Way to go, Georgia!

  So usually, I don’t follow up blog after blog. My typical average is about two a week. I am willing to give you guys enough time to process the blog because I am not writing about the latest fashion trend or celebrity gossip but essential issues that matter. However, today I can’t help but note one. 

A friend of mine tagged me in a link on Facebook. Curiously, I clicked on the link, and it was a link to a news website. The article, which was published by the site RT.com, told a sad story. It was similar to the story I wrote about earlier in this blog concerning the little boy being excluded from a photo. This story, though, hit me close to home.

       I hold two degrees, one of which is in History. A lot of History can be seen in museums. Museums are one of the few public attractions that people can enjoy for little to no cost while also learning something in the process. The R.T. article told a heart-breaking story of a little girl being denied access to the museum.

 The Haas family of North Carolina was on vacation in Georgia and intended to visit the “Ships of the Sea” museum on a Sunday before they left. The father admitted in the article that he was aware that it might be difficult for his daughter to make the journey into the museum, but he was baffled by the reason she was denied access. What reason could have confused him so much? A museum employee said that the little girl in a wheelchair was not allowed in the museum because “the carpets would get too dirty.” No, don’t adjust your computer screen. You are reading that right. The little girl Lexi, who has a disability, which requires her to use a wheelchair, was denied access not because her wheelchair wouldn’t fit in the building, which would also be wrong—but because the carpets would get too dirty!

       I usually am not surprised by anything anymore, but this one makes me go, “WHAAAAA--?!” The museum later fired, to put it nicely, the “misguided employee. “ When I read this, I thought that they had handled the situation correctly, but when I read further down in the article, I came across another incident where a similar problem occurred at the same museum. With Lexi’s situation, there was a literal apology issued. Still, in the second situation where a boy with Muscular Dystrophy was denied access, the article made no mention of an apology. While these are only two incidents, these incidents highlight a point, which I have made before.

       The legislation does not change people. Even though the ADA is in place to safeguard the disabled community from these types of incidents, sadly, they still occur. More often than not. Several years ago, I went on a school trip to Boston, Massachusetts, around Halloween to use a personal example. The trip was designed to showcase the Witch history of Salem. On this tour, the professor from The Edinboro University of Pennsylvania was in charge of it was under the impression that all sites would be accessible for the few other disabled individuals that went on the tour and me. However, we found this not to be the case. Granted, I am aware that Salem is a historic town, so a lot of its buildings do not fall under the ADA because they are a grandfather. I still believe that accommodations could have been made for the other disabled person and me on the trip to view certain sites. Instead, we were given personal money to go to an alternative activity. I was appreciative of the gesture, but I felt it was a gesture that she should not have had to make. In the RT.com article, they noted that the Haas family was offered the option for Lexi to view the little tour on T.V. While this is an option, it takes away from experience and further separates people with disabilities.

       As I’ve said above, this incident and others like it make me wonder. Will society ever step out of the ’80s? If it is only persuaded to do so by words on paper, I fear the answer is no. My question is, what will it take to bring society fully into the 21^st century when it comes to equality? For not only disabled people but other groups as well. 

 

Footnote:
http://rt.com/usa/museum-rejects-disabled-girl-024/

We Want Our Close-Up Too!

"I appreciate that I do, but I just want to go out for the right parts and not waste anyone's time." –Teal Sherer from My Gimpy Life

       As some of you know, I have a degree in Theater and have recently become an aspiring screenwriter. So I thought, is there any way to connect what I want to do to live my blog? Then I remembered the above quote from a great show, "My Gimpy Life." Those of you who haven't heard of the show or checked out my Facebook page where I promote it constantly, let me give you a brief synopsis.

       In the show, Teal is a disabled actress, and the show chronicles her life activities over five episodes. While the show does talk a lot about her trying to audition for parts, it also mentions critical disability issues such as accessibility, the able-bodied community's perception of disabilities in general, and some awkward situations people with disabilities can be placed in. Right now, the show is in production for Season 2 after Teal's Kickstarter campaign raised more than 50,000 dollars in the hopes of producing more episodes after its successful Season 1, which was presented by Dracogen and Rolling Person Productions.

