This idea for a challenge has been floating around my head for a while. As some of you know, I work in a daycare with disabled children as well as working with an eighteen-year-old girl who has a very severe form of spina bifida (that?s a birth defect). I have seen her progress for such a long time and what she is capable of is simply amazing. She can play piano (very easy pieces, mind) even though she has short term memory loss, is on a feeding tube and has a stoma. I have always wondered about birth defects and disabilities in the GFFA (since it doesn?t seem to be covered) and that?s where the inspiration for this challenge comes from.

The Challenge

Write a fic, any length, any form, any board, any character, that deals with disabled people ?human or non-human. Their disabilities can be birth defects, or they can be gained later in life after an accident. The disabilities can also be either physical or mental. If they are mentally disabled please do not called them ?retarded? or any other harmful words associated with those who are mentally handicapped.

The characters can be either OC or canon ? you could write a fic about Padmé being severely harmed and breaking her spinal cord, becoming paralyzed.

The disabilities have to be very severe if they are physical ? examples are total blindness, total deafness, loss of most of the senses, parallelization etc. You can use spina bifida and cerebral palsy of examples of birth defects.

Have fun and I hope that you are up to this challenge.


This challenge is officially for [i]any length[/i]. If you are writing vignettes, drabble or any type of one-posters, please post in the response threads below. If they are longer than on post, you may make a thread for the fic alone.

[hr]

The challenge has now turned into a group of challenges, all dealing with disabilities.

[b]LIST OF CHALLENGES[/b]

[b]Challenge One: The Free Challenge[/b] This is the beginning challenge, where you can write anything -- any era, any character, any genre -- just as long as it meets the requirements posted above. [i]Deadline: September 17th, 2005.[/i]

[b]Challenge Two: The Happy/Humourous Fic Challenge[/b] This time, write a fic that is either happy or humours. [i]Deadline: October 22[/i]

[hr]

[b]INDEX OF FICS[/b][/hl]

[b][u]Before the Saga[/u][/b]

[link=http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=21120364]Injury[/link] by Idrelle_Miocovani, entry for the [b]Free Challenge[/b]
[link=http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=21120364]I Didn?t Want to Stop the Music[/link] by Kudzu, entry for the [b]Free Challenge[/b]
[link=http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=21120364]No Such Thing as a Partial Person[/link] by Commander-DHW, entry for the [b]Free Challenge[/b]
[link=http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=21120364]If I Ever Leave This World Alive[/link] by Renton Kenobi, entry for the [b]Free Challenge[/b]
[link=http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=21120364]Different[/link] by Force-sensitiveLyn23, entry for the [b]Free Challenge[/b]
[link=http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=21120364&start=21599011]Transition[/link] by Sephrenia, entry for the [b]Free Challenge[/b]

[b][u]The Saga[/b][/u]

[link=http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=21120250]The Strongest One[/link] by Idrelle_Miocovani, entry for the [b]Free Challenge[/b]
[link=http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=21120250]The Gift of Today[/link] by VaderLVR64, entry for the [b]Free Challenge[/b]

[b][u]Beyond the Saga[/b][/u]

[link=http://boards.theforce.net/Beyond_the_Saga/b10477/21120335/?0]Someone to Hold On To[/link] by Idrelle_Miocovani, entry for the [b]Free Challenge[/b]
[link=http://boards.theforce.net/Beyond_the_Saga/b10477/21120335/?0]Blessed[/link] by FelsGoddess, entry for the [b]Free Challenge[/b]
[link=http://boards.theforce.net/Beyond_the_Saga/b10477/21120335/?0]A Place in the Universe[/link] by oldjedinurse, entry for the [b]Free Challenge[/b]
[link=http://boards.theforce.net/Beyond_the_Saga/b10477/2112033>

 

First off, I commend you for your work with disabled children. I have a number of close friends who work with severely challenged children and I am always astounded by the patience and compassion that such people tend to have. You have my admiration.

Secondly,
Interesting challenge idea!
Under disabilities are you also including addiction?


*whoa* did you see that Cliegg Lars plot bunny bounce by?

 

This should be simple...just do anything with Darth Vader! Just kidding...

And Idrelle, I too, applaud you. That's a great thing to do.

 

Hmm, interesting challenge... but anyone who's writing for it, be careful to really research anything you want to include, and don't just chuck in details for the hell of it...

(On which note, I wish to point out that "spina bifida" is spelt with one "f". )

So, yeah. Just a random comment. I shall be interested to see any fics for this one...

 

Kudos to you Idrelle.

My son is PDD (Pervasive Developmental Disorder)with autistic tendancies. Since the age of 3 he's been lucky enough to be helped by the most amazing teachers, therapists, and aides at a special school not too far from home. I too applaude you and those like you who help make our children's lives as normal as possible.

This challenge is quite interesting. I hope that you get a lot of takers. I look forward to reading all entries.

 

Thank you all for your comments about my work with disabled children. My sister and I have been working with them since an incident several years ago when some kids did a very terrible thing and set fire to a young pre-teen who was disabled and in a wheelchair. He later died in hospital. Since then, I have always wanted to help those who are disabled -- they are really just like the rest of us. They have feelings and they are still human. They have the right to be treated equally.

oqidaun: The disabilities should be life changing. If you're going to write about an accident, make it so severe that the person will never be the same again, ie. he's paralyzed. If you can work a way to put additicion into that, go ahead.

djcati: Darn, I knew there was something wrong with it went I looked it over... I'll go fix it.

