Presenters: Elizabeth and Alisa from the Mad Students Society Working Group on Ally Relationships
www.madstudentsociety.com / www.facebook.com/MadStudentSociety
Upcoming workshop dates/locations in Toronto:
Tuesday, September 18 from 12-2pm
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) room 4420, 252 Bloor Street West
Part of DisOrientation 2012 Toronto: http://disorientation2012.org/
All welcome. Free.
Wednesday, September 26 from 12-2pm
York University, Student Centre room 307, 4700 Keele Street
Part of DisOrientation 2012 @ YorkU: http://opirgyork.ca/events/09-11-12/disorientation-2012 / www.facebook.com/events/316987408398580/?ref=ts
All welcome. Free.
Saturday, September 29 from 6-7:30pm
U of T St. George Campus / Harvest Noon, 2nd Floor, 16 Bancroft Avenue
Part of Trade School Toronto: http://tradeschool.coop/toronto/class
Registration required. Cost: wish-list item for trade
This workshop will examine unexposed sites and methods of discrimination against Mad people, psychiatric survivors, consumers, and those labelled with “mental illness” diagnoses or mental health disabilities (also called mentalism or saneism). To counter stereotypical and medical model understandings of madness (eg. “mental illness” presented as a biological disorder requiring medical treatment like psychotropic medications) pervasive in society, Elizabeth and Alisa will focus on Mad people as a people. Like other equity-seeking groups, Mad people have a history, language, community, and culture that would-be-allies need to acknowledge, celebrate, and support.
We will introduce learners to the consumer/survivor community and social movement by talking about our history, discussing identity terms, exhibiting button slogans, and highlighting alternatives like consumer/survivor organizations and peer support groups. Through interactive group activities and conversations, learners will be encouraged to challenge their mentalist attitudes in order to ally with Mad people and the local and global Mad Movement as well as to foster more fully accessible and “safe” social justice spaces and “inclusive” movements. Are you a crazy person too? Come explore some of the history of our movement with us.