       The quote about Teal wanting to go out for the right part and my love for T.V. inspired me to do a bit of research, and what I have found is upsetting. Yet, it's not surprising. I have said before that perceptions of the disability community are not all self-inflicted. In fact, for the most part, society creates them. In today's society, one wonders what avenue has the most influence? If one thinks a little bit and does their research, they will find that the media has a great deal of impact on societal trends and perceptions. To go along with this point, there is one corner of the media market that has, in my opinion, the most significant impact.

       Celebrities and Hollywood are trendsetters in society whether they intend to be or not—people often emulate their fashions, beliefs, and sad behavior. I believe this is true when it comes to perceptions of the disabled community as well. I am not saying that Hollywood or the media created perceptions of the disabled but merely that they're reinforcing them. In an excellent article titled "Depictions of disability on T.V. still leave much to be desired," the author lays out how the media influences perceptions of the disabled.

       One startling quote from the article can summarize it all.

"When depicting disability, mainstream broadcasters give us the good, but they give us the bad and the ugly – and in the case of Bodyshock or Extraordinary People, do so while calling them exactly that. The modern-day freak show, these ratings hit mix deformity, disability, and obesity into a one-size-fits-all hatchet job of ignorance." Disability is a wide-ranging term and to lump us all together in a format that has so much influence is detrimental. What also is detrimental is something that often occurs in life. The author puts it like this, "Like a lot of people in life, it's when programmers think they're helping that they can cause the most havoc."  By this statement, the author refers to the fact that often shows presented under the pretense of explaining the world of disability often end up falling into two categories: give these people sympathy or be inspired by them.

While many disabled people have inspirational stories, I believe that it is not the community's desire as a whole to be seen just as an inspiration. As I've said previously, it's our desire to be seen as normal people but with visible obstacles that we must overcome.

       Along with this issue regarding television, there is a much more pressing issue that I think needs to be addressed. As I've said, I am into Theater, and any of my friends would tell you I like to be a ham and have quite the imagination. I have several sides to my personality and honestly would enjoy acting at some point. However, I realize that if I get into the movie and television business, the available roles are limited. This is why I focus my talents on other aspects of the company. It does not bother me personally that functions are limited for disabled people right now on basic and cable television. I do not expect society to immediately create watchable disabled characters if they do not rightfully understand disabilities. However, I do have a beef with the industry that I want to get into.  

       Recently, there has been a stream of disabled characters on T.V. Most notably perhaps is the character House played by Hugh Laurie, the character Artie in the show Glee, and Walter Jr. in the show Breaking Bad played R.J. Mitte. Sadly, only one out of the three listed here are disabled. R.J. Mitte has the same disability I do, just a milder form of it. That being said, I have a question for Hollywood. Why in the world would an industry as powerful as yours miss an opportunity when you have one? Hollywood often engages in what is known as "Crip face" or "Crip casting," where they employ a non-disabled person to play a disabled person. This practice is so common that my friend was even surprised when we found out that the disabled characters were not.

       I may be being a little harsh. I mean, yes, it is significant that society is being exposed to disabilities. Still, they are being exposed to disabilities most often in negative ways. Most of the characters with disabilities on T.V. are stereotyped. This may be a drastic comparison, but I believe that it is a valid one. When people dress in blackface, which is a white person dressing up as an African American, it is frowned upon. For example, many years ago, a fraternity was suspended from activities at my school because they had a black face party. Granted, the blackface's gentlemen were black, ironic, but the idea is still the same. Since Blackface is so frowned upon, why isn't Crip face similarly frowned upon by society and the disabled community?

       As I've said earlier, there are limited roles on T.V. right now for disabled people in this blog. Another article published a list of 10 roles in which actual disabled people played disabled people. Sadly, only one show of which I would consider mainstream. There were shows on networks such as ABC Family and networks like OWN, but these networks do not get as much attention from the public. The show that did have a disabled character, who was played by a person with a disability, was the aforementioned show "Breaking Bad," which is a beautiful series. As I also said earlier, I would love to act, but this chance is rarely possible. If Hollywood continues to unintentionally or intentionally eliminate a few parts that are perfect for disabled people, this will not only create a sad loss for Hollywood but a tragic loss for society in general.

