No New Normal: MLK, President Joe & Green Disability
Today, Monday, 18 January 2021, we celebrate Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. In two days, we in the USA will have a brand-new President, thankfully. Every morning I listen to a lot of National Public Radio (NPR). With vaccinations increasing, NPR reported that a “new normality” may finally be possible. A few minutes later, an NPR editorialist warned us, as he should, that the surge of white supremacy must not become a “new normal.” With all this talk about “new normality,” let me tell you something that MLK wrote and spoke...
read moreOaks Vlog #1: Mental Health, Disability & Revolution
David W. Oaks Vlog text: Mental Health, Disability & Revolution 7 December 2020 Joe Biden’s Federal Mental Health Agencies I love you. I am David W. Oaks. And I love you if you’re quadriplegic/tetraplegic like me. If you are a psychiatric survivor like me. Or if you’re not any of those. My friend, the late Justin Dart, Jr. was a leader in disability. He connected mental health and physical disability. He said over and over and over: “No forced treatment ever!” And now I think he would say: “Black...
read moreInside Story of My Keynote at Peerpocalypse 2020
Some of the hundreds of viewers for the David Oaks keynote at Peerpocalypse 2020. This Summer 2020, I was one of the four keynoters for the major gathering of hundreds of US mental health consumers and psychiatric survivors, Peerpocalypse. Of course, this time it was on Zoom, and at the bottom you can watch my keynote. On Mad In America, I am doing a blog about my keynote, which they published Thursday, 8 October: https://www.madinamerica.com/2020/10/world-mad-pride-disability-revolution/ Peerpocalypse has a webpage with links to...
read morePost Traumatic Spiritual Gifts with Rev. Schulman: Free Public Webinar 8/30
UUCE Accessibility Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Eugene Community, Oregon Public Service Announcement UUCE Online Access Forum with special guest Rev. Phillip Schulman, “The Struggle & Dignity of a Minister with Traumatic Brain Injury: Post Traumatic Spiritual Gifts.” Sunday, August 30, 2020, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm PST: tinyurl.com/uuce-access-2020-august Rev. Phillip Schulman: Mad Movement Minister 1989 Graduate of UU Starr King School for the Ministry, Phillip has served four UU...
read moreMy Keynote at Peerpocalypse Tomorrow Tuesday 7/21/2020
Updated: 20 July, 2:26 pm PST I will be one of the five keynoters in the main international conference this year, PEERPOCALYPSE, for mental health consumers and psychiatric survivors. Spoiler alert: I will call for REVOLUTION. Below is how anyone can listen to my keynote live and free on Zoom tomorrow, Tuesday, 7/21. (If you miss it, it will be recorded and streamed free.) The conference is entirely on Zoom, and it is now all free (unless you want continuing education credits.) There are so many dozens of wonderful workshops and...
read morePeerpocalypse Started Monday, 7/20/2020 until Thursday, 7/23/2020
Updated: 20 July 2:22 pm PST The main international conference this year for mental health consumers and psychiatric survivors will be entirely on Zoom, and it is now all free (unless you want continuing education credits.) There are so many dozens of wonderful workshops and keynotes, along with a virtual display. There will be participants from all over the world. Unfortunately, unless you paid and registered (which is now closed), the only way to get links for the workshops is through the workshop presenter themself. Again, now...
read moreRe-establishing My Credentials: Psychiatric Survivor Activists are Needed by the 100%, Now!
The popular blog site Mad In America just published my post about my psychiatric survivor #MadPride #Disability journey since I broke my neck in 2012: (If you would like to hear this as a voice synthesized podcast, click play below.) By David W. Oaks David W. Oaks, Revolutionary, Aciu! For more than four decades, I have worked as a psychiatric-survivor human rights activist. Then, at the end of 2012, I broke my neck. As readers of my blog posts, such as those on Mad in America, know, I have devoted the past few years to rehab...
read moreThis Thursday 5/7/2020: Free Zoom with Doc and Panel on Disability Rights
You’re invited to a free Zoom this Thurs 5/7 sponsored by MindFreedom International. Watch recent doc on empowerment of people with disabilities, plus a panel discussion (I’m on panel). PISS ON PITY: WE WILL RIDE traces origins & early history of ADAPT. Beginning in Denver in ‘83, ADAPT has become a national force utilizing civil disobedience to fight for the liberation of people with disabilities from institutions & for equal access to society. 2 shows,...
read moreCreativity & Mad Pride: Free Opal Network Public Event, This Tues. 10/29/2019
Free Opal Network Public Event Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/414424775938010/ Click here to view PDF flyer orDownload Creativity & Mental Wellness Art for Empowerment & Mad Pride in Mental Health You are invited to a free, special gathering with workshops & performances! Where : Trauma Healing Project 1100 Charnelton St., Eugene, OR When : This Tues., 29 October 2019 3:30 pm – 5:30 pm Psychiatric Survivor comedian Jim Flannery will join our event by live web on the big...
read moreCreativity & Mental Health: Planning for a Special, Free Event for Opal Network
Dear Opal Network supporter, A mural of Opal Whiteley A decade ago here in Eugene, Oregon we formed an informal coalition of more than a dozen agencies that work on mental health. Our goal: To increase the empowerment and self-determination of mental health consumers and psychiatric survivors here in Lane County, Oregon. We are planning a fun event for October 2019 for Opal Network. We have two more planning meetings before this event and we hope you attend one or both. For a flyer about the below information, click here:...
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