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Write Like a Photographer to Add Value for Your Reader
By: Devin Arrigo
Tags: Writers On Writing, Freelance Writing, Self Improvement, Writing Tips, Writing

Write Like a Photographer to Add Value for Your Reader

Photo by Alif Ngoylung on Unsplash

“Successful writers don’t make their point entirely about them.” — Ayodeji Awosika

If you want to write what readers really want to read, you need to adopt the mentality of a random stranger on the street. Let me explain…

What’s the first thing you look at after a stranger takes a photo of you and your friends? If you’re anything like me, you look at yourself first. Then you check out the rest of the group. There’s no shame in it. Everyone loves to see pictures of themselves.

After the photo is taken, I usually ask my friend to share it with the group so we can look back on it in the future. The photo will inevitably be shared on Instagram, or Facebook, or somewhere out on the internet.

To write better, be the random stranger on the street

Whether he knew it or not, the random stranger added a ridiculous amount of value without asking anything in return. He created a memory we won’t forget. One that we’ll cherish and look back on for years. And one that was most likely shared a lot on social media. The random stranger is the unsung hero you need to be when you write.

Just like the stranger, photographers primarily focus on doing things for other people — whether it’s taking group photos, capturing a beautiful landscape, or working for a client. They rarely take photos of themselves and instead are doing things for other people.

Photographers, above all else, focus on adding value. They take pictures for other people’s pleasure, not their own. If you want to write stuff that more people want to read, you need to adopt the mentality of the random stranger on the street.

People want to look at stuff that they care about. Stuff that adds value to their lives — whether it's photos of themselves or stories that they can squeeze some wisdom out of. The photographer is the unsung hero you need to be. They don’t get many thanks, but everyone shares and cherishes the memory that was captured.

Great writers do this really well

Great writers are a lot like the selfless stranger taking a picture for you and your friends. Great writers add value without asking for anything in return.

Great writers write for the reader, not themselves. They don’t take selfies, they take group shots. They don’t ask for money, they do it because it’s the right thing to do.

If you want to be a great writer, be that random stranger on the street. Take pictures for other people without asking anything in return. Add value without any expectation. Give, give, give — and the reward will come.

Final thoughts

If you want to be a great writer, write as if you were a random stranger on the street. Give without expectation. Write without hesitation. And write for your reader, not to them. In the words of Gary Vee:
Yes! Save the romance for fiction.
By: Rica Keenum
Tags: Writers Life, Writing Life, Freelance Writing, Writers On Writing, Freelancing

…hat one story you pitch could get accepted and change your life. But most stories you publish won’t. Don’t get romantic about publications. Take the rejection letter and use it to improve. Treat editors with respect while you’re at it. Their job is hard.
The Old Poems
By: Priyanka Srivastava
Tags: Writing Life, Writers On Writing, Blue Insights, Writing, Poetry

Photo by Sarah Arista on Unsplash

The Old Poems

I dusted the old poems

and saw the colours of life

the many hues holding stories.

I dusted the old poems and

found the many pieces which

once belonged to me.
WRITERS WANTED FOR PUBLICATION
By: Kieran W
Tags: Collaboration, Writers On Writing, Articles, True Crime, Unsolved Mysteries

Here at ‘Mystery Confidential’, we seek to give True Crime buffs and fans an overview of some of the most notorious and infamous true crime cases alongside those little well-known ones. We also seek to help in topical events such as missing person cases, unsolved murders and the solved murders that may impact the justice system. The purpose of the blog is to help those that may have suffered and give closure to the victim’s families.

We are desperate for new content and fresh, vibrant voices for both my Medium publication and my blog which can be found on www.mysteryconfidential.com.

If you are interested then please give me a shout and I will review any work that you wish to include in a future publication.
I echo this sentiment.
By: Rica Keenum
Tags: Writers On Writing, Freelance Writing, Entrepreneurship, Writing Tips, Productivity

I echo this sentiment. When I first signed up, I admit my goal was to post and go, hopefully gleaning some benefit from the visibility. Of course, it didn’t work. Now I see the value in engaging, reading, clapping and commenting on work that really resonates with me. I’m having a great time learning and sharing. It’s so much better this way! 😃
Writing from the ether
Tags: Writing Process, Writers On Writing, Writer, Fiction, Writing

Sometimes you pull writing from the ether. It comes from you. But it sounds like somebody else wrote it.

This is the purest writing.

You don’t have to think, it’s already there. Uncovered rather than constructed.
New Resolutions for Aspiring Writers
By: Lone Thread Books
Tags: Aspiring Writer, Writers On Writing, Writer, Resolutions, Aspiring Author

In a new year, it’s common for authors to set goals and resolutions for their writing. In this article, Lone Thread Books give New Year’s resolution ideas for writers.

