CONSIDERING …

CONSIDERING …

It is commonly accepted that many men are attracted to women with large breasts or long, slender legs, or lustrous blonde hair. However, other men are equally drawn to very petite women, women with dark hair, or wide hips. Some men are drawn sexually to other men. These and many other variations of sexual attraction are well known and usually accepted. The fact that some men are attracted to individuals who are missing one or more limbs is less well known but no less definite. The individuals who are attracted to amputees are often known as "amputee devotees."

To many amputees the concept that someone would find the remnant of their amputated limb sexually appealing is surprising and perhaps even incredible. It flies in the face of reason that an amputation makes them more rather than less attractive to another person. Especially while the amputee is struggling with crucial issues of self-acceptance, body image, and self-worth, the concept that someone finds their amputation especially appealing may be highly disconcerting. Their tolerance of the concept of amputee devotees may be nonexistent. If the amputee is questioning his or her desirability, how can anyone else find him or her desirable?

CURIOUSITY about DEVOTEE

CURIOUSITY about DEVOTEE

I was curious about devotee. Why they feel attracted to the amputee. So I conducted research about them. There are a few articles in the scientific literature that mention this attraction for amputees and there are a few articles in the popular press that also mention it. There is no adequate scientific explanation of why some people feel this attraction to people with amputations but there is also no verified explanation for the other aspects of human sexual interest. My purpose of this article is not to try to explain the inexplicable, it is simply to inform amputees that amputee devotees exist so that amputees may make more intelligent and valid choices.

No one has ever conclusively show why one person is romantically or sexually attracted to another. Certainly many factors are involved in an attraction including physical appearance, grooming, ability to speak well, wit, financial resources, intelligence, thoughtfulness and many others. Some of these factors seem to be much more important in the initial attraction process than others. Physical appearance seems to be the primary attractor for most men and probably many women. Only after the personal contact is made, following initial attraction, is it possible to find out enough about the other person to identify the wit, intelligence, thoughtfulness, fidelity and other more important and lasting qualities.

DEVOTEE man… Why amputee woman?

DEVOTEE man…

Why amputee woman?

Many amputees, especially females, find it very hard to accept that males can be attracted to them because of their disability. This is most probably linked to the taboo about sexuality associated with disability. Amputees are non-sexual persons and this often includes the disabled themselves. Being attracted to someone else who happens to be disabled is perceived as suspect, and when this person admits that it is the disability that was the primary attractor then fuses are blowing and you'll hear many disconcerting comments. There might be many reasons for someone to be attracted to someone else who is disabled, but actually the moral matter is not about the reasons but about the ways.

Whatever the reasons why devotee feels him attracted to amputee, and there can't possibly be 'normal' definitions in this area. What important is that both parties be OK with it. This means that the Devotee should make it clear early in the relationship about his motivations and that the partner acknowledges there is nothing intrinsically wrong about it, providing the attraction is focused on the person, who is an Amputee, and not to the amputation itself or the associated helping devices such as crutches, prosthesis or wheelchair. This would be fetishism and another matter altogether. It is important to know that many Devotees are actually fetishists, which can be quite problematic in a relationship as the focus of the attraction is an inanimate object and not a person.

I am wondering why most men feel attracted to the amputee women. I already conducted research but it doesn’t help me to find out “why”? Even some devotee men that I asked - they don’t know “why”?

Devoteeism

When most people first hear about disability d, it sounds disturbing.  We tend to see people with disabilities in the same category as young children and the very old.  They need protecting, they are frail and unable to compete in the regular workings of society.  So someone wanting to have sex with them?  It sounds sick and wrong.

 The problem is not with the attraction, the problem is with the view that society has.  Adults who have physical disabilities are just that, adults.  They have the same sexual feelings and desires as anyone else and they have the maturity to consent to sex if they want to.

 There are other reasons why some might find it taboo.  How could we biologically and evolutionarily speaking have such a desire? Human sexuality is very complex and science has not yet pinned it down.  Rather than seeing it as an attraction to something broken, see it as an attraction to something different (different, but just as valid).  While for many people those with physical disabilities appear grotesque or disturbing, for devotees they do not.

 In calling it a fetish, devoteeism gets criticized for fixating on the disability and not seeing the human being.  This is a grave misunderstanding.  In fact, my experience has led me to believe that devotees are better able to see the person behind the disability.  Because the disability is not frightening or strange to us, but is as appealing as a woman’s chest might be to a straight man, it doesn’t act as a barrier dividing us from them.

 Not only myself, but other female devotees I have spoken to, have reinforced again and again the idea that they might be initially drawn to paralyzed legs or amputated stumps, but that is just the initial attraction, which we all experience when we see someone we find appealing.  Devotees are still looking to connect on other levels too, to find someone that she can get along with and have things in common with as well as the physical attraction.  Does objectification happen?  Sure.  That is not unique, it happens where ever there are humans.

 A few creepy people give us all a bad reputation.  There are devotees who stalk people, who take pictures without the subject knowing.  However, that is very rare.  All the devotees I know, both male and female, are filled with guilt and shame because of their preferences.  They worry that maybe they are benefitting from someone else’s pain.

 Yet, they didn’t cause the pain.  Many disabled people, who have trouble getting people to see them as equals and as viable romantic partners, are glad to hear that there are people who find their bodies ideal.  It makes me think, there really can be “someone for everyone.”

