Glee on Fox

I find it interesting that Glee has a character in a wheelchair but he is not disabled in real life. I lot of time when TV series portray the disabled it is played by a non disabled. Why? Is it they can’t find suitable actors who is disabled or they do not look? As we grow as professionals we will make it easier to be cast and such. But it’s up to us to show what can be done.

However, the Glee that focused on Disabled was a great show, it covered the disabled experience great. Taking from the loneliness to a couple understanding of who and what we are. I like how the advisor saw the hurt in his disabled students eyes when the rest of the club told the disabled student it was ok for his dad to drive separately. Then the advisor made the kids spend two week in wheelchair to get perspective. I just wish more people would understand what its like.

An Expo

On Oct 17, I went back to my college town, and realize this subject is so important. All the information was geared towards all disabled, very few exhbits was aimed at the professional. Every one thought this idea was great. I am looking for Ideas to discuss please feel free to share your ideas.

Cost and the disabled

As a tax payer I often ask why we spend so much on the disabled but do not make sure we as a society does no make sure we get our investments back. For instance many our fearful that if we get a position we will lose the services we need to make it happen. Or why pay for college studies, if there is no job programs available to make sure the disable is employed. Thus it make it hard to get pass the start up of a life. Where we may need these services but we lose them to fast to build a life without them. That two is why we talk among ourselves, the professional disabled and present a case for change! Thru organizations and government change

Issues facing those with disabilities

Disabled has different issues that one may have to worried about that other professional does not have to worry about. Like if I take this job will I lose my Benefits, if I get married will I lose my benefits? Sound like an easy question, who passes up a career position to keep their benefits? So benefits like personnel care attendant are too much to give up. Yes Social security can advise you. But why don’t we have a support system among ourselves to deal with these issues? Other issues we all deal with are accommodations, transportation and other. We do have different issues but no place to go to, that allows us to discuss these as professionals.

Prespective

Growing up disabled was a memory I will not forget, now as a successful professional I look back at where I came from and I am blown away, but now compare my self to my friends now. I now feel far behind. It took a few years in my 20ies to realize how to enjoy what I have. I know many with disabilities may have the same issue. Yes we have over came a lot to obtain success but we can not completely compare ourselves to our professional colleagues. It a hard lesson to learn but once learnt understanding life more is easier.

Kindness or Pity?

I hate to be skeptical but after 36 years of cerebral palsy I am.

Last Saturday I went for a haircut, which I needed. When I got to the place to get a haircut, I noticed a man who had on an Illinois Rose bowl shirt, so I ask him was the Illinois Missouri game that day or the next Sat. He said the next Sat. So I went back to reading my Magazine. As I was getting my hair cut, he paid for mine also.

I thought quietly how offend I was toward this act. Did he see the disability and felt sorry for me? Or was it true kindness. I wish I knew. I know some people feel sorry for us, even though some of us are in the top half of wage earners in the U.S.

Questions and Answers please

It is a pretty simple question what accommodations do you need. But is it. I have found that when an accommodations is given, not all the questions are asked at that time. Because the logistics have not be able to be thought thru or worse yet the answers are assumed before and never asked. When I was 18 I went to my college for placement tests , when we got there we forgot to request a note taker, Whoops assumed I would have one because I always had one. I had a friend who asked for a handicapped accessible Hotel room only to realize they forgot to ask the width and found his chair did not fit. Basic questions but over looked. Then after the accommodation is made realizing not all questions were asked, like who is responsible for what.

I’d like to think 50% of the discrimination we as disabled professionals face is because people 1. Don’t know the question to ask 2. Don’t know how to ask it or 3. Feels the laws prevent them from asking. Its up to us the disabled professional to deal with these issues, and concerns. We are self don’t have the answers but through building a network we can educate ourselves and others.

How are we Viewed

It is sad when I saw a member of congress have a father of a disabled child removed from a town hall meeting on Health care. I would love to have seen the son speak for himself. However, it puzzles me on why congress would put billions in to stimulus to educate the disabled only to have to amend the health care bill to make sure we are covered? Once again does the fact we are educated make the one in powers feel good? We need more; we need people to see what we can do. Only when we are accepted by society can we grow. This will happen when the numbers get together and demand it.

What is a Professional Disabled?

