Sarah Amin has a Masters of International Affairs at the School of International Service at American University. Her academic focus is Gender and Human Rights, and her research interests focus on the intersection of international politics and feminist disability studies. As a contributor to the NotEnoughGood blog, she researched human rights advocacy, international disability rights issues and policies, and gender equality.
Jul 29
Currently, the debt ceiling and potential budget cuts for 2012 are arguably the most debated topics in U.S. politics. Other contributors to this blog have already discussed in detail the consequences that budget cuts could have on children’s schooling, academic research and education, and foreign aid. Shaunak, a fellow Program and Research intern with the …
Jul 20
In my previous post, I raised the issue of violence against women with disabilities. Research and statistics have helped to raise awareness in our society about domestic and gender-based violence. However, as I discussed previously, the link between violence and disability is still very under-researched, and the consequence is that many women with disabilities are …
Jul 04
Although statistics vary widely from disability to disability, women with disabilities (WWDs) in general are more likely to experience physical, sexual, and emotional abuse for longer periods of time than women without disabilities. One of the biggest obstacles to understanding the prevalence and effects of violence against women with disabilities is the dearth of research …
Jun 20
Some would scoff at the idea of living with an alternate identity in a virtual world, as in the popular Sims games, or the widely-played “massively-multiplayer online role-playing games” (MMORPG). However, since it was introduced in 2003, the online virtual world called Second Life has completely transformed self-expression. Because of its user-friendliness and a multitude …
Jun 17
In my previous post I talked about the conflict between a women’s rights to choose abortion, and the ethical danger of normalizing the practice of abortion in order to eradicate disability. Medical professionals and parents-to-be may argue that, due to environmental barriers, cultural stigmas, or the lack of available medical options, the quality of life …
Jun 06
When I was a freshman in high school, I had a tense conversation with my biology teacher that has always stuck with me. As a class, we had been learning the basics of genetics, and examining some of the ethical issues surrounding prenatal screening for congenital disorders. Our teacher was an enthusiastic supporter of screening, …
Jun 01
Sexual Entitlement among Men with Disabilities Over the past several years a hot topic within the disability community has been the unawareness of the sexual needs and rights of persons with disabilities (PWDs). PWDs are often infantilized, or seen as dependent and socially maladjusted individuals, a perception which essentially strips them of their adult sexuality. …
May 27
The Absence and Authenticity of Disability in films and TV In recent years there has been some controversy over the shortage of scripted characters with disabilities in American media and arts. Studies from the National Arts and Disability Center and the Broadcaster’s Disability Network show that although 20% of Americans between the ages of 5 …
May 20
In my earlier post I offered some background information about the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), including its history and purpose. I wrote the piece in recognition of the 100th ratification of the treaty last week, but it’s important to understand that ratifying is simply the first step. The hard …
May 16
On May 10, 2011 Columbia became the 100th country to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The event is a majormilestone for the treaty, as it demonstrates how quickly progress was made in spreading its message across the international community after it entered into force in 2008. To …