 Interestingly, there are differences between male and female devotees (also called devs or devos).  The majority of men who have it are attracted to amputee women and the majority of women who have it are attracted to paralyzed men.  However, that isn’t always the case, there is some variation.  No one knows why this is.

 For all the curiosity out there about where devoteeism comes from, there is not yet an answer.  Theories have been put forth occasionally, but none that ring true to the real life experiences of devotees.

 For some, this attraction is just a preference and they can be happy with an able-bodied partner and leave the dev feelings for fantasy alone.  Others find it to be an important factor in looking for a life partner.  I often compare it to homosexuality because I think that it is a full sexuality in the same way.  There are some who are bi and some who are fully on the dev end of the spectrum.  Also similarly, no one knows what causes homosexuality or where it comes from.

 My intention was to give a voice to devotees, who are often misunderstood and villain-ized.  People don’t choose to be sexual deviants.  Many times they don’t want to be.  The people who have sexual preferences outside of what is generally considered to be the norm are not inhuman, they are not monstrous, they are not victims of abuse, they are not all that different from anyone else.

Elderly

Elderly

Older people tend to be slower to learn new skills, have difficulty in memorising and reacting quickly to instructions. Also many elderly people prefer human assistance to using self-service terminals. However, this is not insuperable with suitable user interfaces and appropriate training. Many elderly people use the telephone or video cassette recorder even though they may not be familiar with all of its facilities.

Many of the symptoms characteristic of aging are covered in other categories, Problems may include hearing, vision, dexterity, mobility and cognitive. Sometimes there is a combination of several disabilities stemming from the aging process. Many products are cross-functional addressing several different disabilities. Therefore, an aging person may not require a specific adaptive device for every disability. This should be considered when choosing an aid.

Dexterity Impairment (Arms/Hands/Fingers)

Dexterity Impairment (Arms/Hands/Fingers)

Reduced function of arms and hands makes activities related to moving, turning or pressing objects difficult or impossible. This does not influence speech communication itself but makes it hard to make a phone call or use a wide range of other equipment.

Deaf-Blind

Deaf-Blind

Refers to sensory impairment, visual impairment and hearing impairment, occurring in combination with each other. Frequently, other disabilities also occur with the combination of a visual and hearing impairment. The combination of these disabilities causes significant challenges to accommodation. Tactile solutions are often appropriate.

Intellectual impairment

Intellectual impairment

Refers to a condition where powers of comprehension, information processing abilities are affected to the point where it affects the persons ability to perform.

Cognitive Impairment

Cognitive Impairment

Affects the ability to think, concentrate, formulate ideas, reason and remember. It is distinct from a learning disability insofar as it may have been aquired later in life as a result of an accident or illness.

Heat Part 5

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How can polio be prevented?

How can polio be prevented?

Although polio essentially has been eradicated in the US since 1979 and in the Western Hemisphere since 1991, children and adults in Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan are still contending with the disease. There are two vaccines available to fight polio - inactivated poliovirus (IPV) and oral polio vaccine (OPV). 

IPV, which consists of a series of injections beginning two months after birth and continuing until a child is 4 to 6 years old, is provided to most children in the United States. The vaccine is created from inactive poliovirus, but it is very safe and effective and cannot cause polio. OPV is created from a weakened or attenuated form of poliovirus, and it is the vaccine of choice in many countries because of its low cost, ease of administration, and ability to provide excellent immunity in the intestine. OPV, however, has been known to revert to a dangerous form of poliovirus that is able to paralyze its victim. 

Polio vaccinations or boosters are highly recommended in anyone who is not vaccinated or is unsure if she is vaccinated. 

How is polio treated?

How is polio treated?

There is no cure for polio once a person becomes infected. Therefore, treatments are focused on increasing comfort, managing symptoms, and preventing complications. This may include providing bed rest, antibiotics for additional infections, pain killers, ventilators to help breathing,physiotherapy and moderate exercise, and a proper diet. 

One treatment for lung paralysis due to polio was to place the patient into an iron lung - a device that would push and pull chest muscles to make them work. However, more modern portable ventilators and jacket-type ventilators are now employed.

How is polio diagnosed?

How is polio diagnosed?

Polio is often recognized because of symptoms such as neck and back stiffness, abnormal reflexes, and trouble with swallowing and breathing. A physician who suspects polio will perform laboratory tests that check for poliovirus using throat secretions, stool samples, or cerebrospinal fluid.

What are the symptoms of polio?

What are the symptoms of polio?

Polio, in its most debilitating forms, displays symptoms such as paralysis and death. However, most people with polio don't actually display any symptoms or become noticeably sick. When symptoms do appear, there are differences depending on the type of polio. 

Nonparalytic polio (abortive poliomyelitis) leads to flu-like symptoms that last for a few days or weeks, such as fever, sore throat, headache, vomiting, fatigue, back and neck pain, arm and leg stiffness, muscle tenderness, muscle spasms, and meningitis. 

Paralytic polio will often begin with symptoms similar to nonparalytic polio, but will progress to more serious symptoms such as a loss of muscle reflexes, severe muscle pain and spasms, and loose or floppy limbs that is often worse on one side of the body.

What causes polio?

What causes polio?

Polio is caused by the poliovirus, a highly contagious virus specific to humans. The virus usually enters the environment in the feces of someone who is infected. In areas with poor sanitation, the virus easily spreads through the fecal-oral route, via contaminated water or food. In addition, direct contact with a person infected with the virus can cause polio.

Who gets polio?

Who gets polio?