       In closing, but I will use a quote from my friend's. "There is a brain drain in this country because society does not see the person with the disability, and instead, they see the person after they see the disability." Sorry, Karen, I changed it a little bit! Disabled people have a great story to tell, and we deserve the chance to say to it in one of the most potent places to tell a story, that being Hollywood and the media in general.

l.Footnotes

1.) http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2011/jul/01/born-to-be-different

2.) http://whereslulu.com/2011/05/01/ten-disabled-people-with-regular-tv-roles-right-now/

3.) mygimpylife.com 

 

But They Said it Was “Accessible"

So yesterday was officially 3 months that the blog has been up. The Facebook page has only been up a few days but at the end of yesterday, we had 887 page views on the actual blog and 54 likes on the Facebook page reaching an outstanding 607 people. It is amazing what 3 months of my writing have produced. I have had help from so many people. Emily Ekstrand, Kelsey Waltz, and Haley Larson. I’ve also had help from a great T.V. show called My Gimpy Life. It is this show and certain life events that inspired me to start writing again. Here’s to more success for the Voiceless Minority as we move forward! However, with all that success and cause for celebration, there are still many issues that need to be addressed.

       As I have written before, the Americans With Disabilities Act was signed into law in the summer of 1990. I will not rehash it again what exactly the act covered (if you would like information on that either visit “ada.gov” or my previous blogs). I simply mention the act here because its 23^rd birthday is coming up on the 26^th of July. When I recently asked the question on our Facebook page about whether anyone had future ideas for blogs this response came up…

       Joe Peet commented on July 6^th and he recommended a blog on “real-time access.” Now for those of you who are new to the disability advocacy fight and I do call it a fight. Real-Time Access is an interesting concept. The idea provides us (the disability community) access to things on paper. What it does not do is clearly defined how that access should be presented. Instead, the language is left broad and ambiguous. In short, the language leaves the decision up to human intuition or interpretation. This is all well and good but I think the idea forgot one very important point to consider. The developers of buildings and producers of products, for the most part, aren’t disabled because we are rarely given opportunities to pursue everyday jobs. That being said, what the majority the able-bodied people consider accessible, oftentimes is not. I don’t mean to offend a majority of readers but I’m just being honest. I will give several examples to demonstrate my point. Some of these examples are my own and some come from others.

       As I have said numerous times, I go to a school in the North Western part of Pennsylvania and that school has its flaws like every other school, but it tries to build itself as one of the most handicapped friendly schools, not only in the area but also in the country. Nothing against that school as they are the institution that will grant me my Master’s Degree in December if all goes well. However, I need to suggest a few things. As far as being accessible, most of the campus is, but crucial portions need to be fixed i.e. the giant cracks in the sidewalks that some power chairs and I’m sure manual chairs have trouble navigating over or around. How is it possible the school can spend money on new dorms but not fix their existing sidewalks to make them easy for a large portion of your population? Also, another issue that is prevalent on campus but is also a cross-venue the issue is the placement of the automatic door and elevator buttons.

I have a tremendous fear of elevators. Yes, I said it. Even though I use them any time I want to go anywhere above the first floor. I absolutely hate them. I don’t know why but I think claustrophobia is genetic or something—no, not really, but thanks, mom! Anyway, one of my biggest pet peeves is not having uniformed elevator buttons either in height or type. I am very short when sitting in my power chair. If I were to stand up straight, which rarely happens, the doctors say I would be 5’10. However, that doesn’t help me when I’m sitting down. There are two buildings in particular that I have in mind when I talk about the elevator button placement and height. One building s a good example and one building absolutely sucks.

       The first building has an elevator button cutout where the button protrudes from the wall and is one of the more conventional buttons you see in medical facilities and hospitals. It, in this case, is white and it is raised off the cutout a little bit. I have very limited hand mobility but even I can press this button by myself. If that wasn’t awesome enough, when I get into the elevator I can even select what floor I want to go to by myself. Sadly, this awesome elevator design is very rare on campus and in real life. At least in places that you need to go on a regular basis and not just when you’re sick.

       The other a building that I mentioned before has a button and it is placed in an area, which only the tallest disabled people can reach. Granted, like I said, I have very limited movement in my hands but there are very few people that I know who can use this button by themselves. There are those in manual wheelchairs who have more mobility than I do who are capable but even some of them struggle. The button is set into the wall and does not protrude from the cutout. I have seen this type of design in many places—movies theaters, Dave & Busters, local malls, and etc. I have a question for developers. Why in the world are these buttons in use still? Maybe I’m being too narrow-minded but, does everyone in the world think that disabled people always travel around with an aide who can push the button for them? The sad fact in my experience is that most people do believe that. As I have said as recently as the “Hey, down here!” blog we desire our independence too. If elevator buttons aren’t where we can use them they are useless.

