Author Archive for Sue LoTempio
Since it's difficult to trust mainstream media to accurately tell the story of living with a disability in America, SpokeSpeak will go behind the headlines and add context, commentary and snarky viewpoints on the day's news and other happenings. Susan LoTempio, a long-time newspaper writer and editor, has published articles on the disability experience in New Mobility, the New York Times and other national newspapers and magazines. Her biggest joys come from her family and friends; her biggest frustrations come from trying to explain to doctors under the age of 50 what polio is and why they should care about it.
Pushing for American Girl Doll in Wheelchair
When my family was growing up a decade or so ago, American Girl dolls were big. The girls loved reading the books that told the story of a doll that represented a specific historical era. Mostly, though, they lusted after all the very expensive clothing, accessories and furniture displayed in the slick catalog. One year, […]
Person of Year’s Belize Adventure
When I interviewed Deborah Davis for New Mobility’s Person of the Year profile, she was about to leave for Belize — yet another travel adventure for this dynamic, daring woman. If you’re like me and have no clue where Belize is located, here’s what I learned: The country is on the northeastern coast of Central […]
Media’s Seasonal ‘Pity Party’
Serious breaking news is typically slow between Christmas Eve and the days following New Year’s, and that makes it difficult for editors who must fill daily TV news broadcasts and newspaper pages. Since the staples of the season — weather reports and holiday spending stories — take up only so much space and time, media […]
NM Person of the Year: Deborah Davis
As founder of PhotoAbility, TravAbility and PushLiving, Deborah Davis is a one-woman force for inclusion.
ADAPT, Not Dead Yet Video on Times Square
Just in time for New Year’s Eve, the disability-rights groups ADAPT and Not Dead Yet combined resources to sponsor a video on the Times Square CBS Super Screen. The 10-second video will be shown once an hour for 18 hours a day over three months on the 26-feet wide and 20-feet high Super Screen. The […]
New museum, old access problems
Planning to visit Washington, D.C., over the holidays to see the sites? If any of the Smithsonian Institution museums are on your itinerary, take a good look at how easily accessible the exhibits are. Down the National Mall at the Newseum, however, access has been a different story. The Department of Justice cited this museum, […]
Dear Santa: here’s my wish list
This time of year we’re bombarded with silly TV commercials trying to sell us even sillier gift ideas, ranging from Chia pets to underwear, potato chips and everything in between. This year, though, when I saw the ad for “the Clapper,” I thought, “hmm, that might actually be useful.” Wouldn’t it be a kick to […]
Oh, no, not the snow!
With a huge swath of the country covered by mounds of snow, it’s time to face a seasonal truth: for wheelers, unless you’re skiing or otherwise playing in the snow, dealing with the snow and the cold stinks! Big wheels caked with snow. Small wheels covered in dirty slush. All four wheels bringing snow and […]
From the news – believe them or not!
You can go through a whole week, maybe even a month, thinking that life is getting easier for people with disabilities. But then you come across some news items that jolt you off that cloud of delusion. Borrowing a page from Mr. Ripley, I present you with three recent news items and challenge you to […]
Online shopping: what a gift!
It feels like a cyber assault these last couple of days every time I signed into my email account and find countless, screaming offers for CYBER MONDAY DEALS! BIG DISCOUNTS! FREE SHIPPING! ONE-OF-A KIND SAVINGS! Whoa. How much online Christmas shopping can one person handle? As it turns out – quite a lot. But I […]
