Call for Stories and Artwork about Challenging Abuse and Mistreatment of People with Disabilities

The World Institute on Disability is seeking brief stories, quotes, humor, poetry, artwork and cartoons about people with disabilities who have faced abuse.

We want stories and artwork that exemplify challenging, stopping or interrupting abuse and mistreatment at the hands of providers, caregivers, personal assistants, medical and other kinds of service providers and helpers.

We are especially seeking pieces that encourage people with disabilities to feel powerful, and cartoons and visuals that appeal to a wide range of readers with disabilities. We hope to make the volume attractive, compelling and motivating.

These pieces will be compiled and issued as: CAPE, Curriculum on Abuse Prevention and Empowerment, a training guide for disabled people, family members and services providers. Funded by the National Institute on Disability Rehabilitation and Research, the book will be distributed nationally via CD Rom, print or the web, in English and Spanish.

Abuse and mistreatment is defined as any unwanted, hurtful, inappropriate, frightening, insulting, oppressive or demeaning behavior directed at a person or persons with disabilities. It can include physical, verbal, emotional, sexual or financial mistreatment, including theft, violation of privacy or autonomy, by anyone in a “helping role” including informal or paid assistants, associates, family members, or services providers. People with disabilities means people of all ages, with any kind of physical, sensory, cognitive or emotional impairment or disability.

Submissions of written pieces may be up to 750 words in length (Three double-spaced pages.) Shorter pieces are most welcome. Pieces longer than 750 words will not be considered. Please submit manuscripts electronically or on paper, double-spaced in 12 point type face.

Submission of cartoons and cartoon strips with humor and story line, and small drawings such as those depicted in the New Yorker Magazine will be used to illustrate pages of text. Artwork and cartoons must be black-and-white and submitted on 8-1/2 X 11 size paper. Cartoons and drawings must depict disability-positive images.

Please also include a short (up to 50 words) biography, along with name and contact information. Please note: Submissions cannot be returned. Keep your own copy.

Authors and artists of selected pieces will receive a copy of the volume on CD Rom and in print published by WID. WID will seek commercial publication of this volume, thus pieces selected for inclusion may be published commercially. In this case authors and artists of selected pieces will receive a small honorarium and will have their pieces and bios nationally published.

Deadline: March 15, 2006

Please send submissions to:

Marsha Saxton, CAPE
World Institute on Disability
510 16th Street
Oakland, CA 94612
marsax@wid.org