       Another issue that I’ve seen which is a cross-venue issue is the placement of automatic door buttons. For those who are unaware (and I only mention this because the blog reaches international audiences now and some of you might not have an automatic door) but automatic doors can open with the push of a button which makes it easier for people who are slower or with wheelchairs to enter. There are several types of automatic door buttons but what I don’t understand again is why is there not a uniform type of automatic door button? Maybe it is, with the simple fact that, nobody consulted disabled people when they were designing them. However, I think we should start a focus group and ask disabled people how long on average does it take someone in a manual chair vs. someone in a power chair how long it takes to get through a door. Take the happy median and then set the button time for that! Also in that focus group maybe we could ask disabled people what types of buttons are easier for them to operate? I prefer the round, grey, metallic ones that are offset from their cutout. I hate the ones at my campus library (which some of my able-bodied friends have trouble pressing). Finally, before I move on to a new topic let me express one major complaint. What is it with the placement of automatic door buttons?! I am not kidding. I have seen buttons placed behind where the door opens at i.e. my campus library. Or below an average wheelchair height. Not to offend short people, but we are not ALL so short that you have to put the button by our knees. Enough with that rant. Let me get to an even more disconcerting issue.

       I’m a pretty an active individual with a disability. I like to go out and visit theaters or movies. Or even sporting events. A lot of the able-bodied people that will read this might not understand what I’m about to write about but someone, please explain why all the handicapped seating is in B, F, E! On the one hand, I can understand that the developers might do it to prevent people from standing up in front of us, and for that I appreciate it. A word to developers though, you’ve avoided me being blocked by some really tall glad or really robust person, but now instead of seeing the hockey game that I sometimes pay 50-100 a ticket for I only see little ants. In the case of the movies, you guys are getting better. You put us in the middle of the stadium seating, but you often don’t have enough seats around us for friends and companions. And god helps us if there are two people in a wheelchair in our party. Someone’s feet are getting crushed! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been run over by another person’s wheelchair just because they are trying to back into the movie seat. Now I know you have a limited budget and limited space, but could you at least give us another inch to an inch and a half? So we don’t have to ask the poor lady who just sat down to get up just so we can situate ourselves? Thank you!

       A final issue I wish to bring to the table is that of the organization of the malls and stores. I do not intend to offend anyone in retail but I just have one simple question. Isn’t your job to attract the most customers’ possible so that you can sell us merchandise? Excluding those stores who discriminate based on weight or body type (coughcoughAbercromeandFitchcoughcough). If this is the case, I think you are missing out on a large population! No pun intended. When I say “missing out” I really mean making it difficult for a large population to enjoy an American past time known as “buying shit.”

       I am not a girly guy but I do like to go to the store and browse. One of my favorite stores to go into is Spencer’s. This is not a kid-friendly store but like many other stores, it is not wheelchair friendly either. I get that you have to have enough space for merchandise, but honestly…? Why is it that merchandise displays have to cover every inch of the store? I am not able-bodied but I’ve even seen able-bodied people that do not know each other have to get super intimate each other just to get by in that store. In fact, because of where I sit sometimes I am cursed with running into certain body parts of people that I really do not want to. Spencer’s is not the only store that fails to give any customer walking space. Another store that is one of my favorites has to be Bass Pro Shop. Forgive, me. That’s the redneck coming out. While Bass Pro Shop has a large center aisle for foot traffic, it like a majority of stores, also places the clothing racks way too close together! Every time I go in there my parents or person I’m with end up having to do the one thing I hate to have people do. They have to help me drive through the clothing racks so that we don’t end up buying the whole store. Part of them probably does this because I’m not the best driver, but I guarantee part of them does it because a 26-inch wheelchair base cannot fit within a half inch space without killing something.

       All that being said, I bring up these issues because they would not only benefit the disabled community if they were addressed but they would benefit the able-bodied community as well. I am going to be very blunt for a second and remind you that this is only my view on things, but it is my belief that some people rarely want to go places with people with disabilities because they don’t want to have to deal with inconveniences such as helping their friend. While I disagree with most of this premise, I do agree that wherever inconveniences arise due to the disability can be altered or should be. Wouldn’t giving able-bodied people more walking room (or in the case of movie theaters) wouldn’t more room lead to more satisfied consumers? Just a thought.