Ok, what is a Professional Disabled? We are those that have a college degree or operate a business that requires a skill set i.e. photography, graphic design, technology, etc. This is the skill set that the support given to the disabled does not provide for. Why are we in this position? Well, we have passed the movement; we are disabled minority pioneers. While most of the movement is focused on the basics, we have surpassed that. With the passage of IDEA in the mid 1970s and ADA in 1990, we are also the first generation to have these challenges. Since we are competitively employed or have a degree, the services look at us as a success; however, having a foot in the door is merely the beginning of the journey. If we want to progress in our careers we have no support, just networking and pure luck. Other minorities have groups working with them to get affirmative action and other programs; we need this for our community. It’s up to us as the community to help us take the next step. Other than careers, we also worry if I make X or get married will I lose the benefits that make me independent. Issues that others may not have to worry about.

Stronger Movement II

In working for one voice we must realize each of our disabilities needs are different. Some of us can function with limited adaptations while other major adaptations are needed. This makes devolving a movement so much more difficult. So like myself needs to worry about only a pc to function in everyday life while others need a personnel care attendant to function. With this being the case it makes building a case for building a movement so much harder, so that truly parts the ball in our court.

One thing that was meant to help us was the ADA, a good intentioned law, that when we with disabilities interview, future employers has their hands tied, or thinks that because they are unsure what questions they can or can’t asked about our disabilities. This has limited there questions where maybe if they could address it we would get better chances. I once had a possible employer said they had questions about my CP, who could they call? I sent them to the local rehabilitations office. And they did not get any help there and lost interest in me. Once again where if we had a stronger movement it would have helped.

The Movement

I have so many questions and concerns about our movement. The disabled movement is in a stand still. I see no progression in our rights since the passage of the American with Disability act. To the average person they see services and special education and think we are on our way. However, for people with disabilities that are professional the service to help advance in ones field is limited. We see the African American movement, women’s movement, and others pushing for better employment but our falls flat. If we wanted to work in many minimum wage positions we have all the service we need. We as a community need to have a stronger voice to get our rights to advancement the American Dream.

Issues facing those with disabilities most people will not face

Back in May I decided to take a test to get certified as A Filemaker Pro 10 developer. I wanted to pass this to help me freelance as a database developer. The test is 100% multiple choice questions and computerized. So naturally I wonder if I needed special accommodations for the test, since I can’t write but can use the computer. As I was studying for the exam I realize the exam would have 10% calculations which mean I’d need to take notes in the exam itself. So I applied for special accommodations. I asked for double time and a scribe. Here is the issue a normal test taker could pick their site and time when. But for the scribe I need to give 10 Business days notice and they had to find a site to shut the room down for me to take the test. It took 2 weeks to set up the test. As I was setting up the exam I truly debated if the scribe was worth it. I asked mom and Sister both Special education teachers and Co-Workers I work for a special Education District. All had different views.

This is one issue I have faced of many that my disability has played a role. I know others with disabilities has faced same question and other questions, we can ask those who we love and respect for their views, but want someone who has walked in our shoes and can relate. It goes back to my previous post where we are isolated from each other and it’s up to us the disabled to form the connection we need to move ahead.

A disassociated minority

Many minorities a person is born in to. The disabled is one of the few expectations, you may be the only disabled in your family, church, school, job. When isolated like this it makes learning about a disabled path a very hard thing to do, and make one feel like they are stuck. When we do associate with others with disabilities it tends to be by type, the people with Cerebral Palsy joins Cerebral Palsy groups, Blind Joins blind groups, Deaf joins Deaf groups. We tend to associate with those that have our own needs. The main need we have is acceptance of our disability. And realize those with our type our disabled our needs may be closer associated with those with a different disability.

Scott Macintyre’s fans say 'American Idol's' first blind finalist doesn't need the pity vote, New York Daily News, 3/11/09. "When I saw the first show, I loved it - I wanted to be the first deaf person to do the race." Luke Adams Amazing Race 14. As a person with a disability I was proud to see to disabilities on the top reality shows in the spring of 2009. But with our minority when we see these stories its promoting the blind and deaf success, but does not move the disabled as a group forward. I highlighted these two but even promoting ourselves we say look at what people with our (disability) can do.

We as a population need to come together as the Disabled and not the blind, deaf, Cerebral Palsy and so on. In doing this we bring power and numbers to the table. As a different disabled groups we may have different health, and medical needs. However, as a group we have the same needs to help us achieve the American Dream.

Professional and Disabled

I often wonder how many people are out there like me, Have a disability and have a career with a path in front of them. But finds a lower glass ceiling for us. We here that many minorities are discriminated against and see it make the news. But 90% of disabled stories the media covers are touchy feely stories that only slows our growth as a minority. As a good friend said "That kind of pat on the back masks the soft bigotry of low expectations and those low expectations are worse than any actual disability itself."

This blog will begin to address these issues and more.