Like many other infectious diseases, polio victims tend to be some of the most vulnerable members of the population. This includes the very young, pregnant women, and those with immune systems that are substantially weakened by other medical conditions. Anyone who has not been immunized against polio is especially susceptible to contracting the infection. 

Additional risk factors for polio include traveling to places where polio is endemic or widespread, living with someone infected with polio, working in a laboratory where live poliovirus is kept, and having your tonsils removed.

Polio

Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a highly contagious viral infection that can lead to paralysis, breathing problems, or even death. The term poliomyelitis is from the Greek poliós meaning "grey", myelósreferencing the spinal cord, and -itis meaning inflammation. 

Polio can be classified as either symptomatic or asymptomatic. About 95% of all cases display no symptoms (asymptomatic polio), and between 4% and 8% of cases display symptoms (symptomatic polio). Symptomatic polio can be broken down further into a mild form called nonparalytic or abortive polio and a severe form called paralytic polio (occurring in 0.1% to 2% of cases). 

Paralytic polio also may be classified as:

• Spinal polio - attacks motor neurons in the spinal cord and causes paralysis in arms and legs and breathing problems


• Bulbar polio - affects neurons responsible for sight, vision, taste, swallowing, and breathing


• Bulbospinal polio - both spinal and bulbar polio

Many people with nonparalytic polio are able to make a full recovery, while those with paralytic polio generally end up with permanent paralysis.

Deaf and Hearing Loss

Close to 1 million Americans are functionally deaf, while 10 million are hearing impaired or hard of hearing. Causes of deafness include secondary effects of disease or illness, injury, long-term exposure to environmental noise, damaging reactions to medications, and genetic factors, among others. With the assistance of hearing aids and other assistive technology, however, being deaf may have minimal impact on your ability to live a fully independent life. The following articles provide more information about causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options as well as recent research findings.

Miss Wheelchair USA 2010 – A Role Model for Women with Disabilities

Phaedra Marriott-Olsen has been crowned Miss Wheelchair USA 2010. The Miss Wheelchair USA competition is very similar to the traditional Miss USA contest.  “The largest difference is that we did not do a swimsuit competition,” Phaedra said.  The contestants are judged on appearance, their accomplishments and goals. One of the major differentiators is that they are also judged for the work they do as leaders in the field for women with disabilities. The goal of the Miss Wheelchair America pageant is to promote glamour, self-confidence and community service. “Society just doesn’t think women in chairs are beautiful and the reality is we’re pretty amazing,” Phaedra said. Phaedra became disabled in 1996 after being hit by a drunk driver, but she didn’t let her tragic accident stop her from making strides toward preventing more drunk driving incidents from happening. Instead she took on the position of Director of Services for Mothers Against Drunk Drivers.

Phaedra is an inspiration and a role model for women with disabilities. She now represents others in wheelchairs throughout the country and she plans to travel across the country to attend various events to promote individuals with disabilities. “Just because you have a disability, does not make you a different part of society,” Phaedra said. ”We can still be active, intelligent people in our society. That’s my biggest goal.”

Rebecca Paton

A shiver of fear passes through Rebecca Paton when she thinks about her young daughter growing up.

It's not because she's worried about underage drinking or teenage tantrums.

Her daughter Sarah is six years old and requires high-level care.

She's unable to communicate and needs someone to feed her, shower her and change her nappy.

The likelihood is she'll never be able to do any of these things herself.

But when she turns 18, most of the services available to help with her care will end.

"When I look to the future, I'm shit scared of her turning 18," Rebecca says.

The former science teacher and her husband Tim found out Sarah had a rare condition called pallister killian syndrome when she was eight months old.

There are only about a dozen other diagnosed cases in Australia.

Sarah goes to Ballarat Specialist School where she receives various therapies and is involved in stimulation classes such as music and cooking.

"At the moment... she does amazing things every day and when she turns 18, that's going to stop even though developmentally she'll be nowhere near an 18-year-old."

The family has access to occasional respite, including three hours a week provided by Ballarat City Council.

But Rebecca says when Sarah turns 18, most of this will cease and there are very few programs that cater for adults with Sarah's kind of disability.

Sarah's ongoing care will fall on the family.

But one of Rebecca's other worries is not being in a position to provide that care.

"I guess that's coupled with the fear that if that was to happen in the current situation there is no real option for that - I can't think of any government facility or any private facility that could adequately care for Sarah to a point that I would feel happy," she says.

"It's me and my husband and maybe Hannah one day, it's sort of all on us."

It's hard to say exactly how a National Disability Insurance Scheme will affect the Paton family's day-to-day life.

Rebecca, a science teacher, hopes it will improve funding and wait times for equipment and increase respite and care services, enabling her to go back to work.

She says politicians need to consider how they would want the system to run if they were disabled or had a family member with a disability.

"No one knows when they might become disabled.

"Everybody is a chromosome, a trip, a stroke, a car accident [away], even an illness can put you into that category and you can suddenly find yourself or a very dear loved one with a disability."

The Victorian Government has committed about $40 million to host the scheme trial next year in the Barwon region, which includes the Colac-Otway and Surf Coast shires.

The announcement was made after negotiations with the Federal Government came under intense public pressure.

While Rebecca is pleased that the Baillieu Government has now set aside money for the trial, she says she wished it had avoided political point-scoring.

"He put us through unnecessary stress, just because of politics.

"I'm relieved; it felt like we'd been successful and that families with disabilities were heard and we actually mattered for a change."

