Sunday, March 5, 2023
The Personal Care Crisis Continues: How a Lack of Funding for Home and Community Services Reinforces Larger Problem Within The Disability Community
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Hey! Down here!
So, it's been nearly a week since the last time I posted here. This
is not to say that there haven't been things bubbling around in my mind, just
that I've been a little busy. Since the last time I wrote, I've been
busy promoting the blog by creating a Facebook page. You can now
show your support for the blog and disability advocacy in general by
visiting The Voiceless Minority on Facebook. I've
also been busy continuing to write my first full-length
screenplay. Now, however, it is time to get back to the meat of
things.
I've
written extensively about several different issues, including how disabled
people desire to be treated equally but still use the "Disney World"
principle, as I like to call it, cut lines, etc. While I've said
that, in most cases, disabled people do want equality and strive for it
legitimately, it does not mean that they are always supported in their
efforts. I've also written about social acceptance and
disability. However, this past week, this issue has come up
twice. The issue has not arisen in my personal life, but I've had
friends and acquaintances mention it. Therefore, I thought I would
write this blog. But I would take a different approach.
I
have mentioned that legislation cannot legislate acceptance, and while I know
that this is not my view alone, a young woman powerfully drove this point home
in a poem. Sarah Smith is a young woman who has the same disability that I do,
cerebral palsy. I first met Sarah several years ago. We
both attended the same university. I am not going to mince words.
Sarah and I haven't always gotten along. Still, we've grown to respect one
another because of our drive and determination to prove that, although we have
obstacles that society calls disabilities, these obstacles do not define
us. What follows is the poem that this driven young woman has
written. It is used here with her permission. Thank you,
Sarah.
"I was born too
early
small, fragile, and
weak
they thought I would
not survive.
But along with my
will to live,
another token was
bestowed upon me;
one that I didn't
want to ask for or need.
"What is this
token," you ask?
Well, the answer is
quite simple.
For it is a cloak
of invisibility.
I carry it with me
throughout my life.
It was given to me by
society
and shallow
close-minded souls,
who believe my
disability
defines me.
They walk right past
me,
never bothering
getting to know
the person beneath.
Or worse yet,
they pretend they
care,
but really,
I'm just a pit stop,
until something
better comes along.
To those cowardly
people,
I say, "your
loss."
You are missing out
on meeting someone
who is loyal, honest,
and loving
through and through.
For those who have taken
the time
to look beneath the
label,
thank you
for giving me a
chance
to live and love
undefined and
free."
Being
nonobjective for a second, I must say that I love the poem. I may
not agree with everything that Sarah has ever said, but I was stopped dead in
my Facebook clicking when I read this. Back to objectivity now, if
one indeed looks at Sarah's words, they cannot help but be struck by
them. Sarah brings to light a well overdue point. Not
only are disabled people often brushed aside like second or even third-class
citizens, but they are also often unwantedly pitied and
patronized. We, as a group, is either exalted as heroes or we are
wallflowers. People rarely take the time to know us as people; instead,
they get to see the machine or device with the person in it. They do not see,
as Sarah says, a person who is loving, honest, and loyal, instead they see
someone to feel bad for or to judge. Sadly, this not only occurs in
the general public, and the realm of academia, but it often occurs in social
settings. By this, I mean, we are not only looked down on by waiters
in restaurants who glance at our companion to give our order, and professors
when we reach the higher levels of education, but mainly we are looked down on
by our peers.
Now,
when it comes to social invisibility, I refer to two ideas. One is
that we are not perceived to be capable or worthy of being in a romantic
relationship. While this idea is most infuriating to me, being in my
late twenties and being human, I do feel that this is secondary to the second
idea. It is even more frustrating when our peers brush off our
intellect in regular conversation and everyday interaction, and they brush off
our ability to behave like them. How often I hear the words, "You
like to do that, you're disabled," or "But you're in a wheelchair,"
or "That's weird, I wasn't expecting you to act like that." It is
almost like we are visible and invisible at the same time. Well, it
is time that the disabled community, as a whole, is recognized for who we are
as people, and not just for the disabilities that we have to overcome.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
I Can Write but It’s Time for You to React
All men were created equal. This is what it says in our Constitution.
