Getting Back To Basics: How Can I Spread The Message of The Voiceless Minority

Your friendly neighborhood super advocate is back with this week’s Spectacular Saturday post. I must begin by thanking you for your overwhelming support for Thursday’s 100th post. Your continued support gives me the motivation, and the ability to advocate even when I am not feeling up to it. I can’t thank you enough for that support. I come to you today with a call to action. The Voiceless Minority is growing. Soon we will no longer be voiceless. Our Facebook page has exploded ever since I started posting five days per week. The amount of views amazes me every day. I am inspired by the overwhelming number of comments for my recent post. Even though I respond to as many comments as possible, some of them are anonymous and not signed by their author. Let’s keep the conversation going and use the power of The Voiceless Minority to further strengthen the voice of the voiceless. There are several ways to keep the conversation going.

Firstly, if you see that I have replied to a comment you made, reply back to me, and let’s see how long we can keep the conversation going. If you are wondering how to see if I replied to your comment read the rest of this blog. It will not only show you how to follow the actual blog on blogger.com but also by following on Blogger you will never miss a post, in the case that I don’t get a chance to put it on the Facebook page. Secondly and perhaps most importantly, if the blog gains more followers, it will bring more attention to not only the blog that I write but also to the disability community and the issues that affect us on a daily basis. 

To follow the Voiceless Minority blog on Blogger follow the steps below

1. Sign in/Signup to Blogger.com which is free

2. For the “Choose Name For Blog” screen you can click the skip button in the bottom left corner if you don’t want to create a blog

3. If you skipped to the next screen click on the lines in the top left corner of your screen if it did not automatically bring you to the next screen.

4. Click the reading list on the left side of the page if it is not on that page already

5. Insert the link for The Voiceless Minority 

        https://thevoicelssminority.blogspot.com/

Before I sign off today, I just wanted to remind you, my loyal readers, that advocacy comes in many forms. One can advocate directly to policymakers whether they have a disability or not. One can read or write literature about disability. One can do the same with popular forms of entertainment. The most powerful form of advocacy is to start a conversation or keep it going by sharing publications or personal stories you may hear. Remember one voice can change the world but other people must hear that voice for anything to change. Enjoy the weekend and look forward to Monday’s blog about another disability-related issue but we will also remember the tragedy that took place 22 years ago in the United States known throughout the world as 9/11.

Till next time, 

Jay 

Breaking Down Barriers: The Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 and Its Significance to the Disability Community

Hello again, yes it’s me your friendly neighborhood super advocate. A warm welcome to all of my new readers who are checking out the blog for the first time. I want to welcome you to a friendly, engaging, informative, and sometimes funny look at anything and everything that has to do with disabilities and the disability community. To all my returning readers, welcome back. No matter which group you fall into, you’ve stumbled upon the Voiceless Minority on a very special day. Yes, it has finally happened after a decade of writing this blog - today marks the 100th post for the Voiceless Minority. I could not have done it without you. I started this blog as an outlet for my anger and the hurt I was feeling after being denied the opportunity to follow what I truly believed at the time was my passion. When I started this blog, I thought I wanted to be a high school history teacher and teach theater after school. I apparently didn’t know myself as well as I thought. They say that “things happen for a reason” or as I like to call it listening to God and actually paying attention to what He is saying by applying it to your life.

Since this post celebrates an important milestone in my advocacy, I felt that it would be fitting to write a post about a specific movement within disability history that recently celebrated its own 55th anniversary. Now that we’ve celebrated the success of The Voiceless Minority, it is time to get back to what this blog is all about, disability advocacy and the disability community as a whole. On August 12th we celebrated the Architectural Barriers Act and its impact on the disability community.  Even though it was passed 55 years ago it still has a great amount of impact on the lives of people with disabilities today. I hope you enjoy the rest of the blog. 