How to Help a Person Cope with Amputation

Whether diabetics or accident victims, many people have to deal with the frightening fact that they have to have a limb amputated. Whether you are a family member, friend or even a caregiver, oftentimes, you don't know to help them cope. Here is some advice on the subject. I truly hope it helps someone.

Imagine, if you will, for just a minute. Someone you know is in a car crash. Not too bad, but bad enough. Their leg was pinned in the vehicle and severed a main artery. The person is alive, but not without complication. Because of the arterial damage, and the severity of it, doctors have no choice but to amputate the leg. Imagine how you would feel if you were delivered that news about a loved one. I imagine that you would be happy that the person was alive, but terrified at the thought of him or her losing their leg. All sorts of questions would come to your mind. Will he or she ever walk again? How are you going to feel the first time to see that leg gone? How long will it take to heal? Those are just a few.

Now, imagine, if you will, how you would feel if you were that person. The one who had to lose a leg. How would you feel? Sad? Angry? Helpless? Hopeless?
These emotions and probably many more. Not to mention the questions that would race around in your head!! Will I walk again? How long will it be before I can walk again? How will people look at me? What will people say? Who will help me? Why did it happen to me?

Unfortunately, amputations happen all of the time. Whether it be from a disease such as diabetes, an accident, or a number of other things, it happens. Many people have no idea how to help the person cope with the amputation. This often results in the person sinking into a pit of depression. They feel so helpless, and alone. They wonder if they will ever "get back on their feet".

The answer to the last question is yes, they probably will "get back on their feet", but it will take time. The more positive their attitude is, and the more support they receive, the better off they will do. Being the person trying to help can be a hard job. It requires a lot of patience.

My advice to the family, friends, and care-givers of amputees is to do your best to stay positive. In most cases, amputation is only a set-back. Don't dwell on it. The amputee is still the same person, he or she is just missing a limb. Their mind still works as does the rest of their body. They often need to be reminded of that. ENCOURAGE them to do what they can for themselves, but not to over-do it. While they are still healing, they need to follow doctors orders.

Heat Part 4 - Who Is Dick Wettie?

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Heat: A Disability Online Novel (You Can Translate)

Heat: A Disability Online Novel (You Can Translate)

When do I need amputation?

When do I need amputation?

Most people who require an amputation have PAD, a traumatic injury, or cancer.

PAD is the leading cause of amputation in people age 50 and older, and accounts for up to 90 percent of amputations overall. Normally, surgeons treat advanced PAD through other methods, like controlling infection using antibiotics and draining or removing any infected tissue as well as performing surgery or other procedures to increase the blood flow to the affected area. However, if these treatments do not work, or if the tissue damage is too far advanced initially, amputation will remove a source of major infection and may be necessary to save your life.

A traumatic injury, such as a car accident or a severe burn, can also destroy blood vessels and cause tissue death. As a result, infection if not adequately treated, can spread through your body and threaten your life. Your medical team will make every effort to save your limb by surgically replacing or repairing your damaged blood vessels or using donor tissue. However, if these measures do not work, amputation can save your life. Traumatic injuries are the most common reason for amputations in people younger than age 50.

Your physician may recommend amputation if you have a cancerous tumor in your limb. You may also receive chemotherapy, radiation, or other treatments to destroy the cancer cells. Depending upon the particular circumstances, these treatments can shrink the tumor and may increase the effectiveness of your amputation.

How do I prepare?

How do I prepare?

Your physician will perform a physical examination to determine whether your limb can be saved or if you need an amputation. He or she will check you for:

• Fever
• Cool skin near your wound
• Extremely painful skin
• Wound odor
• Infected or non-healing sores or wounds

Your physician will also arrange for tests to see how well blood is reaching your limbs. These tests may include blood pressure tests, duplex ultrasound, and angiography. Sometimes computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging is used.

If you have any other conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems, poor kidney function, or infections, your physician will discuss with you how to treat them to get you in the best condition. Your physician will also test your physical strength, balance, and coordination to assess your potential for rehabilitation. If you are going to use an artificial limb, sometimes your physician may arrange for you to be measured for the device before your operation. This way, your artificial limb will be ready as soon as you recover. Often, however, your physician may advise waiting until your incision is healed adequately before getting your artificial limb. You also may receive counseling before your surgery to help you adapt to the loss of your natural limb.

Your physician will discuss with you whether to reduce or stop any medications that might increase your risk of bleeding or other complications. If you have any allergies to anesthesia, pain medications, or antibiotics, you should tell your physician at this time.

What is an amputation?

What is an amputation?

When performing an amputation, a surgeon removes a limb, or part of a limb, that is no longer useful to you and is causing you great pain, or threatens your health because of extensive infection. Most commonly, a surgeon must perform this procedure on your toe, foot, leg, or arm. Physicians as well as patients consider amputation a last resort. Although amputations may be required for other reasons, such as severe injury or the presence of a tumor, the most common reason you may need an amputation is if you have peripheral arterial disease (PAD) due to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). In PAD, the blood vessels in your limbs become damaged because of hardening of the arteries or diabetes. Your body's cells depend on a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients delivered to them by your blood. If your blood vessels are unable to supply blood and oxygen to your fingers or toes, the cells and tissues die and are vulnerable to infection.  If the blood supply cannot be improved sufficiently or if the tissue is beyond salvage, extensive tissue death may require amputation, especially if you are experiencing severe pain or infection.

