The Voiceless Minority

Okay, so usually I don’t write two in a day, but something has been on my mind lately, and the blog I posted earlier wasn’t an original piece of writing. Instead, it was forwarding an inspirational story. So here’s my daily food for thought.        I warn you that this blog may unsettle some, and it may make you uncomfortable. The un-comfortableness will come from the overuse of swear words or a sexual conversation. It might come from looking at “ourselves” (society in general) in the near. Some of you may not like what you see if you are honest with yourself.         I am two and a half weeks away from finishing my Master’s Degree at my school in  Northwestern, Pennsylvania. As I complete this round of my academic work, I am forced to reflect. For the last nineteen years of my life, give or take a semester or two, I have been on the “right path.” We all are required in the end states to enroll in 12 year...

          Today's blog is a combination of things. It is partially comprised of an article that I shared on Facebook about an acquaintance I knew in North Carolina. However, the message of the article is more potent than one individual girl.           The article below is about Hope Johnson, a 32-year-old with the same type of Cerebral Palsy that I have. She is a shining example of how very few people with disabilities ignore their disability and strive for their full potential. Hope's message is that our obstacles, but what we do to overcome them, shall not define us. Although this particular piece of writing is not entirely my own, I felt it was crucial to share here because it embodies the message of The Voiceless Minority Blog in that one should fear nothing and regret less even if society tells them to worry about the obstacles that they have been given at the start of this journey called life....

So this is not going to be like a regular blog of mine. It is just a quick note to thank you for your support with the blog in general, but specifically for any of you have called to support the CRPD. Remember, the second round of hearings is this Tuesday, November 12 th . They can be seen on CSPAN or the Foreign Relations Committee website. However, once these hearings are over, that does not mean the process is over. The issue will not come to a vote for several months, so I ask for your continued support and ask that you continue to call your senators until the American disability community has more to be remembered for than just the ADA. Here’s to hoping we can pass the CRPD within the year. Thank you again. 

  Today was the first of two hearings on the Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities conducted by the United States Foreign Relations Committee. The hearing went for approximately two and a half hours. Both sides of the issue were equally given time to present their argument. Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey did a fine job proceeding over the hearings.         My the previous blog laid out my position on the treaty as well as the position of approximately twenty-six prominent disabled organizations in the U.S. As I sat and watched the hearings that were broadcast life on C-Span something struck me. Regardless of where one falls in regards to the treaty, the disabled community can only see the hearings as a positive. Not since 1990 has the disabled community’s needs been put front and center. Twenty + years ago this quiet segment of society was given a voice and a great voice that allowed such platforms like this blog to...

       As the 11-month of the year begins, we also mark the end of a month-long celebration. October was Disability Awareness Month. Disability Awareness Month is designed to acknowledge all forms of disability, everything from emotional and behavioral to mental and physical. My university recently even did an exhibit entitled “Allies for Inclusion: The Ability Exhibit.” This consisted of a variety of stations at which visitors could experience an aspect of being disabled. In October, the events that were held throughout the country demonstrated a great effort in the disability community to bring awareness to an often forgotten minority. However, there is a much greater task at hand.        Rarely do I call my readers to action, but this time I am asking you to read what follows and use your political voice to make a difference. On November 5 th  and 12 th,  your voice can be heard. The U.S. Senate Committ...