In 1968, amidst the civil rights movement and a wave of legislative changes, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) into law. This groundbreaking legislation was a pivotal moment in the history of disability rights in the United States. The ABA aimed to eliminate physical barriers that hindered access for individuals with disabilities in federally funded buildings and facilities, setting the stage for more inclusive and accessible spaces. In this blog post, we will delve into the significance of the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 for the disability community and its lasting impact on the built environment.

Before the ABA, people with disabilities faced numerous challenges when trying to access public buildings, transportation, and facilities. Rampant architectural barriers such as stairs without ramps or elevators, narrow doorways, and inaccessible restrooms limited their mobility and independence. These barriers perpetuated discrimination and exclusion, making it difficult for individuals with disabilities to participate fully in public life.

Key Provisions of the ABA

The Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 addressed these issues head-on by requiring that all federally funded buildings and facilities be designed, constructed, and altered to be accessible To people with disabilities. Here are some of the key provisions that make the ABA an important piece of legislation:

1. Definition of Covered Buildings: The ABA applies to buildings and facilities designed, constructed, altered, or leased with federal funds. This includes a wide range of structures, from government offices and post offices to national parks and military bases.

2. Accessibility Standards: The ABA established specific accessibility standards and guidelines, ensuring that facilities would be designed to accommodate people with various types of disabilities. These standards laid the foundation for subsequent accessibility regulations, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.

3. Enforcement Mechanisms: The ABA empowered the U.S. Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (often referred to as the "Access Board") to develop and maintain accessibility standards. Federal agencies were responsible for enforcing these standards and ensuring compliance in their projects.

Impact on the Disability Community

The Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 had a profound and lasting impact on the disability community for several reasons:

1. Increased Accessibility: The ABA led to the removal of many physical barriers in federally funded buildings, making them more accessible to people with disabilities. This change greatly improved the quality of life for individuals who previously faced significant limitations in their daily activities.

2. Trailblazing Legislation: The ABA set a precedent for disability rights legislation in the United States. It paved the way for subsequent laws like the ADA, which extended accessibility requirements to the private sector, further enhancing the rights and opportunities of individuals with disabilities.

3. Promotion of Inclusivity: By requiring accessible design in federally funded facilities, the ABA promoted a culture of inclusivity and equality. It sent a powerful message that all citizens, regardless of their abilities, have the right to access and participate in public life.

4. Advocacy and Awareness: The ABA spurred advocacy efforts within the disability community and raised awareness about the importance of accessible design. This activism contributed to the passage of subsequent legislation and the ongoing work to ensure equal access for all.

The Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 stands as a crucial milestone in the history of disability rights and accessibility in the United States. By addressing the physical barriers that hindered access to federally funded buildings and facilities, this legislation laid the foundation for a more inclusive society. It empowered the disability community, promoted equal rights, and set the stage for further advancements in accessibility. As we reflect on the legacy of the ABA, it is clear that its importance to the disability community cannot be overstated, and its impact continues to be felt today as we strive for a more inclusive and accessible future for all.

If you enjoyed this blog, please leave a comment either on this post or on our social media. Even if you don’t accept or agree with all the information presented above, we hope you keep coming back to continue to learn about the disability community. 

Till tomorrow, 

Jay

Finding Your Faith Again

Happy Labor Day everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend and enjoyed what you read on the Voiceless Minority last week. I know in Friday’s post I said that the next blog would be about the topic of when the right time to teach your children about a disability is, however, there’s something that came up over the weekend that has made me decide to move that blog until later into the week.

I mentioned a little about how my faith journey was rekindled in Thursday’s post but as God often does He puts us right where we need to be and to hear the exact word we need to when we need it. On Sunday I was watching church online with Sam. The church is called The Crossing and is located in Tampa. I wish I could go to services in person but the online service will have to do for now.

As I have mentioned several times before I was raised Catholic and for the longest time I considered myself a recovering Catholic, not because I did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, (I never stopped believing that) but because I was disenchanted with the practices of the Catholic church I felt, and this is just my own personal belief that the church did not resonate with me and they were concerned too much about making a profit. I have tried to get back into organized religion on one other occasion. I found a church where I was going to school in Pennsylvania that was nondenominational where I found a “home” for the first time. I did not feel like I was faking it. Unfortunately, due to circumstances that I have discussed in other blogs for this page, I chose to relocate with my parents and move to Florida.