       In closing, I turn my focus back to the disability community. We are an active community given the opportunity. We are tired of sitting in the back of the room and we deserve to be on the front line like everyone else. 

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.

Come On, You Know That Was Funny, Quit Being P.C.

So I've talked about some serious topics, but I've always thrown humor in on some level or another. Well, this one is going to be about the importance of humor and disabilities. To begin, let me get scholarly on you guys. What is "humor"? Humor has many different definitions, and it can be either

1. a comic, absurd, or incongruous quality, causing amusement: the humor of a situation.

2. the faculty of perceiving what is amusing or comical: He is complete without humor.
       These were found at Dictionary.com. There are many different types of humor to each person; other things can be funny. Some who fall on their face might be hilarious to me but might not be all that funny to someone else. What does humor have to do with disability? Everything. If one can't laugh at their obstacles, then they will be that much harder to overcome. I can't tell you how many times a day I make gimp jokes or lobster jokes. I call myself a lobster because my hands look literally like claws because they are so badly deformed.  Most people who know me have gotten used to it. However, even in my own family, there are times when they are caught off guard by my humor.

       Disabled people make fun of themselves quite often. What is rarer is the kind-hearted friend or family member who makes fun of the disabled person. An incident like this occurred recently during a family event. Rather than seeing me as an oddity, my six-year-old cousin decided to make up a lobster dance. In my view, it was hilarious! Everybody around the table thought it was for at least five seconds, but they quickly got offended. My question is, why were they getting offended for me when I was not? It's not like the child was malicious. He was trying to include me as an individual. He did not see me as something different. He just saw me as a funny dude. We all make fun of each other, but why do others have to get offended for them when people are making fun of each other? Another example of this societal offense can be found on the Internet.

       A hilarious comic named Stephen Lynch does a variety of songs where he makes fun of everything from the devil, too fat women, to people who play dungeons and dragons, and one-piece, in particular, is his most famous song. It is known as "Special Olympics." I am disabled and find it freaking hilarious! Because I know that Mr. Lynch is satirical and joking. He is not malicious in any form whatsoever. Some find it offensive, and I say to them, "You have a right to your opinion, and I have a right to mine. I'm glad you watched the video, and I'm glad you are expressing your opinion." What I don't understand is that a majority of disabled people love the video. This is the demographics that are being poked fun at in the video. If we love it, why is it that society gets offended for us? The following is a comment that I posted on the YouTube video, along with a few replies that I received. To protect anonymity, the names of the posters have been either changed or not given.

       My original comment for the video: "‪Jay Hahr ‪‪20 hours ago

I know that's entirely true. I find humor is the easiest thing for me to have, but people are often thrown off because I make fun of myself. I always say to them, "Dude, I make fun of myself because you can't make fun of other people if you can't make fun of yourself," and I love making fun of people. I know it's a YouTube video, but I might also mention it here. My blog on disabilities is thevoicelssminority.blogspot.c­om Check it out. I think you will enjoy it."

       The poster responded with: "It's funny I'm disabled as well, and it seems that everyone around me hears my friends joke about me being in a wheelchair and act offended, but I don't. I have noticed that it's non-disabled people who get offended about it and not the disabled people."

       He emphasizes my point. It is always the able-bodied population that seems to get offended for me. I would instead people ask me if I was offended then assume I was offended. I know my family meant well when they told the little child, but I feel like they could have handled it better. Some of them who read this might not understand why I think the way I do, but it's mainly because humor is a dying art in our society. Soon we are going to be too sensitive for anything.  Comedy is what keeps us from going crazy and shooting people in post offices. If they thought that the six-year-old was doing something wrong, they could have said, "Now, you can joke around like that with Jay, but with other people, you have to be more careful." Just some food for thought.

       I only bring this up now because I have recently shown the YouTube video to others, and some have laughed hysterically with me while others said, "How can you be an advocate while also laughing at that?" My answer is simple because I'M HUMAN. If we do not find hilarity in our misfortune, then we will only find misery. Misery is boring. If this offends people, then so be it, but I would rather laugh at my misfortunes then cry about them.