The BBC website has an entire section devoted to disability issues called Ouch! Not sure I’m a big fan of the name, but I like the format. It’s kind of like Wired News for the disability crowd. The tone of the articles isn’t maudlin or self-congratulatory and it seems to have a focus on disability culture instead of the usual “What to Look for in a Scooter”-type stuff. And it’s part of the BBC, which gives it some added cred. Can you envision a major American media outlet, like CNN or NBC, carrying something like this on their website? Neither can I. I’m not sure on the details of the Beeb’s operations, but I believe it’s at least partly funded by the government, which might explain things. I don’t think you could convince a privately held American media corporation that there’s an audience for a disability-themed news portal. Maybe some of us should start a petition or something.
Incidentally, Ouch’s blog mentions a bunch of other blogs written by people with disabilities, including The 19th Floor. So mad propz to us.