Once I got to Florida you can say that the world or if you like the devil got into my head. I became really depressed, negative, and disconnected from God. At my lowest point, I was ready to forget all about the higher power or as I believe Jesus and why he put me here to live the life I live. That all changed about two months ago when my girlfriend Samantha started getting involved in her faith journey. She has gone down the path of faith since January but really hit her stride two months ago when she told me about the Crossing Church. She had been attending and she also told me they had services online. I’ve only attended two but immediately I was struck by the message that the minister was preaching that day, however, it wasn’t until last Sunday that I knew this was exactly what I’d been looking for. 

He did a Sermon on communication and relationships with others as well as going over the church’s principles he explained that in every church no matter what denomination as long as they believe in Jesus the core message is the same but he referred to each church as a part of the body of Christ. He simplified it by saying each church is like an organ in the body. They have their specific assignment meaning that the Crossing mission may be different than another church’s but they all work together to support the whole body. After explaining this he outlined the principles of the Crossing and related them back to specific passages in scripture. I will attach the message notes at the bottom of this blog so that if you choose to you can read them for yourself.

In closing, one’s faith journey might look different than someone else’s but God gives us exactly what we need to progress further in that journey even if we don’t know that we need it. No one is perfect and by no means do I consider myself perfect. We were all born into sin the only way we will find redemption is through Jesus.

Sorry, this post wasn’t strictly about people with disabilities but as I said earlier in this post God speaks through us, we just have to listen. Some people with disabilities may be down like I was but remember attitude is altitude and He will help you go further than anyone or anything.

Till tomorrow this has been your friendly neighborhood super advocate.

Jay

     

Florida SAND Fellowship Year One: A Review of How My Advocacy Has Benefited From My Fellowship

Hello again everyone. I hope everyone enjoyed yesterday’s blog on adaptive cooking and cookware. As my fellowship is coming to the end of the contract for my first year tomorrow, I felt it would be appropriate to give a nod to not only Florida SAND but my colleagues and the staff who trained us throughout this past year to thank them for helping my passion for advocacy grow. 

I came into this fellowship at a weird time in my life. Before the fellowship, I had worked for Florida SAND as a per diem writer for their blog FSA Central. While this work kept the flame for disability advocacy alive and on life support, when I was presented with the opportunity to be a fellow, I immediately jumped at it. Thank you to Kelli Munn for the opportunity.  I would not be where I am today without your faith in me. However, my fellowship wasn’t as smooth of a journey as I had hoped. 

About a month into the fellowship, I began to take it for granted. I had an ego bigger than the state of Florida and I thought that I knew everything there was to know about self-advocacy; boy was I wrong! I quickly learned that there was more to this fellowship than just writing articles about people with disabilities. Thanks to the fellowship I would develop event planning skills and meet my best friend, although I did not know it at the time.  We spent the first few months of the fellowship planning a conference where we would teach a concept that I have spoken about before on this blog, “The Route To Self Determination”. At the time I did not realize how this conference would change my life forever. Along with my colleagues, Laura Lee-Minutello and Samantha Lebron we had to give a full-day presentation on the concepts of Route. It was both an eye-opening experience as well as a learning opportunity and as I’ve said before, it was where I dared to hit Samantha with the following cheesy line that would change my life forever.  

Hey, “would you be my scribe for the weekend?”. I don’t know why the hell she said yes but she did. I will not go into further detail about how we have built a relationship in this blog as it is not relevant to my main point. After that weekend I started to see that my passion for disability advocacy was not as strong as others were. Over the next six or seven months it would decline and eventually, in an unforeseen way, it would reach an all-time low. The fellowship quickly became something I took for granted. 

