Get Your Scribbles Going: Story Contest!

typewriter- largerOh, yes! Grab your pens or Dragon Speak headset, it’s time for a story contest!

And the entries are bound to be doozies. Will yours be one of them?

As a person with a disability, how many times have you heard:

“I knew a girl in a wheelchair like you; Her life is over.”

“God did this to you.”

“Have you tried walking/exercising/drinking more water/prayer/goji berries?”

“What’s wrong with you? What’s your prognosis? What do the Doctors say?”

“Will you ever walk again?”

“Were you born like this?”

“Can you have children?”

“Will you live?”

“My aunt died of that.”

“Well you did always used to ——- so I always knew you’d get ill.”

“Can you talk?”

 “Did you used to be normal?”

Comments like that (all of them experienced firsthand by me!) can come fast and furious, and be a complete downer, both long and short term.

Enter your personal experiences – and what will be the core of our short story contest!

We want your best OMG! disability etiquette moments…and by that we mean the worst: Dark humour. Major faux pas’. The best intentions gone awry. All of ‘em, laid out there for the world to see. What’s the funniest or worst comment you’ve ever had? What did you do about it? How have you dealt with a similar situation since? Let us know, in 500 words or less and the best of them will be featured as part of some new Sick Chick to Trail Blazer material. Top entries will also win a copy of our disability etiquette guide, Pitch Perfect: What’s Wrong With You?

As always, our programing and offerings aim to empower and entertain while challenging discrimination, oppressive stereotypes (and giving you something to say to those folks who happen to impart the aforementioned offensive bits of wisdom ;)) Currently, Sick Chick To Trail Blazer stocks guides on disability etiquette (Pitch Perfect: What’s Wrong With You?), making your own FAQ replies and how to create your own illness pitch kit. On the lighter end of things, we’re in the process of creating a Best Comments Bingo Card; did that stranger really just say,”Can you walk?”… stamp that comment on your new SCTTB bingo card and earn 10 points!

We’ve got heaps of exciting stuff in the pike! Can’t give away our secret plans just yet, but you’re gonna love them! And we’re super stoked at the prospect of including your experiences as we roll out these new goodies in 2014.

So, get scribbling, trailblazers! Closing date for this contest is January 18, 2014. Please email all entries to [email protected].

Love and luck,

Grace