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GimpGirl Community was started in 1998 by several women with disabilities who didn’t feel like there was a community out there that understood them and their needs. Members come together to share their lives, experiences, problems and successes, in a safe space that focuses more on the women they are, and less on what disabilities they have. Members are valued and respected because of who they are, and that has always included women-identified people with disabilities of all shapes, sizes, and colors, not to mention ages and sexual orientations. Our current partners and academics are also welcome to work with us in furthering our goals.
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Recently, GimpGirl Community representative Alejandra Ospina was able to participate in a radio program focusing on issues of interest to people with disabilities called The Largest Minority. The second half of the program was a segment focusing on body image and relationships for people with disabilities, and there was a particular focus on women with disabilities...
It's exciting to watch our community grow; new members are joining all the time on our website, and in places like our Facebook and Twitter communities, among others. As a member of the GimpGirl Community, how would you like to see us expand our reach online?
Don't forget -- our topic of the month for June is self-advocacy!
Join the conversation: Just Five ThingsAnd don't forget to check our calendar for upcoming events! |
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What does self-advocacy mean to you?
How do you use self-advocacy in your daily life?
How did you learn your self-advocacy skills?
What do you wish you had learned sooner about self-advocacy?
What would you like to teach others about self-advocacy?
Here's a definition from Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered:
"[It] is about independent groups of people with disabilities working together for justice by helping each other take charge of our lives and fight discrimination. |
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As posted in our calendar:
GimpGirl Community Representative Alejandra Ospina will speak with radio host Dan Windheim (based in Rockland County, New York) on his show, "Dialogues With Dan", which focuses on issues that affect people with disabilities. They will talk about the history and focus, and future of our community, and what makes us who we are. |
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As you may already notice, we just released our new website layout! It looks very different from the old layout, but everything should function like it always has when you go to make forum posts, edit your profile, or send each other messages. Thanks to everyone who made this happen.  |
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Thanks to our wonderful volunteer members Ofelia, who made the graphic designs, and Ricky, who coordinated getting the items up, we now have a new on-line gift shop so you can show your GimpGirl pride! Shirts currently available in sizes small through 6X. On the gift shop page, click on a shirt design, then click "Select a different shirt style" to pick style and color. There are many to choose from! |
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Our March calendar is now up! As you will notice, this month brings us two new support meetings for our current partners and for women with disabilities who are currently single. Partners meetings focus on relationships and encourages our current partners to attend with us or alone to work through issues we encounter and share ideas and successes. |
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2008 has been a big year for us here at GimpGirl Community. We celebrated our 10th anniversary by opening several new branches on Second Life, Facebook and Twitter to reach out to more people and better connect with each other. We also attended several different conferences, on-line and off, such as Dreams Community Fair, BlogHer Second Life, and Association of Internet Researchers in Denmark, to get the word out to community organizations and educators.
Best of all, we met and connected with all kinds of amazing people of all sorts. This community is primarily organized and created by people from within the community that wish to give back and help others dealing with the same kinds of things they do or have. It thrives on the idea of mutual mentorship, and this year has proved how successful it can be!
So, thank you to all of you for your piece in making our community what it is! No matter what you celebrate (or don't celebrate), may you all have a wonderful season ahead.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Cole/JennyLin Arashi, Director and Founder
GimpGirl Community |
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