I was given so many opportunities to better the lives of other self-advocates but unfortunately, I did not take advantage of them. Granted, I spent some time dealing with health issues but I did not use my hospital stay to re-energize, instead, I would use it in a negative way and sadly become complacent. However, that all changed a few weeks ago. 

About four months ago we started planning this year’s conference where we would give a condensed version of the presentation we had given the year before. I tried to use this to remotivate myself but it wasn’t until I attended the conference and heard its keynote speaker Matthew Walzer that my attitude changed in a positive direction. Without retelling Matthew’s story, as I have mentioned in previous blogs, I will say that his speech changed my life and my overall outlook on not only my fellowship but my life in general. 

I now understand how things happen for a reason but at the same time, we cannot use negative events in our lives as excuses or crutches to explain away our laziness or lack of effort. Thanks to the fellowship and the speech I heard at the second conference, it became a part of my advocacy work and my enthusiasm has intensified one thousand percent. I now post on The Voiceless Minority anywhere from four to five times a week. This is significant because excluding the first two years in which I started the blog, I only posted on it sporadically. 

As a final thought, just because you start to feel overwhelmed or negative about a particular job or situation you are in, remember that you are the only one who can change the way you feel. Recently I wrote a blog on how attitude is altitude, and it is this principle that is most appropriate to end this blog. In other words, just because there was a period in time where I had negative feelings toward the program, this does not mean that I could not have chosen to deal with them positively.  Negativity is only a feeling; it is only as powerful as we allow it to be. Instead of letting the quality of my work show how I was feeling at the time, I believe God was testing me and unfortunately, I did not pass his test. But you learn from your mistakes and learned I have. 

Whatever you are facing, there is always a way to put a positive spin on it so that you come out of a situation better than before you encountered it. This writer’s humble opinion. Until tomorrow, stay strong. 

Jay

Finding Your Way Around The Kitchen: How Adaptive Utensils Make Cooking Accessible For All

Before I begin, I wanted to say thank you for your overwhelming support of my recent posts. I hope you enjoyed yesterday’s blog on how to have a healthy relationship. Now let’s take a detour and begin today’s post. 

The first thing I want to say is, Happy Taco Tuesday everyone! If you have not guessed this blog is going to be about food and how people with disabilities can be included in one of America’s favorite hobbies, the art of homemade cooking. I know everyone except the really brainy people, the ones who majored in math in college, and hated statistics but here comes one anyway.

According to a poll conducted on behalf of Hello Fresh nearly one-third of Americans still believe it is better to eat in than go out because the quality of food is better. In that same poll, it was reported that 69% of Americans cook on a regular basis, an estimated 10 meals per week. 

Some of you who are reading this may question the validity of this poll and may be wondering what exactly is Hello Fresh. According to their website, Hello Fresh is a meal-kit delivery service with four basic plans depending on your dietary and food preferences. 

If we consider the Hello Fresh poll to be accurate or close to it, then we can logically come to the conclusion that cooking is a highly enjoyable pastime in America. The question can be asked then, how do we make cooking accessible for all? 

Fear not, this blog will attempt to give you, the reader, tips and suggestions on how you can make any basic kitchen accessible for all. To begin, let’s look at why home appliances were created in the first place. I believe Appliance Journal puts it best, “Home appliances were designed to make our lives easier. The cool thing is appliances aren’t a one-size-fits-all all solution. Home appliances come in many different shapes and sizes, there’s something out there for everyone. Preparing meals from a wheelchair is possible with a wide selection of ADA-compliant appliances.” The article goes on to further explain that ADA-compliant kitchens are becoming more popular for three essential reasons. 

1. There has been a significant increase in multigenerational households.

2. People with disabilities are now aging in place rather than going to a facility or an institution. 

3. There has been an increase in the belief that society should be more inclusive for all.

An article written in 2021 by Hadriana Lowenkron reinforces the idea that universal design not only benefits people with disabilities but society as well. 