Discounting the irony in which it doesn’t mention the 3/5 slave’s clause. This
is otherwise a good concept. It essentially implies that no matter one’s race,
creed, religious belief, nationality, or any other distinguishing
characteristic in America, they should be granted an equal opportunity. I have
written a blog, which discussed a little bit of a piece of landmark legislation
known as the American With Disabilities Act. However, today while doing some
early morning reading, I was forced to ask myself this question, “Have we come
all that far?”
This
year on July 26, The Americans with Disabilities Act will celebrate 23 years.
It is almost a quarter-century old. It’s almost at the point where it has to
make a significant life decision and stop relying on mommy and daddy but has changed
for people with disabilities since the Act? My argument is that on the surface,
improvements have been made, but legislation cannot legislate a cure for
ignorance.
This
morning I found myself being proactive as my aide was sleepily frying me some
bacon. I was cruising several news sites. Yahoo is set as my homepage, but to
get a fair and balanced view of what is going on, I purposely look at both
Liberal and Conservative sites. However, I did not get very far. Those of you familiar
with Yahoo’s format know that there are often several stories along with a
slider on the page. Immediately, the first story this morning caught my eye. The
original title of the article by Jordana Devon was “Second grader in wheelchair
set apart from classmates in a school photo.” Myself being in a wheelchair, I
was intrigued by the article. The first thought that went through my head was, “I
can’t be reading this right! This is not the 80’s anymore! We have One
Direction and not NKOTB on the top of the Boy Band scene. No way can say what I
think it says.” So to make sure I was reading it right, I clicked on the
article. Unfortunately, I was reading the article correctly.
In
an extremely well-written article, the Yahoo Canada blogger lays out a
disturbing story. Jordana tells a story of a seven-year-old in British Columbia
who was set apart from his classmates when taking a second-grade class photo.
The little boy named Miles Ambridge can be seen in the picture, trying to
strain his body to be a part of the group. Jordana goes on to explain Miles’s
disability as Spinal Muscular Atrophy. As she said in her article, Miles had
been confined to a wheelchair ever since he was little. The report then gives
readers the viewpoints of what Jordana would display as “heartbroken parents”
in which the parents demanded a re-shoot of the class photo but were given the
usual rope-a-dope-it’s-not-my-fault-response. It’s the other guy’s fault by the
school and the photography company called Lifetouch. Before concluding her
article, Jordana asks a very poignant question, “What do you think: Has this
incident been blown out of proportion, or should the photo company be ashamed
for its placement of Miles in the class shot?” Speaking from a disabled
person’s point of view, I will say exactly what I said on the web page.
As a disabled
individual, I do not believe this situation I being blown out of proportion. It
is not the 80’s anymore, and we have legislation that guaranteed the disabled
community to be given equal opportunity. Are we so messed up as a society that
we teach our children so early to ostracize those different from us? By the
looks of this photo, it is not the children who need to be in school but rather
the adults. As Jordana quoted Miles’s mother as saying, “Kids can be cruel, but
adults should know better.” Forgive me for saying so, Mrs. Ambridge, but yes,
they should, but sadly they do not. The photo that your son was a part of
clearly indicates a misunderstanding of difference. A misunderstanding that
legislation will not correct. I am genuinely sorry for what you and your family
were subjected to. I hope this incident does not jade you because while there
are those in life who are intolerant of differences—those of us who are
tolerant of differences far outnumber them. I am sure Miles is a great person,
as can be seen by his beaming smile. I live in Northwestern Pennsylvania and
would love to talk to you and your husband, along with meeting Miles, if at all
possible. What you guys have gone through is ridiculous and sad, but I applaud
your response to the situation whole-heartedly.
As
I said in my posting about the Yahoo article, what low Miles and his family had
to go through is appalling, but it happens more frequently than one would like
to admit. That being said, if Miles’s situation isn’t bad enough, there is yet
another story I heard about this morning that enrages me even more. When I
first heard about it, I could not even begin to blog because I knew if I did, I
would be angry and vindictive. Also, my blog’s purpose would be defeated by my
anger. After several hours of reflection, I was able to talk about the
incidence that I watched and not exploded.