Moving on

Moving on


When you are told your child has a disability, it’s bound to be a shock. Suddenly, you feel different—set apart from other people. Your child seems different too. It’s hard to adjust. You may begin to wonder:
• Why did this happen to me?
• Is it something I did or didn’t do?
• Is it from my side of the family?
• How is this going to turn out?
Most parents of disabled children have these questions. That’s why they need support. They need to resolve their own feelings before they can help their child deal with the disability. Fortunately,
there are many sources of help for disabled children and their families.
So, if you have a disabled child or suspect that you may:
• Get a complete diagnosis as soon as possible.
• Be realistic about the disability, but provide the oppor- tunities for growth every child needs.
• Treat your child as a regular member of the family.
• Seek out support groups and professional organizations for disabled children and their parents.
What can you hope for a disabled child? Some disabled children will need supervision or physical care all of their lives. A few may have to live in a special home or an institution. But a great many will become self-supporting, marry, and have children
of their own.
Whatever the disability, your child needs opportunities to grow and “become,” just like any child.

The sooner the better

The sooner the better

Long before the baby is born, you invest your dreams and hopes in the coming child. If you suspect something is wrong, it may be hard to seek the truth.
The best thing you can do, however, is to get a diagnosis as soon as possible. Early detection of a problem can help you understand your child’s needs and get special help. For instance, a child with a hearing loss may be fitted for a hearing aid. This may prevent language or behavior problems that sometimes result when a child cannot hear.

Feelings make the difference

Feelings make the difference

How much their disabilities affect them will vary. Except for the few profoundly disabled children, the disability is not as important as the way children feel about themselves and the way others respond to them. For example, Jamie’s disability is not a big problem to him. He accepts it and works around it. So does his friend.
Carol and her parents, on the other hand, have let a very small disability become a real problem. It affects the way she acts with other people and how she feels about herself.
The way a parent helps a child live with his or her disability, then, is very important.

The Disabled Child

The Disabled Child

At the playground, Jamie whispered to his best friend Sam, “Let’s get the wagon.”
Sam got the wagon. “OK, Jamie, get in.”
Jamie grinned. “OK. Help me with the brace.”
Sam unlocked the brace on Jamie’s leg and helped him into the wagon. Sam pulled Jamie, and both boys made engine noises.
In the sandbox on the same playground, Carol shoveled sand into a pail. She used her “good” hand and hid the other in her sleeve. When Carol was very young, she lost a finger in the car door. Neither she nor her parents could adjust to the loss. Now, she never lets others see that hand. And she rarely plays with other children.

How do you separate being “normal” from having special needs?
It’s hard. Often there is no clear dividing line between the two. Carol and Jamie, like most disabled
children, are “normal” in many ways. They like wagons and sand. They cry when they fall. They feel happy when someone hugs them. They are more like other children than different from them. Like other disabled children, however, they have some physical, emotional, or mental problem that will affect the course of their lives.

A deaf make up artist

Kellie, 24, a make-up artist for MAC, who lives in Leicester, is profoundly deaf and can hear nothing without hearing aids.

Her younger sister Jodie, 22, is also deaf, though the condition does not run in her family.
'I had a hard time growing up because of my disability,' says Kellie.

'Not only could I not hear, but my speech is affected and it's often difficult for people to understand me.'

This made school frustrating. I learned more slowly than other children because of my hearing problems, and needed extra help all the time, which I hated.

The model called Debbie Van der Putten

Debbie Van der Putten's portfolio looks like that of any aspiring young model.

She seems to have both the face and figure to make it in such a competitive world, and it's easy to imagine her catching the eye of casting directors and magazine editors.

But look more closely and it becomes clear that Debbie, 22, is not your average jobbing model. In most of her pictures, only one arm is visible  -  and this is not because the other is somehow obscured.

Three years ago, her right arm was severed at the shoulder in a bus crash in France.

Unlike most top models, Debbie can't be described as perfect.

That she should now have a real chance in the world of modelling is thanks to a new BBC reality show, Britain's Missing Top Model, in which eight women with differing disabilities compete to prove to a panel of industry experts that they have what it takes to be a mainstream model.

The aim of the series is to challenge the boundaries that seem to exist in the beauty and fashion industries and cast new light on our concept of the ideal woman.

Whether the winner will go on to have a career when the cameras stop rolling remains to be seen.

But having now dipped her toe into this world, Debbie is adamant that she has found her calling.

'Although I've always known I had the figure for modelling, I'd never really considered it as a career before taking part in this show,' says Debbie, who works for a holiday planning company.

'The reason was because, at 5ft 4in, I knew I was too short. Then, when I lost my arm, any thoughts I might have had of modelling went out of the window. Have you ever seen a girl who is my height with only one arm on the catwalk?'

Debbie's accident happened in 2005 when the driver of the bus she was in fell asleep and the vehicle careered off the road.

She says: 'I was 19 and travelling from Holland to Spain by bus with a group of friends.

'We were looking forward to hanging out on the beach and partying. But 16 hours into the journey, I was asleep next to the window when I heard a loud bang, felt a jolt and realised the bus had crashed.

'It was night time, the bus had fallen onto its side, and other passengers and their luggage were on top of me.

'I looked down, and my arm was gone  -  completely severed  -  and there was blood everywhere, but it didn't hurt at all, most likely due to shock.

'My memory is fairly hazy, but I remember getting up and rushing around frantically to find my friends. It was carnage  -  many people had lost their lives.

Thankfully, I found my friends, who were unharmed, and recall asking one of them to
tie something around my arm to stop the bleeding.