Let’s look more at the above-mentioned journal. The Appliance Journal has comprised a list of accessible kitchen items that I believe will benefit everyone. 

The first thing they discussed was the height of the kitchen counters. They pointed out that most kitchen counters are 36 inches. They then mentioned how a universally designed home or residence typically has 34 inch countertops. This is useful for somebody like myself because my wheelchair would be able to fit under the counter more easily. After talking about the height of counters the next logical discussion would be to talk about some accessible appliances.

Rather than just regurgitate what the article said about these appliances, I have linked an article here:

https://www.ajmadison.com/learn/appliances/buying-guide/the-best-wheelchair-accessible-kitchen-appliances/

Once you have made your kitchen accessible you can take the next step to make cooking accessible for all. Now we will focus on some adaptive cookware and utensils that may be useful in the actual cooking process. 

The cooking process is fun for most people and if you have a disability, it can be as well. In doing research for this blog, I not only learned about adaptive spoons and silverware as well as straws which I already know a little about, but I also learned about cool utensils such as self-opening kitchen shears ie, scissors for cutting food for when you are preparing it. There is a whole slew of utensils I found on the website below.

https://www.thewrightstuff.com/adapted-kitchen-aids.html. 

In closing, cooking is not only a way to stay healthy, but it can be very therapeutic and relaxing, and given the right equipment, people with disabilities can now cook just like, and dare I say it, sometimes even better than their able-bodied counterparts. 

Well, dinner is done so I am about to go enjoy some of my favorite food, as today is Taco Tuesday!

Your Friendly Neighborhood Super Advocate,

Jay

The Art of The Casual Lie

Your friendly neighborhood super advocate is back! This time I have a question. Have we reached a point where it is okay to tell a “casual lie” rather than the truth?

You may ask what made you pose the above question. The answer is sad but simple. During a recent follow-up appointment with my pain management doctor, I began talking to his nurse. I have been to the office several times in the last few months because my pain pump needed to be replaced. On this particular occasion, I found it easy to talk with the attending nurse for that day. For privacy purposes, I will not give her name here. 

Throughout my appointment, we chatted easily. She asked me general questions about my education and other topics, and I did the same. As the appointment progressed, it eventually came out that I was a disability blogger. I told her about this blog and mentioned that we had a Facebook page. She seemed genuinely interested, so I invited her to like the page and add me on Facebook. Truth be told, I was not expecting her to do so, however, she immediately responded with the following “Sure I will add you. My name is (blank).” She then preceded to give me her name. After doing so, she said, “Now I post some crazy Crap, so don’t be offended.” I chuckled because I also post crazy stuff as well. The appointment concluded and I went home.

Later that evening, I was on Facebook checking my various accounts and I decided to look her up. While there are numerous accounts with the name she gave me, after looking for quite a while I was unable to find her. Although I expected this from the beginning, the casual way that she

blew me off with what I am sure she thought was a harmless lie got me thinking.

In America today we have become a culture that is dominated by the casual lie. We no longer dare to be honest. If the young lady had no intention of adding me on social media, I would’ve been okay with that. All she would’ve had to do was say “something to the effect of” I would love to, but it is against office policy”.  Instead, to not hurt my feelings she came across as patronizing.

I believe this not only highlights a societal issue that needs to be addressed, but on a deeper level, it brings up the issue of how people view individuals with disabilities. For the longest time the general population has seen those with disabilities as fragile. Several years ago, I wrote a blog entitled” The Protection Complex.” That blog addressed a similar issue that is still relevant today. I believe society views us as fragile because they do not see us as equals whether it’s an individual’s family unit, boss, or during social interactions. People with disabilities are often coddled and are not forced to face the realities of life. You may think I’m reaching, but I believe this young lady blew me off because she thought one of two things. That I was just hitting on her like everyone else does, or, as I believe, she probably saw me as fragile and felt that I couldn’t take the truth. 