As
those of you familiar with Yahoo who are aware, if you read one article, they
often have videos or links to other similar articles embedded within the item
you are reading. Jordana’s article on Miles and his situation were no
different. Near the end of the article was a video link that said, “Teens Steal
Man’s Wheelchair On Long Island, Brag About It.” After reading the article on
Miles, needless to say, I was in a mood to be aggravated. So I clicked on the
video, which can also be found below. The video came out of Niagara County and
a news organization there. It was of a News broadcast where a News Anchor was
beginning a story. Superimposed behind her was a picture of a
wheelchair with the words “Wheelchair Stolen” underneath it. Quickly they cut
to the main level. A man named Vincent had his wheelchair stolen from his home
by a pair of 14-year-old boys. The boys, after taking it for a “joy ride,”
admitted to dumping the heavy chair in a nearby bush. Unfortunately, it is
believed that someone saw the chair and unsounded with it. This leaves Vincent
in a predicament. Vincent is now forced to go around in a manual chair and be
pushed around by his mother and others.
These two stories
mentioned above not only irritate me beyond belief but re-emphasize the
importance of education and advocacy. I am well aware that no matter where one
goes, they will find ignorant people, but only through blogs like mine are
advocacy groups such as United Cerebral Palsy. T.V. shows like Teal Sherer ‘s
“My Gimpy Life” that a better understanding of disability will hopefully one
day come to light. My goal in re-telling such horrible stories like this is to
spark, you the reader, into action!
As a disabled
individual, I can be outraged and say how messed up these scenarios are, and it
is my responsibility as a writer to do so. Still, you, as a reader, have
responsibilities as well. It is only through acceptance of differences and your
outrage at these situations that little boys like Miles may find a day where
they are no longer ostracized for something they cannot control or help. Miles
may be young and innocent now, but that innocence will not last long. He will
one day realize that he is different, as many of us do. However, if society has
changed even just a little bit by the time this young man reaches that age,
then maybe he will not be ostracized for his differences but possibly
celebrated. Then maybe young boys will think twice before stealing somebody’s
lifeline to independence. I don’t preach very much, but that’s some food for
thought.
Footnotes
2.) http://mygimpylife.com/
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Everyday Trials
According to my friends, I am a twenty-six-year-old male who is funny, charming,
and intelligent. Apart from these traits, I do have one that makes me stand out
from the crowd. I have a disability. It is known as cerebral palsy. This is not
a life-threatening disability, but it does limit my movements and other
activities in my life. I am currently going for a master’s degree in education
and hold two bachelor’s degrees, one in history and one in the theater. By many
people’s standards, I would be considered well on my way. However, there are
still obstacles I must overcome.
As I’ve stated before, in 1990, a piece of legislation was introduced known as
the Americans with Disabilities Act. This Act attempted to eliminate as many
barriers to inclusion in society for people with disabilities as possible. It
specifically focused on five areas, which included making it easier for people
to seek public education, making it easier for people to get into public
buildings, improving communication opportunities, improving access to the job
market for people with disabilities, and the broad-sweeping term “miscellaneous
provisions” 1. Because of this Act,
life for persons with disabilities has improved tremendously. However, federal
legislation cannot influence one aspect of life, that of social interaction and
acceptance.
From an early age, a child is interested. Babies explore their environment,
testing and prodding the world they have been born into. Humans are not born
with any preconceived notions about one another; I believe that they develop
them based on the environment and society they are raised in. In my twenty-six
years in this great country, I have never been judged by a five-year-old. It is
more often their parents that do the judging. The five-year-old is merely curious
when he or she may ask their parents, “Mommy or Daddy, why is that person in a
wheelchair? What is wrong with them?” These questions do not bother me. The
parents respond that baffle me. Several months ago, I was at a local mall when
the same situation occurred, and I distinctly could hear a parent react to the
same question with the following, “Honey, be quiet. Don’t ask that. That’s
rude.” Is it rude? Or, as my friend said to me and as I truly believe, have we
as a society become so comfortable walking on eggshells that we are afraid to
ask questions because we might offend someone?
In my head, I would much prefer the parent’s response to the child’s question
to have gone as follows, “I don’t know, why don’t you go ask him?” The ability
to question is what makes us human. It is how we learn. But we are taught from
such a young age not to question and not know that bias and fear of difference
are ingrained in us by the time we develop into young people and adults. This
thought can be seen on my college campus.
I currently go to a school in the Northwestern part of PA, and it is a reasonably
good school. But, it is here where the idea that society has become so
politically correct that it would rather be ignorant than knowledgeable has
been reinforced. There are three key areas which disturb me. The first of which
can occur when I am merely rolling around on campus with friends. It’s gotten
to the point where we make a game out of counting how many people stare at us.
