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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-25-26 Correspondence - Disability Rights Montana - If Disability Is a Culture, Then What Are Its Foods_From:Disability Rights Montana - Growth Rings To:Bozeman Public Comment Subject:[EXTERNAL] If Disability Is a Culture, Then What Are Its Foods? Date:Wednesday, February 25, 2026 7:31:11 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Every paid subscription supports Disability Rights Montana’s work across Montana. Federal funding is nowhere near sufficient to meet the advocacy and culture change work that is needed. You can help fund the future you want to see! If Disability Is a Culture, Then WhatAre Its Foods? Introducing the Disability Culture Cookbook READ IN APP Every culture has its foods. You’ve had Italian food, Mexican food, Thai food, German food, Chinese food, French food, Japanese food, American food. They all differ because their cultures differ. And even within American food and American food culture, there are significant differences based on regional cultures, immigrant cultures, rural cultures, and differences across Tribal nations, houses of worship, college towns, mining towns, and farming towns. Wherever people live together and share life, food becomes part of how they express belonging, gratitude, grief, and joy. Food FEB 25 is part of who they are. So here’s a simple question: What are the foods of Disability culture? I want to find out. Today, Disability Rights Montana is launching a new project: A community-built collection of recipes, memories, hacks, adaptations, and stories from disabled people across Montana and the nation. This will be a cookbook filled not just with ingredients, but with meaning. It will reflect how disabled people feed ourselves, feed each other, and build community around our kitchen tables. And I’m inviting you (or someone you love) to contribute. Because food is one of the clearest places where disability culture shows up in everyday life. Disabled people create: Adapted techniques Sensory-friendly meals Low-spoon staples High-flavor joy Family traditions shaped by disability Foods tied to access, community, or survival The Disability Culture Cookbook Why a Disability Cookbook? Dishes that originate from necessity, and became identity These foods tell stories. Stories tell culture. And culture tells the world who we are. This cookbook is not about “inspiration” or medical diets. It’s about identity, pleasure, creativity, and the quiet brilliance of disabled people making life work on our own terms. A lot of people will think, “Oh, I’ve got a recipe to send.” And that’s great, BUT what I’m looking for is your recipe + your story, the meaning behind the recipe. Here are some examples to get your creativity going: “When my ADHD brain is overloaded, this is the one meal I can cook on autopilot and trust it will taste good every time.” Maybe it’s buttered noodles. Maybe it’s a certain soup. Maybe it’s the exact chicken you make when the world feels like too much. Tell that story. What We’re Looking For (WithExamples to Spark Your Imagination) 1. The Sensory Comfort Dish 2. The High-Spoon, High-Reward Celebration “I only make this once a year because it takes everything I’ve got. But that’s why it’s special.” Maybe it’s a Christmas bread your grandmother taught you. Maybe it’s a slower, sensory-rich recipe you save for meaningful moments. Disabled culture is also about pleasure, ritual, and community. “The original version took too much chopping, so here’s how I hacked it to protect my joints.” “I turned the recipe into one-pan because I can’t focus on more than one burner at a time.” “Here’s my low-vision version of measuring spices by sound, feel, and smell.” This is disability creativity at its best. “My aunt taught me this in Crow Agency. I cook it differently because of disability, but it still feels like home.” Food can be lineage. Adaptation can be culture-making. Meal 3. The Dish You Modified to Fit Your Body orBrain 4. The Family Recipe You Inherited, Reclaimed,or Made Your Own 5. The Recipe That Just ‘Feels Right “I like lots of flavors, but but not many textures, but this hack opened up lots of new options for me.” “This is my go-to when my throat is enflamed and swallowing is hard.” These stories matter deeply. They help other disabled people feel less alone. “Every PCA I’ve ever had knows this recipe, because it’s what I ask for when I don’t have the energy to cook.” Care relationships are part of disability culture. Care food deserves to be honored. “This was the first recipe I learned when I moved out on my own and everyone assumed I couldn’t.” That’s culture. That’s pride. I’d love you to submit: ” 6. The ‘Care Team Classic’ 7. The Dish That Represents Your IndependentLiving Journey How to Contribute Your Recipe +Story The recipe The story of why it matters Any disability-specific hacks, tools, or shortcuts Here are story prompts (pick any 3–5): Why this dish? Where did you learn it? How does it relate to your body, brain, identity, or sensory world? Did you adapt the recipe for accessibility? Is this a comfort dish, a celebration dish, a survival dish, a family dish, or something else? Does this food connect to your culture, tribe, or community? What do you want readers to understand about disability through this recipe? Submit here: Cookbook Submission Form I want this to be the kind of cookbook: your cousin in Billings picks up and suddenly “gets” disability culture your grandma in Great Falls reads and understands a piece of your life your neurodivergent friend in Missoula sees themselves in the pages disabled people across Montana see the fullness of our creativity and dignity This isn’t inspiration porn. The Goal: A Cookbook That FeelsLike Us This is cultural documentation. This is pride. This is community. And it starts with your stories. (I’ve already got recipe and story to add, comment below if you think you know what my recipe will be for). In solidarity, David David Carlson, J.D. Executive Director Disability Rights Montana p.s. just a reminder that we are hiring! You’re currently a free subscriber to Life Beyond Compliance. Upgrading to paid subscriptions supports Disability Rights Montana’s work across Montana. Federal funding is no where near sufficient to meet the advocacy and culture change work that is needed. You can help fund the future you want to see! Upgrade to paid LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Disability Rights Montana1022 Chestnut Street, Helena, MT 59601 Unsubscribe