Why has the truth become such a toxic thing in America today and especially with people with disabilities? I think the answer is quite simple. Oftentimes, the truth is raw and may hurt, however, if we continue ignoring the truth, we will become a softer and more anxious society. As a final thought, it may be good to try and soften the blow once in a while but by doing so we may do more harm than good.

Anyway, let me step/roll off my soap box for the evening. Hope you guys have enjoyed the read. I look forward to a vibrant discussion about any or all of the issues I brought up in this post. 

Until Next Time,

Your Friendly Neighborhood Super Advocate,

Jay

Disability Is A Mindset Not A Diagnosis

Your friendly neighborhood super advocate is back! Since I last posted a lot of things have happened in terms of disability related issues and content. This post is the first of several posts to come. They will discuss a wide variety of topics including dating and relationships as well as finances and the low expectations society still has for people with disabilities. 

Today’s post will highlight a recent encounter that I had at Wal-Mart. The encounter reinforces the idea that there is still a narrow view of disability in society. Let me set the scene.  

As I often do, I was shopping at my local Wal-Mart a couple weeks ago. Most of the time I go in to the store with my caregiver or I pick up the groceries I have preordered. On this day, I did not go in, instead I decided since I only had a few things to pick up I would have my caregiver run in for me. As most of you know, I currently live in Florida. The weather in Florida often fluctuates between warm and extremely hot in the spring and summer. Rather than waste gas and run the car, my aide and I decided that she would leave the windows down for me. Wal-Mart must have been particularly crowded on this day because it took longer than usual.

While I was listening to music and waiting for my caregiver, an African American gentleman stopped one of the Wal Mart employees who was gathering carts in the parking lot and loudly made the following comment while pointing at my van. “Look at that autistic kid. I don’t think he knows they left him in the car. This is abuse. You should call the cops. It is too f-ing hot”. As this interaction was taking place my first thought was to react with anger. I actually said out loud I do not have fucking autism”. I then thought to myself why are you getting angry? This is typical. After a few seconds I realized if the guy came over, I could use his comment as a teaching moment. Eventually he did approach the vehicle, and proceeded to ask me in a patronizing way if I was okay. Before I responded I took a few seconds to compose myself. 

After reassuring the gentleman that I indeed was okay, I proceeded to inform him that I did not have autism and not all people with disabilities are autistic. He must have been taken aback by my response because all he said was “Oh, glad you are okay. Have a good day”. Once my caregiver got back in the car, I told her the story and we immediately started laughing about it. It was not until later when I told my girlfriend who has the same disability that I do, that she suggested I write this blog. The reason I took a couple weeks to write this blog was because I was having trouble figuring out whether there was a larger lesson that I could expand upon because of this encounter. It was not until last Sunday that the lesson became clear. 

I had not thought about the ignorant comment for a few weeks, and it did not enter my mind until a different caregiver of mine was having a conversation with his friends, and they were surprised that people with disabilities could go bowling. The two incidents made me realize that there is a larger concept that most of the able-bodied community does not yet grasp.

Even though we are in the third decade of the 21st Century and a lot of improvement has been made in the lives of people with disabilities, there is still a level of ignorance and lack of awareness when it comes to disability throughout mainstream society. People either patronize people with disabilities or assume certain things about people with disabilities instead of getting to know us as individuals. If we are ever going to change this, people with disabilities need to be more assertive and this may be controversial but stop feeding into the idea that the majority of society holds.  Most of the able-bodied community assumes that disability equals low expectations. The disabled community further perpetuates this idea when they don’t have high expectations for themselves or each other. 

The statements made in this blog reflect my own beliefs and do not reflect the beliefs of any other individual with a disability. I am not sure how the disabled community will react to this blog as a whole, but it is my hope that all who read this blog will be left with something to think about. People should be judged by what they do, and the impact they make on the world. It is up to all of us to not only be good people but not give others a reason to look down upon us regardless of whether or not we have a disability.

I know this post is longer than usual but I believe it was necessary and just the right length. 

‘Til next time, your friendly neighborhood super advocate,

Jay