Here are some ideas:

Start writing

You don’t have to think about the style, genre or type of literature. Just put pen to paper and scribble words as they come to you. Pick a soothing atmosphere, preferably a park or an open balcony as your place to begin

Explore various genres and styles

It’s important to explore various styles of writing to see which ones you are strong at. Once you’ve settled on a style, move on to figuring out the genre. Choosing a genre should be fairly easy as most writers take it from their life experience.

Start a blog

Blogs are fairly easier to maintain and best of all is a free source of publicity. Blogs give a chance to express your opinion and connect with people who share the same opinion on your chosen topic. You can choose to start a blog instead. you will soon have more than enough material to convert your blog into a book.

Try self-publishing

Self-publishing is a growing market and one that many contemporary authors are opting for in recent times. If you are the impatient sort who strongly desires to get your work read as soon as it is done, then self-publishing is a good option.

Read more

This is an important resolution, because the more you read, the better you will write.Reading various book formats that can help enhance your vocabulary and approach to writing that can click with your target audience.

Set a time frame

Adopting a time frame will help you get more organized and strengthen your will to write better.

Editing and rewriting

There is no such thing as a perfect novel. Editing and rewriting is a vital stage post completion of your book. If you consider your work to be the best you’ve come out with, know that you can always do better. Even after completing your first novel, revisit every letter of every word on every page and do a deep scanning for areas you feel at that instant could be made better.

The real trick is not setting the goal but having the resolve to do it. Once you start moving in a direction, you don’t have just a plan or a goal. You have a habit.

I hope this article will be helpful to you. Follow Lone Thread Books to learn more about reading, writing, and publishing.

| By, Aswy Hanna Paul, Lone Thread Books. |
Margaret Atwood Shares Her Top Tips for Writers (Part 3)
By: M. Olchawska
Tags: Writers On Writing, Writing Tips, Storytelling, Writer, Writing

Margaret Atwood is an author of more than 40 books of fiction, poetry and critical essays. Her most prominent work, to name a few, include: “The Blind Assassin”, “Oryx and Crake”, “The Handmaid’s Tale”, “Alias Grace”.

1. When you are happy with your manuscript, it’s time for you to hand it over to your trusted reader — however, Margaret advises against handing it over to a spouse or gatekeepers in the publishing industry:

− The best-trusted readers are non-writers.

− After they finish reading, ask them how quickly they read it.

− Try to have more than one trusted reader so that you can find consensus or common thread in their responses.

2. Reading your manuscript aloud will help you catch awkward patches and infelicities, which your eye wouldn’t be able to see otherwise.

3. For the first stages of editing, Margaret suggests going through the text with a ruler of your printed manuscript. This way, you will be able to read each line slowly and in isolation, and spot errors easier. A reader will always notice those small mistakes if you don’t catch them.

4. Margaret believes that staying away from genre will give you greater freedom to write and explore the story and your characters.

5. Your job as a writer is to make your story the best and the most compelling you can.

6. For Margaret, the science fiction, sci-fantasy and speculative fiction are all that she calls “wonder tales” — what-if books that deal with possibilities in a society, which have not yet been enacted.

7. Margaret advises all the future writers of speculative fiction to take the current society and the current events and move them further down the road to see what the future may bring.

8. Margaret warns that speculative fiction is just like any other fiction; it’s not going to be automatically interesting. It needs its own set of rules to make it compelling and plausible.

9. Utopias describe a world that’s better than the one we live in.

10. Dystopias describe a world that’s worse than the one we live in.

11. Utopia and dystopia can be a complex terrain since one person’s utopia can be another person’s dystopia. Each dystopia may contain a smaller utopia and vice versa.

12. Margaret feels that any technology or fantastic element in speculative fiction should have roots in what we, like species, can currently do/accomplish or are about to do or accomplish.

13. If you are working with realistic or speculative mode, research will only strengthen your project. However, Margaret advises researching only after you complete your first draft. She feels that if you focus too much on research while working on your first draft, it may sidetrack or slow down the plot.

14. The research will help you keep your story. But your readers can be details of the story you get wrong.

15. If you write about historical multiple sources to gain a much better and broader perspective.
The Perfect Poem
By: Priyanka Srivastava
Tags: Writing Life, Writers On Writing, Americanhaiku, Writing, Poetry

Learn more. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Learn more

Make Medium yours. Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. Explore
If You Want to Write In Unusual Situations, You Have to Trust the Process
By: Tom Handy
Tags: Life Lessons, Writers On Writing, Self Improvement, Writer, Writing

If You Want to Write In Unusual Situations, You Have to Trust the Process

Photo by Sora Shimazaki from Pexels

When you start out writing, there will always be distractions, life issues, and situations beyond your control. There will be times when you think you won’t have any time to write. Other times your family will demand your time.