Lola64: I've worked in autistic children at the daycare and I'm very glad that your son is being helped. I know of quite a few people who have disabled children and cannot find, or do not want to find, the people who can help them.

 

As the mother of a handicapped son, I like this challenge!

 

I think this is a great idea for a challenge, will be very intersting to see what people come up with. I'd participate, except that I've already got a main O/C in my stories who had his spine crushed and is in a hoverchair

 

Idri, that's a great thing to do I really like the challenge idea. I'll try to think of something, though like PademLeiaJaina, one of the main characters in one of my fics is disabled (blind).

 

VaderLVR64: You should join in!

PadmeLeiaJaina: Awww, you should still participate! You could write a vig about your OC.

Nat: I wrote a vignette called Blind several weeks ago and it was about a blind journalist. That was when I was trying to start writing about disabilities in the GFFA. Glad you're trying to think of something! The more the merrier!

---

Here's the first entry: [link=http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=21120250]The Strongest One[/link]. Is it inspiring?

 

wow, talk about attack of the plot bunnies...
-mia-

 

A million thanks to you Idrelle_Miocovani for all youre work, I was born with cerebral palsy and for me the fact that you do what you do is really comforting. May God for ever bless you

 

Hmmm, interesting! We have a good number of disabled kids that come through the pool, especially autistic kids. The people taking care of them always comment on how great the facility is, because usually the kids crack a smile maybe once a day, but they grin the whole time they're swimming. I'm always amazed by the amount of patience the adults have, too, even when one of their kids decides it's a merry idea to stand up halfway down the waterslide. Poor guy working up top- it was his first day working, and he didn't quite know what to do.

I'll have to see if I can come up with something for this.

 

Oh, the kids at my daycare get into all sorts of trouble. Once, one girl was very captivated by the sink and stuck her fingers down the drain. Then one of the little boys who is deaf took out his hearing aids and tried to stick them down the drain. Another time, one of the girls tried to eat an eraser.

They get into all sorts of trouble. But they are so adorable.

I have two new answers that I wrote tonight to add, one for the Before the Saga entry thread and the other for the Beyond the Saga.

[link=http://boards.theforce.net/Before_the_Saga/b10475/21120364/?1]Injury[/link] -- Before the Saga

[link=http://boards.theforce.net/Beyond_the_Saga/b10477/21120335/?1]Someone To Hold On To[/link] -- Beyond the Saga

 

Aww, that's so funny! One of the girls at my church is disabled, pretty badly. She's thirteen, and can't talk. She has a feeding tube. She's basically like a big infant. I will never forget the first time I saw her walk, right in the middle of a service!

 

Excellent challenge idea. The gears are already turning.

 

Thank you, FelsGoddess, for being the first one (I don't count) to post a response! It's very lovely and for those who haven't read it yet, it's on the Beyond the Saga response thread.

 

*raises hand* Legally blind here. With a possibilty of a rare genetic defect that no one seems to be able to diagnose. *sigh*

Very interesting, Idrelle. I'll have to see about doing this myself. I've also had friends that were disabled, so I definitely think I could find something to write about.

Wonderful idea.

 

Thank you and bless you, Idrelle, for initiating this challenge!

I worked as a pediatric nurse for eight years with children who have severe neurological and developmental disorders. Not only do I applaud you for raising awareness here, but also for opening a forum where people will hopefully feel welcome to share with others. There is so much more going on in all our lives that we could ever know.

Kudos to you for helping to make this a more caring community!!



oldj

 

Okay. I had to do it...my story is in the Beyond:

[link=http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=21120335&start=21130903]The Disabilities Challenge: Beyond the Saga[/link]


oldj

 

Alethia: Very interesting, Idrelle. I'll have to see about doing this myself. I've also had friends that were disabled, so I definitely think I could find something to write about.

Wonderful idea.

Thanks! I haven't seen you do any challenges or write any vignettes yet, so I'd be happy to see you respond to the challenge.

oldj: Congrats on the wonderful response you posted! It's quite stunning!

 

What a fantastic idea! Oh dear, a plot bunny just popped out... as an individual with Spina Bifida myself (not as severe as your friend's) it has always bugged me too that there are so few people in fic universes with disabilities.

 

A note to all -- if you could put a notice in this thread that you've replied, that would be fantastic!

Thanks!

 

Someone in my family has Aspergers... My brother or I, probably, but if Mom knows anything she's not telling, But nothing explains her weird obsession with researching it.

I worked with Special Needs kids at the ESC in my county every wednesday last school year, and once a month the year before that. What I saw those kids accomplish in the time I was there.

When one started speaking coherently.... Happiest day of my life.

Posted my response in Beyond the Saga. Sight, about a blind Jedi Master.

 

I haven't seen you do any challenges or write any vignettes yet, so I'd be happy to see you respond to the challenge.

I have! I've done one vignette and one challenge response. The vig is here: [link=http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=20212454]Walking the Fields of Death[/link] and I posted the Challenge response here: [link=http://boards.theforce.net/The_Saga/b10476/20304381/p4]The Beginning of the End[/link]- it's the last post on the page. And I have tons of started challenge responses that I should finish some day...

But yes, I will try to do this one. Sounds like much fun.