If I were a weighted blanket

Authors

  • Sarah Owocki self (Autistic adult)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15173/cjae.v2i1.4774

Keywords:

Medicalization, Insurance, Marketing, Commercialization, Institutionalization, Nurses, Assistive devices, Autism, Stigma, Poetry, Dichotomy, Weighted blankets, Community living, Home, Integration, Acceptance, Self-directed, Sensory, Stimulation, Meltdowns, Calm, Liberation

Abstract

This is a poem written in the first person, "by" a weighted blanket. It addresses the person who is using the blanket from two perspectives: firstly, a natural one and secondly, a commercialized one. This evokes the divide between the inherent purpose that a weighted blanket can serve as an assistive device for an Autistic person (a liberating potential) vs. its use and commodification in a medical system built around structures of profit and control. This tension is widely present in the Autistic community as well as among individuals who interact with those of us in the community. Confronting this tension helps with building an equitable world where Autistic people can be thriving members of our communities, rather than institutionalized or hidden away.

Artwork by Kimberly Gerry-Tucker titled "It's Okay to Accept Help". Surrounded by a yellow border with the CJAE logo, a list of author's names and April 2022 Volume 2 Issue 1.

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Published

2022-04-12

How to Cite

Owocki, S. (2022). If I were a weighted blanket. Canadian Journal of Autism Equity, 2(1), 18–20. https://doi.org/10.15173/cjae.v2i1.4774

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 1 (2022): Employment

Section

Experiential Commentary

License

Copyright (c) 2022 Sarah Owocki

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