You think you won’t get it done. Somehow you find a little bit of free time to get it done.

How did that happen?

Life gives you the time, you just have to learn to control time and not let time control you.

Did you catch that?

We are all given the same amount of time every day.

Richard Branson is given 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Elon Musk also has the same amount of time as you.

Learning to master time is what you need to do.
Humble Beginnings of a New Writer on Medium
By: Laura Shepherd Copy
Tags: Humility, Real Life, Writers On Writing, Writers On Medium, Writing

My main goal for writing on Medium is honing my craft for business elsewhere. A little side cash never hurt anyone.

Besides, I subscribe to Medium because I love to learn about different ideas, opinions, and business tips for writers that interest me.

I set my personal goal despite claims of fame and fortune on Medium’s user-friendly platform. Deciding if I just made enough money to pay for my subscription would be great — around $5.

Well, my top month was October thus far with a grand total of $1.67! My first story made 5 cents. A bit of a bummer, but last I checked, a dollar and 67 cents won’t pay the bills but it still spends!

So here I go, typing away again in hopes of meeting my $5+ paycheck goal for December. Because there are so many amazing writers to enjoy and I confess, I’m rather addicted to the variety of topics at my fingertips to read.
I Started Medium Without a Focus and It Cost Me
By: Daniel Silva
Tags: Writers On Writing, Writing Tips, Writers On Medium, Ｍedium, Writing

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

I stumbled on Medium by accident some years ago. My first impression of its concept was that it felt like some kind of blogging social network where anyone could write about anything. There is some truth in that, yet Medium is more than just a place to post some scribbles.

I created my account and read stories and articles for almost a week until I decided to give Medium ago. The concept was about me writing these soft horror stories ideas that would come up whilst suffering from a bad case of insomnia.

Suffice to say I had no strategy. I would just write whenever I had a random idea at night. There was no structure nor planning, and proofreading was definitely not a concept at the time. As soon as the article was finished I would just hit publish.

Of course, this chaotic strategy led me nowhere, so I gave up.
Things I Tell Myself When I’m Not Writing
By: Sruthi Korlakunta
Tags: Motivation, Writers On Writing, Procastination, Writing Tips, Writing

Learn more. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Learn more

Make Medium yours. Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. Explore
If Important Writers are Going Through this, Imagine Us
By: Casimiro Designer
Tags: Writers On Writing, Views, Content Marketing, Writing, Productivity

Now as for the giant publications these are screwed. Why?

Because of the high number of story rejections sent in the giant publications, writers have started to create their own publications and publish as much as possible in them.

Not two months ago I saw a stream on Facebook about creating a publication where writers could publish freely without a lot of red tapes. And I think this is working among the writers.

If we look at it, we can see that if we compare it from the beginning of the year to the moment, we will see that there have been changes in the distributions. Before you saw a lot of stories allocated in giant publications, today Medium was invaded by small publications, and let’s not deny, they are giving us to talk.

I have nothing against the changes. I as soon as I entered Medium two months later there was the update of the change in earnings based on applause for the time of reading. For beginners to adapt to this can only be with great consistency. And the same way is the issue of publications. Was it rejected? Create your publication and publish it. Even because not all stories rejected are bad, they virtualize sometimes and do more than other selected stories.

So the writers are fighting for themselves.

“The biggest motivation I’ve ever received from an important writer at Medium, says the following.”

Some people are insatiable, they have just arrived at Medium and think they can already have a thousand followers, and more than a thousand readings in their stories. If their stories have 30 views they come out complaining like thirsty beasts to devour speaking ill of Medium. Now I ask. Imagine that you are a student in a class with 30 students and the teacher sends an individual essay to the students’ discretion to present in front and read to everyone. How would you feel when reading your story in front of your 30 colleagues including the teacher? You would be shaking with fear, almost shitting your pants thinking: what they must be thinking my God! Now when you get 30 readers in the Medium who have read your story do you complain? Do you think these 30 readers liked your story? Create your own blog to see when you get to the 30 readings, it will take months. Many have gold and complain. Words of Tom Kuegler.

That’s why, dear writer, Medium is our gold.
I Love External Reads On My Medium Stories
By: Gal Mux
Tags: Writers Life, Stats, Writers On Writing, Views, Writers On Medium

Let me explain

Writing on Medium is a fun fulfilling journey for me. I get to put my thoughts into words and immortalise them on the internet for people to read. I also earn a few dollars in the process as has been the case so far which is cool.

A lot of Medium writers prefer internal views and reads to external ones because as part of the stories being behind the Medium Partner Program pay wall, they earn from them.

Writing takes a lot of time and energy. A lot of writers on here do it on the side, second to their other income generating projects but lots of writers have it as their core source of income and it is fulfilling if their efforts get rewarded monetarily as it is one of their aims.

