LeftyByDefault.com – Laura Overstreet

My grandmother passed away very late at night on September 25, 2011. My grandma was an awesome woman who occasionally made me want to scream, and I was occasionally the heavy with her in the past few years. I came into my identity as a hard ass crip chick and she became more and more [...]

I have not posted in several months, but fear not, I am well and busy teaching.  I have at least one post I am itching to write, but it will have to wait a bit longer.  In the meantime, I encourage you to read two new posts from my dear friend, Alida Brill.  The first, [...]

In my regular presentations and discussions about disability awareness to college students, I am often asked about the best ways to help a person with a disability or to ask if we need help.  Occasionally, parents are looking for ways to help their children talk to other children or adults with disabilities.  I usually tell [...]

“Twenty/20″ I like numbers. I like what they tell us, what they signify, their symmetry, and how they have occupied my time over the years. Dates and anniversaries are the epitome of the power of numbers for me. I’m one of those people who can tell you the dates of almost any significant thing that [...]

Social media. It is a way of life for most of us these days. Who would have ever conceived of common usage of the word “tweet?” Now we use it as a verb and we’re not even chirping like little birds! Social media is a big stinking deal. Even my mom’s on Facebook, people. This [...]

Rachel Simon, bestselling author of Riding The Bus with My Sister, is releasing the paperback edition of her latest book, The House on Teacher’s Lane, on Tuesday, May 25th. I read Riding The Bus with My Sister, a memoir about Simon and her sister Beth who has developmental disabilities, when it came out in 2002 [...]

I have spent most of this week hoteling it. We had vinyl floor taken up in the kitchen and hardwood floor put down, and that floor along with the other existing hardwoods, were sanded, stained, and protected with polyurethane. Dusty, smelly, and obstacle-creating. The hotel existence was odd though. The first time I’ve stayed in [...]

Recently, I have noticed some bloggers discussing the pressure they feel to be happy, funny, proud, and/or any number of similar adjectives at all times despite the pain, frustration, or any number of similar experiences of disability and chronic illness. I will not recount all of the theoretical issues that make up these arguments because [...]

During my Internet time this week, I found three awesome pieces that really exemplify thriving with disability.  The first is a kid who does what he calls “hardcore sitting.”  He has spina bifida and uses his manual chair to do adapted skateboarding tricks.  This dude rocks!  Check out the awesome video here! Next is an article about a [...]

Yesterday I went to see the movie “Nine” as an early birthday present to myself. I took a small leap with the help of my pal Becky and SARK’s “Succulent Wild Woman” and went to the movie solo. The whole experience was delightful. There are few things more enjoyable to me than driving my van [...]