'The next thing I knew, I was in a French hospital and my family had flown to my bedside.

'It wasn't until more than a week later, by which point I had been transferred back to hospital in Holland, that I saw my friends again.

'They were horrified by what had happened to me. They'd thought I might die. In particular, one of the guys felt very guilty as he and I had swopped seats a couple of hours before the accident so I could sleep leaning against the window.

'He said he was much bigger and stronger than me and that his arm might have survived. But I told him it was pointless to dwell on such things.

'Losing my arm was really hard, and I was completely shocked and upset at first, but I knew I was lucky to be alive.

'So all things considered, my attitude has been to get on with it. I've been determined not to hide away just because I'm missing a limb.

In fact, just two weeks after my accident, I went shopping with my mum. It was a really hot day and I wore a vest top, which meant everyone in the street could see my missing arm, and my bandages.

'I did feel odd, but I told myself my arm was gone, and from now on I had to be brave and open about it otherwise it would ruin my life.

'I wanted to force myself to get used to the stares and the reactions. Of course, even now, people still stare at me but I don't really notice any more.' 

Because Debbie, who is left handed, lost her right arm, she says she can still do almost everything she did prior to her accident.

I go to the gym three times a week and my job requires me to travel around the world,' she says.

'Having one arm hasn't affected me at all when it comes to men, either  -  if anything, men approach me more now than they ever used to do as they want to know what happened.

'I only ever feel down about it when I think about my wedding day, and what sort of dress I'd end up wearing with just one arm.

'And it frustrates me that sometimes people treat me as though I'm a bit thick  -  and even speak more slowly  -  just because I have a disability. But I realise it's just ignorance and don't take it personally.'

Indeed, so uninhibited has Debbie been about her looks following her accident that, earlier this year, she posed nude for Playboy.

When a friend told her about the new BBC series, she put herself forward straight away.

'I find modelling cathartic,' she says. 'Showing myself off and proving I can make the best of myself even though I've got an obvious disability has been my therapy, and has helped me come to terms with what's happened.

'If someone on a shoot said to me to turn to one side so it didn't look like I was missing my arm, I wouldn't be happy. Having one arm is me, and I want to be seen as me in the pictures.'

'Although some people may say I shouldn't be a model because I'm not perfect, there is nothing about the job that my disability leaves me unable to do.

'I want to show everyone that you can be beautiful and successful and an inspiration, even if you are missing a limb.'

Fellow contestant Kellie Moody, however, finds it hard to share Debbie's unshakeable confidence or unwavering optimism. 

Will the public like unique models?

"Disability is largely ignored by the mainstream. Traditionally, fashion models have represented the 'ideal' of womanhood - they are taller and slimmer so that they can show off clothes to the maximum benefit. Being a clothes horse is not something most women could do very well." The fact is that fashion is a business and it is us, the consumers, who keep it thriving. Is it any wonder the industry sticks to a winning formula and largely shuns the idea of using bigger, more representational female models, let alone disabled models whose physical forms will be even more difficult to sell as aspirational? Yet maybe the BBC's reality show will make a difference. After all, fashionistas are always looking for something new, and disabled models are perfect to create intrigue and attract attention. "A disabled model, by definition, will be more memorable in a photo than an able-bodied girl, thus making her attractive to a commercial person trying to sell clothes in an advert, or in editorial," says O'Riordan. Her magazine will feature the programme's winner in a high-end fashion spread by world-renowned photographer Rankin. This gesture in itself would give any able-bodied model major kudos and guarantee further bookings, so it will be interesting to see what kind of impact this shoot will have on the future of the disabled model. After that, maybe, it's up to the public. Are they willing to prove their readiness to accept a different ideal of beauty by buying a magazine featuring a amputee model. It's our collective responsibility. If we want to see the fashion industry broaden its parameters, we must put our money where our mouth is.

External Links

DISCUSSION GROUPS Legbraces-Devotees - a large Yahoo group, but with strict joining criteria. Fiftiesinbraceslub - a small and friendly Yahoo group. Devotee History + Timeline Project - putting together a history of the devotee phenomenon OTHER INFORMATION SITES Transabled - loads of data on transabled matters Overground - now only a web based activity, once a small magazine for devotees. Attraction to disability - well written and comprehensive Wiki page on the subject. BIID - a site on the subject of Body Intergrity Identity Disorder. Devoteeism - an excellent, level headed page from Ruth Madison Devotees against sexual exploitation (D.O.S.E) blog site LEG-BRACE SUPPLIERS Fantasy Leg Braces - well respected USA supplier of braces to wannabes. James Taylor and Son - a professional UK supplier who will make braces for wannabes. Pat (in the UK) - supplies second hand braces to wannabes. PHOTO SITES Mercedes - an attractive girl with arthrogryposis who models in her leg-braces.  THE ORIGINAL SITE (dates back to 1996) Archived copies of the earlier site may be found at The Wayback Machine.