Even though I obviously prefer many internal views and reads for this reason, I don’t mind external ones. I could even say I love external views for several reasons.

Providing answers

If my story earns several external views, it is testament that it probably had some answers that other people were looking for. Those reading them externally didn’t just stumble upon it on their feed but went out actively looking for something like it and came across my story.

It leaves a good feeling knowing that what you wrote about was needed by someone out there and that they found it, they read and it probably helped them or provided the answers they were seeking.

Relevance

If someone was going out to look for a story from their own initiative, it means that the content of the story was relevant to their needs.

Meaningful and impactful

If someone was looking for your story, it means that it might have been meaningful and impactful or I hope that is why what the readers take from my stories.

Not just about money

Its not all about earnings for many writers on Medium. If that was so, we would have quit the minute our writing was rewarded with pennies.

My most viewed and read stories have attracted external views and reads more than internal ones, meaning I have earned zero or little from my most read stories.

When my story receives significantly more external than internal views and it still leaves me happy and contented, it proves to me that its not all about money for me. Its about being read too and that’s why many of us write in the first place.

New members

If someone likes your story from reading them from external views, they may want to subscribe for a Medium Membership in order to read more of your stories or stories from other writers.

I read somewhere on Medium that this could translate to earnings for that Medium writer that helped ‘recruit’ a new member into Medium. The more paying members the merrier right?

What’s your opinion on external reads on Medium?
The Words I Write: An Offering
By: Vixen Lea
Tags: Writing Life, Writers On Writing, Self-awareness, Poetry On Medium, Prose Poem

The Words I Write: An Offering

Image by author

I started writing because there were stories inside of me that needed to get out.

Old stories, gritty stories, haunting stories. Stories I had spent years drinking into the shadows. Stories that peered up at me in fragile longing, begging to be seen and forgiven. Stories that needed scratching; stories that needed to be looked in the eye.

Stories who, when they finally shimmied to the surface and blinked in the searing sunlight, released me from a heaviness of soul I had been carrying for decades.

Some of these stories I have shared in this space, but there are others too dark and full of shame that I cannot bear to expose them to public eyes. Yet even the private telling, the sound of each keyboard click and placement of each word against a glowing screen has allowed the dusty memories to shift and clear space within me.

There is an evacuation that happens in my spirit when I write — as if something dense is moving out. (Not so unlike taking a good poop, I suppose.) I feel relief when I look at the words that have come forth. They are no longer inside of me, pushing at my edges and jockeying about to make phrases and outline emotions. When I sense words building up, it’s like a steady stream of water is filling up a bucket in my mind. As the words near the rim there is a desperation to empty it — Find a pen, a scrap of paper… Anything! — and write it all down before they overflow and disappear into the abyss.

After releasing those first compacted old stories, I began to write more freely about my current state of being. The words became formed by my daily experiences. The shape of them on the page and the sound of them in my mouth is an offering of gratitude to the present moment, whether I am experiencing joy or struggle. Without them, it is often as if sensations seem to flutter just out of grasp, but when the words get solidified, each lived moment becomes decorated and held in place.

I sometimes find myself in a panic about whether or not people will read the words once they have been written. I want to stand on the rooftops and paper the streets: Read this! See me! Validation! Validation!

But that is just the superficial need of my ego. It really doesn’t matter who reads the words I write. To me, their purpose is served once they have been expelled through my fingertips; after that, they are no longer mine. In fact, I often read my writings months later and wonder where on earth those words came from: Surely, I didn’t think of that.

Perhaps some words will settle themselves into someone else’s soul and be transformed into something new — an inspiration, a hope, an acceptance. And perhaps others will pass through unnoticed by most, content with simply being written.

© Vixen Lea 2020
Biggest Red Flags In A New Relationship.
Tags: Writers On Writing, Goodreads, Social, Relationships, Romance

As we all know, when we are so deep into someone we only focus on them and how to make them like us back, but along the way we ignore the biggest signals that the universe keep sending us, and that could actually protect us from all the negativity and toxicity that will consume us off guard.

Here are the red flags you shouldn’t be ignoring when getting into a new relationship:

Trust your intuition; trust your instincts. because they are always true.

Whatever you’re feeling about this person deep down is probably true, even when you don’t wanna admit it to yourself. If you find yourself suffering from feelings of regret, emptiness and confusion, you’re defintely with the wrong person.

Someone who makes you question your worth or leave you feeling unwanted and left behind is someone you should avoid at all costs.

If they do these things repeadtly: lying, acting cold and distant, only talk to you when they need something, blame you for things that are out of your control. You should stay as far as possible from them.

If they constantly make you feel like you are the bad guy, when in fact you have not did anything wrong.