Let me explain first by saying, typically, I hang around with females. Not due
to any other reason, except I tend to get along with them better. Most of my
friends are “friends.” There are only two or three that I would like to date,
but somehow everyone who sees me with any of my friends either looks at us like,
“Aww, I feel so bad for that young man and what an incredible person that girl
is for helping him.” Or “I wonder, are they dating?” Forgive me for being so
blunt. It got so wrong when my friend and I counted thirty people staring at us
in two hours. Maybe I missed the memo, and maybe staring is the new en-vogue
thing, but I don’t recall staring at every other person I roll by as if they
were something I have seen before.
The second thing that bothers me has to do with communicating with people daily.
Most of the people I interact with can tell that I'm reasonably intelligent
within the first few minutes of our conversation. I do not go around quoting
the dictionary, but I do have a large vocabulary. I say most can tell that I'm reasonably
intelligent. The people that make me want to pull my hair out are those people
that make me feel as if I am mentally challenged just because I am in a chair.
My favorite example of this occurs nearly every time I go out to a restaurant.
Let me set the scene: I sit there with a group of friends or my family holding
a conversation and looking over what I want to eat when the waiter or waitress
comes by to take everyone's order. They will go around the table, and when it
is my turn, they tend to look at the person next to me for my order instead of
me. If that does not happen, they tend to raise their voice and say the
following, “well, what would you like, dear” (in a booming voice). I am not
deaf. I do have terrible vision and, by my admission, am a really bad driver
and run into more objects than I care to admit, but not being able to hear is
not a flaw of mine. Indeed, some say that I hear way too well. When someone
speaks at me like I am completely deaf, I am often tempted to respond with a
snotty unsuspected comment. I’ve only done this once or twice, but let’s say it
catches them off guard. Every time one of these exchanges occurs, I am baffled
and more and more frustrated with society. Just because someone has a physical
disability does not mean they are deaf and mentally deficient. The above two
examples are annoying and frustrating when you are disabled; however, they pale
compared to my third pet peeve.
I am sure others can relate to me when I say that family and love are human
desires regardless of physical appearance or ability. I, as a disabled
individual, am no different. I am twenty-six, pretty successful academically
and intellectually, making people laugh, and I have a decent personality. The
one thing I don’t have is someone to look past my disability and love me for
me. Some who may read this might say not everyone in their twenties finds
someone, and with that, I fully agree; however, it is magnified ten-fold when
you are in a wheelchair or have a disability. Not only does it seem one gets
snubbed on the relationship front, but also many of the most common social
interactions, the able-bodied community, from my perspective, does not know how
to or feel comfortable with integrating the disabled community. A key example
will be if I ask someone to go and do something. They will often give me a
cursory sure, we definitely should, but then inevitably, they will blow me off
for some reason or another. Don’t get me wrong. I understand that this is a
problem related to my generation and the able-bodied community interaction with
disabled individuals. But I am sure if you ask other individuals with
disabilities, you will find that it tends to happen a great deal more
frequently to individuals with disabilities than their able-bodied
counterparts.
In the same vein, whenever an individual happens to catch my eye on a romantic
level, more often than not, I am rejected and not for your typical reasons. The
most common sense I get is, “you’re a great guy, but I can’t date you because
you’re in a wheelchair.” Not only is that reason baffling to me, but it is also
infuriating. I can’t tell you how many girls I played an emotional therapist or
boyfriend in my life. Still, as soon as I want actually to pursue something on
a romantic level, they finally realize, “Oh, wait for a second, he’s in a
chair.”
All my rantings may have come off as complaining. However, I hope they haven’t
because my purpose in writing this article is to bring to light an issue that
many people are aware of but choose to ignore or make light of. Society in the
twenty-first century is no different than it was in earlier times. Yes, we are
now not dealing with bus boycotts or million man marchers, but it is clear that
we are still fighting a silent battle. The disabled community and people who
are outside your typical WASP America, in general, are fighting a war against
difference. The disabled community’s voice was heard loud and clear in 1990,
but it is about time our voice was heard once again.
Footnotes:
1.
http://www.bu.edu/cpr/reasaccom/whatlaws-adaact.html