Scientific Studies

For many devotees, our unusual interest causes much guilt, anxiety and soul searching. Understanding a bit more about the psychology involved may shed some light on why people feel as they do. Some may question if they even have "a condition" needing to be treated and perhaps they are right. So, this section explores what some of the experts have said on the matter. Dr John Money The books and papers by Dr John Money (et al) from the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA are a good starting point for those researching this condition whether from the perspective of scientific enquiry or as a devotee or wannabe. In his book Lovemaps Money coined the term disability paraphilia to describe people fascinated by disabilities. Some people are not happy to classify this fascination/ attraction as a paraphilia - they may be correct, I'm not sure. Specifically, Money termed the attraction to legbraces, wheelchairs, and the people who use them, abasiophilia. Money talks about treatments for severe antisocial paraphilic behaviours using the drugs such as Depo-Provera. Dr Richard Bruno In 1998, Dr Bruno published a study of a number of disability wannabes that you may find informative. Please read the study and perhaps let him have your comments. I'm sure he'd appreciate the feedback. Dr Bruno's paper has a list of useful references worth reading. His view is that many devotees/wannabes suffer from a form of factitious disorder. Factitious disorders are usually treated medically through drugs such as Seroxat, Paroxetine, Faverin or Fuvoxamine. These are drugs used to treat obsessional traits. In factitious disorders people are totally dominated by their cravings. This is certainly a common trait of devotees. Drs Cordier, Thibaut and Kuhn In May 1996, in Psychoneuroendocrinology. 21(4):411-9, Messrs Cordier, Thibaut and Kuhn reported a treatment that appears to reduce paraphilic tendencies without side effects. See the paper extract below for more details of their claims. Six patients with severe paraphilia were treated with a long-acting gonadotrophin hormone releasing hormone analogue (GnRH-a). In five cases, the antiandrogen treatment ended their deviant sexual behaviour and markedly decreased their sexual fantasies and activities without significant side-effects. The beneficial effects of this treatment were maintained for 7 years in the patient where there was the longest follow-up. Two patients abruptly withdrew front their antiandrogen treatment at the end of the first and third year, respectively. Both relapsed within 8-10 weeks. One of them asked for resumption of antiandrogen treatment. In another case, in order to phase out antiandrogen treatment, testosterone (T) was added to the GnRH-a. In spite of normal T levels, and of resumption of normal sexual activities and deviant fantasies, deviant sexual behaviour did not return. A smoother phasing out of GnRH-a treatment is thought to be better than an abrupt withdrawal. However, the duration of antiandrogen treatment necessary to ensure a complete disappearance of deviant sexual behaviour remains uncertain, but is at least 4 years. Other views Possibly devotees and wannabes suffer from a form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in which the brain can be overloaded with obsessive and irrational thoughts.  One view is that wannabes suffer from a conversion disorder in which people have a deep seated psychological conflict and subconsciously assume invalidism. Yet another view is that it is a form of dysmorphophobia or dysmorphobia. With body dysmorphic disorders people have an obsessive concern about the appearance of their body or part of it. The latter is sometimes linked to people who wish to be amputees although this is more commonly, and more correctly, classified as apothemnophobia. Someone has suggested to me that devoteeism may be a form of survivor guilt a bit like the survivor of a plane crash sometimes is said to feel. In our childhood back in the 1930s, 40s and 50s many of us were deeply affected by the sight of our friends being severely disabled by polio. Maybe we inwardly feel some kind of guilt for getting through life without being physically disabled when others were not so lucky? Certainly most devotees were youngsters in the 1930s, 40s or 50s and report first being aware of their feelings at that time. The images of kids in the polio posters in the UK certainly disturbed me for reasons I could never understand. Was it fear? Was I afraid of it being ME next? No doubt those feelings also troubled many who were youngsters in the USA in the 1940s and 1950s seeing those famous March of Dimes poster on billboards. After all, the posters shocked a nation into finding a polio vaccine so perhaps this shock reaction was a intentional? Or is it to do with sexual repression or guilt associated with our sexuality or our gender? One thing is certain: to call it a sexual fetish is usually very far removed from the truth for many people. The mechanisms involved appear far more complex although for many it does have a strong sexual element. By the way, the sexual element appears less strong, or even absent, for wannabes. What comes through time and again is that some complex set of circumstances in childhood had a very deep impact on most, if not all, of us. This "mal-imprinting" or whatever it was is a fact of life. People have to live with and deal with it one way or another to remain sane

Guidelines for Responsible Devotee Behaviour

Guidelines for Responsible Devotee Behaviour


These guidelines (slightly modified here) were found on the net . They sound like good advice for us all.

1. Don't break eye contact with a disabled person. It makes them feel like rejected. Did you know that when you look away quickly, disabled people notice? Just look them straight in the eye, smile and say hello.

2. Try to put yourself in the position of one who sometimes has a difficult time. That's nothing more than common courtesy, really.

3. Try not to make stereotypical judgements about the abilities of others.

4. Remember that a physically, visually, or hearing challenged person's problems are most likely not related to cognitive skills. Don't assume they know less than you do.

5. If people regularly levitated and zoomed around, they might call you disabled for using your legs to move. Disability is relative.

6. Don't call disabled people courageous just because they're doing things you might not have the motivation or inclination to do. It feels patronizing.

7. Most of all, just try to be a caring human being. If it looks like someone needs help, then offer them help whether they're disabled or not.

8. Don't stalk disabled people, or anyone else for that matter.

9. Only photograph disabled people with their permission.
10. When  online chatting ask questions about disabled person's beliefs, ideas,  family, education, likes, character then how they do things.  Do not focus on their condition.
11. Do not ask them to get mobility devices they do not want.
12. Do not ask for free pictures and videos.