Stay away from people who get angry at you for the smallest unreasonable things, especially who gets angry with you for being upset over something they’ve done to you. They usually do that so they won’t have to apologise.

Stay away from people who manipulate you into getting their way by bringing up your past. It is so toxic.

Stay away from narcissists, they have a hard time respecting boundaries and accepting different points of view. You will find yourself pressured into talking or doing things that are out of your comfort zone.

When you are the only one that is taking the initiative, you feel like you are doing all the chasing by making plenty of efforts that rarely seems to be reciprocated. This is when you know that you are with the wrong person.

When you are the only one that is interrested in knowing every single detail about your partner, you find yourself the only one who is asking questions and wanting to get to know more of them. This is when you know that you are with the wrong person.

These constant mistreatments and negative actions will affect your mental well being and can often make you question yourself, they will also destroy the foundation of your self-esteem.

You decided to read this for a reason, trust that reason.

Whoever is reading this now, I hope you can find the peace in being alone and protecting your mental health rather than being with the wrong person.

Finding real love and the right person means letting go of those who intend to hurt you.

-Ilhem
What’s My Brand?
By: Elyssa Sugar
Tags: Writers On Writing, Self Improvement, Self Love, Writers On Medium, Ｍedium

A generalist or missing my true calling?

Photo by Michael Liao on Unsplash

I’m:

A Mom.

A Digital Marketer.

A Beauty Expert.

A Canadian.

A Writer.

So what’s my brand?

I’m trying to fit into a mold set out here on Medium.com along with the rest of the world.

In researching how to be a great writer, I’m told to write about my experiences but also niche down.

In writing my beauty blog Beauty Reviews Daily (shameless plug), I’m also told to niche down — beauty is too broad.

I can write about being a mom but I struggle with the identify of what kind of mom I actually am. Living in midtown Toronto would have me pegged as someone who I’m likely not.

I’m also people pleaser.

I’m as much as an Extrovert as I am Introvert.

I’m a coffee lover.

Should I classify myself as one type of “insert noun here” in order to distinguish what kind of writing I should be doing?

On Medium, I find myself consistently bombarded with marketing and social media articles.

As I read I’m constantly learning how to further develop my blog so I can be a:

Expert on how to launch a blog

Expert on Affiliate Marketing

Expert on beauty and skincare

Did I mention I also make Tik Tok videos?

And I tried my hand at Instagram makeup tutorials but I am not a makeup artist and those tend to do best.

So who am I.

Or rather, WHAT am I?

Am I a late 30’s beauty guru, digital marketing expert who’s a new mom trying to navigate their way through a global pandemic?

That’s way too many niches to make myself stand out in.

Did I mention I also make hairbands and bead bracelets?

Oh and I opened my own print on demand Etsy shop.

Even writing this article is making me remember all of the things that I love to do.

I also paint, or did.

I use the right side of my brain a lot but my outlets are a mix of creative and technical.

I taught myself SEO.

I taught myself how to build a website in Wordpress.

I taught myself sign language.

How do I balance all of the things I love to do with the things I need to do?

In trying to identify myself as a writer, I can tell you I’m still trying to figure this out.

I’m showing up every day.

Doing a daily brain dump of what’s in my mind.

I’m usually scared to promote my work on my social media platforms, depending on the topic of the article.

So I’m asking you Medium, how do you decide what to write about?

How do you identify as a writer?

If you have every felt the same as me or feel it now, give me a clap so I know you’re here with me.

Give me a follow so I can follow you back because what’s the Internet these days without followers.

I can promise great content most of the time — of course there will be the odd article that doesn’t do it for you (or me).

Here’s to you big world on Medium.

Niche down or be found…
Follow for more on IG|@midnight_writer_07
By: Gopal Paswan
Tags: Writers On Writing, Poems And Stories, Writers On Medium, Poetsofinstagram, Poetry On Medium

Follow for more on IG|@midnight_writer_07
Thanks for sharing your personal experience and raising awareness of this silent disorder.
By: Christine Salerno
Tags: Dyspraxia, Rett Syndrome, Special Ed, Disability

Thanks for sharing your personal experience and raising awareness of this silent disorder. Dyspraxia, even in the medical and educational fields, is something I find myself explaining again and again. My daughter has Rett Syndrome which causes all sorts of super shitty things. Her severe dyspraxia is up there as one of the worst. It’s so bad that she can no longer talk and has significant physical disabilities. She uses a Tobii Dynavox eye-gaze device to communicate (she’s super smart) but even with that, it’s really difficult for her. Sometimes she says yes when she means no. It’s heartbreaking. But like you, I am sure she will continue to overcome many obstacles and will likely be a writer when she grows up (she is 9). I wonder if there’s a correlation between dyspraxia and creativity?
Great Books Written by People with Disabilities
By: Russ Ewell
Tags: Special Needs, Books, Russ Ewell, Reading, Disability

While it is of the utmost importance to recognize the existence of disabilities and the absolute need for accessibility and representation, it is also important to take the time to celebrate the achievements of individuals who have disabilities.

