled character.

The first word that we learned from this interview is Cripface- casting an actor who doesn’t have a disability as a disabled character.

The second word that we learned was cripping up. This is when a casting team gets lazy and gives a role of a disabled person to a non-disabled actor because they can not find exactly what they want for the role.

Hollywood needs to realize that no disability looks the same in any two people. Therefore, any action done would be a caricature.

Furthermore, Bruno said that anyone with a disability should be eligible to audition for any role as long as they can fulfill the job requirements.

Let me know what you think of these ideas.

Click here to listen

Uncategorized

It’s time to stop, but it’s also time to start

Latest podcast episode

I recorded an episode of my podcast today, and these were my notes

  1. No matter how we voted, its time to stop talking about the election and start praying for our country
  2. The election was not stolen. God gave people the right to vote and the votes were properly counted and reported
  3. I did not vote for Trump because I believe he is a disrespectful person. How could an executive leader willing mock and disrespect people? It’s not the proper and mature way to carry yourself no matter who you are.
  4. If you do not like the way the election turned out then you need to Respectfully use your voice for change

  5. The Election is over Please respect our new administration