Studies and collecting pictures

Studies and collecting pictures

One of the only studies of devotees certainly seems to indicate that many devotees feel anxiety and shame as a result of their desires. In the mid-1970s an organization called “Ampix,” which dealt in amputee stories and photos, mailed questionnaires to its members asking them about their attraction to amputees. The study received just fewer than 200 replies from its almost exclusively male sample. Among other things, the study found that a significant portion of the devotees surveyed had at some time had collections of amputee pictures that they had later destroyed out of guilt and anxiety. However, only 14 percent had sought psychiatric help for their feelings about amputees. 

Not only Money!

Money is not the first person to classify an attraction to amputees as a psychosexual disorder or perversion. Over a hundred years ago Richard von Krafft-Ebing in his book Psychopathia Sexualis (1886) listed an attraction to what he called “bodily defects,” including amputations, in his list of pathological fetishes. Then, in the 1920s Wilhelm Stekel in his book Sexual Aberrations called people with an erotic attraction to amputees sadists and latent homosexuals. Like Money, Krafft-Ebing and Stekel describe devotees in pejorative terms, a description that almost certainly stigmatizes devotees as mentally disordered and possibly even dangerous.

Money Judgment!

Money Judgment!

Money’s neologisms are interesting because they make a very specific judgment about what is “wrong” with devotees and wannabes. In both cases, Money classifies them as suffering from a kind of mental disorder called a paraphilia. According to the American Psychiatric Association, a paraphilia is a condition that manifests itself through recurrent, intense sexual urges, fantasies or behaviors that involve unusual objects, activities or situations and which causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning. Therefore, a paraphilia is by definition a negative condition, and certainly the paraphilia examples of pedophilia, exhibitionism, sexual sadism and sexual masochism listed by the Association in its publication Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders contribute to the idea that the desire is problematic.       This is discrimination!

It is Money!

Even though devotees represent by far the majority of those with an interest in amputees and amputation, outside of the Web they are almost unheard of, and there is certainly very little information about them in academic and medical literature. Renowned Johns Hopkins University psychologist John Money, along with Gregg Furth and Russell Jobaris, published the first scholarly article on devotees in 1977. The article, “Apotemnophilia: Two Cases of Self-Demand Amputation as a Paraphilia,” appeared in the Journal of Sex Research and detailed the case histories of two men who sought treatment at the psychohormonal research unit at Johns Hopkins. Both men expressed a sexual attraction to amputees and wished to become amputees themselves. Money termed their erotic obsession for amputated limbs “acrotomophilia” and their desire to become amputees themselves “apotemnophilia.”

Do not feel shame

Do not feel shame

Another important aim of many of the Web sites is to discourage the feelings of shame apparently prevalent among devotees, pretenders and wannabes and to encourage acceptance and understanding among amputees. This aim is particularly evident in the case of devotees, who are very likely to interact directly with amputees. As the OverGround site explains, many amputees feel less attractive upon losing a limb or limbs, and yet they are initially disgusted that there are individuals who find this impairment attractive. The site states that it intends to communicate with amputees and devotees and to bring them together. Like Grant C. Riddell in his book Amputees and Devotees, devotee sites often implore amputees to become more accepting of devotees’ attraction and to make the most of shame the opportunity to find people who are specifically attracted to their bodies. However, despite the best efforts of the devotee Web sites and support groups, there is a certain stigma attached to being an amputee devotee. This stigma may in part be due to the psychological profession’s classification of devotees. 

Web sites offer devotees, pretenders and wannabes a plethora of information

The various Web sites offer devotees, pretenders and wannabes a plethora of information, with some even acting as a kind of dating agency. But perhaps the most important aspect of these Web sites is that they act as a meeting place, putting the groups in touch with each other and allowing them to exchange information, experiences, photographs and merchandise. In fact, it is by logging onto the Internet that many devotees, wannabes and pretenders reportedly first discover that they are not the only person in the world with a “thing” for amputees.

Books on the image of disability

Books on the image of disability

The Cinema of Isolation:  A history of physical disability in the movies.   by Martin F. Norden   ISBN 0-8135-2104-1

Framed: Interrogating Disability in the Media, Edited by Ann Pointon with Chris Davies   ISBN 0-85170-600-2

Disability Drama in Television and Film by Lauri E. Klobas

Images of the disabled, disabling images A & Joe Gartner (Eds.)

The Creatures Time Forgot:  Photography and disability imagery.   by David Hevey

Extraordinary Bodies: Figuring physical disability in American culture & literature by Rosemarie Garland Thomson   ISBN 0-231-10517-7

Freak Show: Presenting human oddities for amusement & profit   by Robert Bogdan  ISBN 0-226-06312-7

Body and Physical Difference, The: Discourses of disability  by David T. Mitchell & Sharon L. Snyder  ISBN 0-472-06659-5

Screening Disability: Essays on Cinema and Disability by Christopher SmitUniversity Press of America (1 Nov 2001)

Chinese Footbinding

Chinese Footbinding

"...this is a non-devotee instance where the dominant culture actually defined 'disabled' as desirable and sexually attractive."

There have been some intriguing posts recently on the social phenomenon of foot binding in China in the 19th century and earlier.  The discussion centred on the eroticism of physical disability on a national scale. For a thousand years women with intentionally tiny and deformed feet were considered highly erotic. These deformities were created by tightly bandaging the feet from an early age. Many girls became so deformed and disabled that they had to be carried everywhere. The origins of foot binding are unclear although evidence suggests it started as far back as the Sung dynasty  in AD 960-1280.  It was eventually banned in 1911. Here is a little information gathered from postings on Yahoo Groups as well as a collection of books for those interested in reading more on the subject.