One major controversy among the disabled community is the lack of true representation on a number of levels. For instance, all too often non-disabled actors and actresses are cast to play disabled characters while actual disabled actors are left disappointed and struggling to find work. The lack of representation in the disabled community is nothing new. It wasn’t until 1988 that Gallaudet University (A school for the deaf) had it’s first deaf president, and it was only after the students protested and fought to see themselves reflected in leadership.

With these common representation issues in mind, here is a list of great books about disabled characters that were actually written by disabled authors.

On the Edge of Gone by Corinne Duyvis

On the Edge of Gone by Corinne Duyvis is a great work of fiction. It follows an autistic woman named Denise as she navigates the apocalypse. The story takes place in the year 2034 in the Netherlands. The protagonist, Denise tries to find her missing sister while helping her troubled motherboard a spaceship. If you like creative takes on the end of the world, this is a book for you.

Beauty is a Verb: The New Poetry of Disability edited by Jennifer Bartlett, Sheila Black, and Michael Northen

This beautifully done anthology of poetry is written strictly by American poets who live with physical disabilities. The collection explores a number of poetry movements, from language to narrative, and includes writing on blindness, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, and many other disabilities. The poets share complex thoughts and feelings surrounding relationships with themselves and their respective disabilities.

No Easy Choice: A Story of Disability, Parenthood, and Faith in an Age of Advanced Reproduction by Ellen Painter Dollar

Painter tells her moving life story of living with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), a genetic bone disorder. After passing the disorder down to her first child she must decide whether or not to conceive her second child using assisted reproduction to avoid another OI diagnosis in the family. The book does a great job of sharing the many sides of the debate surrounding advanced reproductive technologies.

Originally published on Russ Ewell’s website.
REQUIRING DISABILITY TRAINING FOR DOCTORS
By: Russ Ewell
Tags: Health, Doctors, Education, Russ Ewell, Disability

People with disabilities and their advocates have spent years pushing for a requirement that medical schools begin to specifically train students on treating people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. It may come as a surprise, however, there is currently no standard for such training in the medical community.

In 2019 two proposals were made that would have established a mandate on the standard curriculum of medical schools to include training on the treatment of developmental and intellectual disabilities. The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), a group sponsored by the American Medical Association and the Association of American Medical Colleges rebuffed the proposals.

Now, in 2020 the committee responsible for creating the minimum standards for curriculum are set to discuss a new, revised version of one of the proposals. The new effort will better prepare future doctors and healthcare professionals to treat people with developmental disabilities.

$1.75 million has been allocated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living that will go towards a new initiative over the next five years. As of now, there are five universities that will begin studies on the existing training and create new standardized practices and materials to be incorporated into medical schools’ curriculum.

The new curriculum being developed will be implemented first at Rush University, St. John Fisher College, the University of Illinois at Chicago, the University of Minnesota, and Villanova University. There are 30 other schools that will ultimately include the training across a number of healthcare fields.

The project, “Partnering to Transform Health Outcomes with Persons with Intellectual Disabilities and Developmental Disabilities” will be assisted by people with developmental and intellectual disabilities as well as their families through every stage of the training process.

This latest effort by medical professionals and educators to address just how limited doctors’ knowledge of developmental disabilities is. The ultimate goal of the program is to improve the quality of care and the health outcomes for individuals with these disabilities. By better preparing doctors the future of health care will improve immensely, as a population of people, long overlooked, finally get the acknowledgment necessary.

Originally published on Russ Ewell’s website.
Maame Yaa — A blind widow with 7 kids
By: Hattie Jaye
Tags: Single Moms, Nonprofit, Africa, Donations, Disability

We provide charity services including business capital, food & clothing, and medical costs assistance to underprivileged single mothers in African countries.
my hearing boyfriend’s experience on dating someone with hearing loss
By: Katie Norton
Tags: Dating, Hearing Loss, Deaf, Dating Advice, Disability

“When first getting to know Katie, I learned very quickly that she needs your full attention when speaking to her, or else she just won’t listen (haha).

It didn’t take long for me to figure out how to communicate with her. I’ve learned a lot this past year about the d/hoh community, as I’m sure all of you have as well from following Katie (on instagram.com/ktnlifts) for this long. I even learned some fingerspelling when Katie was taking an ASL class last year, which is something I never thought I’d even be able to do.

I’ve always been a very patient and relaxed person, so I never got frustrated or annoyed when I was asked to repeat myself (which happened A LOT hahaha)

Probably the hardest situation for communicating with Katie is during parties at UMass. Because of how loud and dark they are, and how Katie needs to lipread, it becomes very difficult with so much input coming in. I literally have to be 1 foot away from her face in order for her to understand me completely. We also type on our phones in notes to communicate at times when she just can’t understand me at all or when her hearing aids are off/out.

Also whenever going out to eat or in stores, I am a translator for Katie and I order for her (after she tells me what she wants). With everyone wearing masks now, it also becomes difficult at times where I can’t take my mask off to speak directly to her. I usually just end up answering for her, and she trusts me to make those decisions”
Employers Can Require Employees to Get Vaccinated for COVID-19, But Should They?
By: Ed Ergenzinger
Tags: Covid 19, Employment, Business, Coronavirus, Disability

COVID-19 | Employment | Legal | Vaccines

Employers Can Require Employees to Get Vaccinated for COVID-19, But Should They?

Photo by Daniel Schludi on Unsplash

A guidance published December 16 by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) raises a number of legal, regulatory, and practical considerations employers face if they decide to pursue such a mandate.

Labor and employment attorneys Barbara E. Hoey and Alison Frimmel of law firm Kelley Drye provide an informative review of issues on this topic, including answers to such questions as:

· Do employers even need a mandatory vaccination program?

· How would such programs be rolled out, and when?

· Are vaccinations considered medical examinations under the ADA?

· How should employers handle requests for an exemption based on a disability or religious beliefs? What if they can’t accommodate such requests?

· What about political beliefs? Or if the employee is just afraid?

· When can employers terminate?

· What are the pitfalls to a mandatory program, including issues related to training, employee relations, and compliance?
situations i have to work especially hard in to enjoy because of hearing loss:
By: Katie Norton
Tags: Hard Of Hearing, Accessibility, Equal Access, Deaf, Disability

🔥BONFIRES / NIGHT PARTIES:

i can’t lipread in the dark so communicating with my friends outside is a guessing game. more often than not i just stay silent and try to enjoy what i can understand rather than focusing on all that i miss. sometimes i go on my phone to pass the time, or have side conversations with one or two people and position myself so that the light of the fire is on their face so i can lipread.

🍿 GOING TO THE MOVIES:

i try to avoid movies as much as i can but sometimes i want to see my friends and those are the plans. i usually don’t get the captioning devices because they’re annoying and kind of embarrassing (i don’t always want to be drawing attention to my hearing loss when i’m in public) so i just have to focus extra hard on the movie and be okay with it when i miss parts. movie theaters need to start having showings with captions on the screen so that we can have the same experience as hearing people. they’re missing out on a huge demographic of people who want to see movies and would if the accommodations were better.

🌊WATER ACTIVITIES:

i take my hearings aids out to swim (they can’t get wet) but most of the time i just leave them in and keep my head above water/tell people not to splash me. it was really isolating as a kid when everyone wanted to play marco polo or other water games and i just physically wasn’t able to because my hearing aids were out. i would often stand to the side and just pretend like i understood what was going on. sometimes one or two friends would separate themselves to play with me and that was a much better experience. i enjoy going to the beach because you don’t have to go in the water and there are plenty of activities to do on the sand where i can leave my hearing aids in.

🎶 PLAYS/CONCERTS:

amplified sound though speakers is really hard for me to understand. every word sounds the same to me, and the people on stage are too far away to lipread. if i ever got dragged to a play, i would usually just sit on my phone the whole time. for concerts, i absolutely love music and love seeing my favorite artists live. the only thing i’ve found that helps is to look up the setlist ahead of time and keep referring to it so i can understand what songs are playing. concerts should have a screen with live captioning with the words to the song AND what song is playing. it would make it much more accessible to everyone there, and people who don’t know the artist too well but want to know what is playing.

d/hoh people: do you feel the same in these situations and do you have any solutions that i haven’t mentioned here?
do i wish i had grown up in the deaf community?
By: Katie Norton
Tags: Hard Of Hearing, Deaf, Deaf Community, Hearing, Disability

i always felt like i never truly belonged in the hearing world, but that i didn’t quite fit into the deaf world either because i was mainstreamed and only sign a little bit. throughout my life, i’ve been trying to figure out how to bridge the gap between the two worlds, and i’ve found that the answer lies in accessibility.

i don’t want to force deaf people to lipread, get hearing devices, or speak, when i can easily learn ASL. i don’t wish i had grown up in the deaf world, but i wish i learned ASL at a young age and had hard of hearing friends. i was never around people like me when i was growing up, and that led to me feeling isolated and alone about the challenges i had faced. however, im grateful for it because it shaped me into the person i am today. growing up in the hearing world made me aware of the issues about accessibility, and how i can push and teach others to be better ally and advocate.

it’s important to have people around you who are like you when you are growing up to feel a bit of normalcy. even though we are all different, a lot of us share similar differences and that’s where we establish connections and bonds. all my life, i was missing out on those bonds because i wasn’t around other hard of hearing children after age 5.

i am happy i grew up in the hearing world, but i wish i was more involved in the deaf community at a younger age to foster the connections i was missing. i am so grateful for social media for being able to bring together all kinds of people, and connecting me with some amazing deaf creators
Rhythm 4 All
By: Aaron Kierbel
Tags: Connection, Wellness, Rhythm, Zoom, Disability

This is my first posting on here. Yay!

My name is Aaron Kierbel and I’m a professional drummer, teaching artist and founder of RhythmALLogy, currently residing in Oakland, California.

I have been leading all of my drum circles, classes and rhythm events in the virtual world since the Covid-19 pandemic has forced all of us (who have computer access) online since March. When I first was told I would need to do this, like many others, I felt overwhelmed and resistant to the idea of trying to make music online. But eventually, when I saw there was no way around it, I gradually came to embrace it. Now that I’ve had about 9 months experience leading groups on Zoom, I feel much more confident and see some exciting possibilities with it.

One group that I most look forward to facilitating is a virtual weekly rhythm and movement circle for youth with developmental disabilities and their families in San Francisco called “Rhythm 4 All.” (hosted by Support 4 Families, a wonderful SF organization serving the Bay Area disability community).

Rhythm 4 All in action

The joy and energy that each participant and their families bring bursts through the screen. The event is a safe and encouraging space for the youth to express themselves from the safety of their homes with their loved ones drumming along with them. Each family gets a few moments to be spotlighted and express their unique creativity for the group to see. Some have ridiculous dance moves. Some create instruments from kitchen utensils. There is always an abundance of laughter, creativity, encouragement and celebration.

Many parents report how meaningful it is for their kids to have the opportunity to be seen, to shine and be successful at something in front of their community. Some of these families wouldn’t be able to easily attend this circle every week if it were in person. I am grateful that each and every week, despite all the obstacles of accessibility and technology, this group gets to create a genuine feeling of connection and community in a virtual space.
The Moment I Truly Learned What Culture Shock Is: And How It Changed My Life Forever
By: Richard Albert Price
Tags: Life Lessons, Travel, Behavior Analysis, Culture, Disability

Febuary 2019 I traveled to Kenya, Africa. I went on this trip with the Global Autism Project — A Non-Profit organization that trains staff at Autism Centers around the world. I spent a month working at Kaizora, the Autism ABA Center in Nairobi.

https://www.globalautismproject.org

Now, this was only my second time leaving the country, and my first time doing it by myself (I went to Paris and London in 2017 with my family for a conference I was presenting at— ABAI (Applied Behavior Analysis International — https://www.abainternational.org/welcome.aspx). When I landed in Paris, I did feel Culture Shock. The language barrier. The way of life. However, I fought it, I never embraced it. I THOUGHT this was what culture shock meant at the time, and since I was only spending a week in Paris and then traveling to London I thought, “Why embrace it?” Once I got to London this feeling of shock faded, I was in a different part of the world, yes, but there were less barriers reminding me of where I was.

Picture from my presentation at ABAI on teaching young adults with IDD to ride the public transit system, independently

Anyhow, back to Africa.

I was excited to go, nervous as well. Africa had been on my bucket list for as long as I could remember. I was expecting to to feel the same ‘shock’ as I did when I landed in Paris…I was ready…but I was mistaken…
It’s Christmas Time!
By: True Consultancy
Tags: Healthcare, Christmas, Health, Disabled Person, Disability

Is Christmas celebrated by Christians?

Christmas, Christian celebration praising the introduction of Jesus. December 25 has gotten broadly acknowledged as the date of Jesus’ introduction to the world. Christmas has additionally become a mainstream family occasion that is seen by Christians and non-Christians, is set apart by the trading of presents, and highlights the legendary figure of Santa Claus.

Merry Christmas

What is the importance of Christmas?

Christmas is the celebration critical for the Christian people group anyway it is commended by the individuals of different religions too. It is commended each year with incredible satisfaction, joy and eagerness like different celebrations all through the world. It falls each year on 25 th of December in the colder time of year season.
The Impact of Employees With Disabilities on Workplace Productivity
By: Jaymie White
Tags: Workplace Diversity, Workplace, Disability, Supply Chain

Supply chain management professors Sriram Narayanan and Edward Terris examined the inclusion of employees with disabilities and its impact on workplace productivity. People with disabilities need to be included in diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) discussion because they face many barriers to employment. Narayanan said it was logical to employ people with disabilities because many of them are underemployed and there are talent shortages in various industries.

https://suppliertynews.com/2020/12/23/the-impact-of-employees-with-disabilities-on-workplace-productivity/