Hi. I'm the author, and my name is plf515.
KosAbility is a community diary series posted at 5 PM ET every Sunday and Wednesday by volunteer diarists. This is a gathering place for people who are living with disabilities, who love someone with a disability, or who want to know more about the issues surrounding this topic. There are two parts to each diary. First, a volunteer diarist will offer their specific knowledge and insight about a topic they know intimately. Then, readers are invited to comment on what they've read and or ask general questions about disabilities, share something they've learned, tell bad jokes, post photos, or rage about the unfairness of their situation. Our only rule is to be kind; trolls will be spayed or neutered.
This is a partial repost of a diary I posted long ago.
There have been several recent diaries on people with disabilities of various kinds. Some by we, the disabled. Some by parents. Some by others. There have been LOTS of great comments and conversations.
All of these (including the diary by me) are somewhat tangential to the basic purpose of dailyKos: Democratic politics.
But only somewhat. Less so than you NT people might think. (NT = neurotypical - the acronym for people who don't need one)
The starting point to the recent spate of diaries appears to be righteousbabe's magnificent Not the diary you want to read (unfortunately no longer available, since the diarist deleted it for personal reasons).
Among the diaries it spawned are
My Disabliites, abilities, boxes and people
Rioduran's not the diary you expected to see and
exmearden's Not the diary I should write
I've read all the comments on these diaries. One question that arises is
What does this mean for Democrats and Progressives?
A lot, actually.
In the past, in 1975, the Individuals with disabilities education act opened the doors to education for many people with disabilities. The biggest backer of this was Ted Kennedy.
In 1990 the Americans with disabilities act defined people with diabilities as anyone who
* Has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities;
* Has a record of such an impairment; or
* Is regarded as having such an impairment.
and enacted some requirements for accomodation; Its sponsor was Sen. Tom Harkin, and cosponsors included a preponderance of Democrats.
In the present?
What would we, the disabled, like?
I speak only for me, others with disabilities, feel free to join in:
- Recognition. We're here. We're weird. GET USED TO IT. (with apologies to whoever coined the phrase for the GLBT community substituting weird for queer). We are NOT going away. We will NOT be shunted aside. We are HERE, and HERE we shall stay!
- Clarity. The law with regard to disabilites is arcane. In New York, for example, the question of whether a child gets funded for special ed is decided locally, base on state rules, and the availability of state and city funds, and largely at the whim of bureaucrats hired to spend as little money as possible. We'd like to have one, clear rule as to who is disabled, and it should be based on something sensible, rather than the sometimes bizarre definitions used now (e.g. a difference between 'performance' and 'ability' - when neither of those is well measured.
- Personification. Disabled we may be. But we are NOT our disabilities. I am NOT a Nonverbal Learning Disability, I am a PERSON who HAS a nonverbal learning disability. Most of us with disabilities have some vey useful ABILITIES. Some of us have profound GIFTS. We can help (re)build this country. And almost NONE of us fit precisely into any box - humans don't fit in boxes.
- Accommodation. I am not asking for a hand-out. I am asking to be allowed to lend a hand. I don't want charity, I want the freedom to give. People should see each other for their abilities, not (just) their disabilities. But all of us disabled people will be able to help more if we are allowed to. Work with us, and we will work with you, and all will benefit. We need to end the (sometimes) hostile relationship between the 'ers' and the 'ees'. The 'ers' are schools and employers, the 'ees' are the disabled and their representatives. Accommodating a disabled person is not (merely) a burden, but an opportunity. Working with disabled people is not (merely) a duty, but a privilege.
So, what, specifically, can progressives do?
- Learn. Ask us about us. We may answer. I don't expect every progressive to be an expert on NLD, or any other disability. But ask. Many of us are willing (eager, even) to tell. Ask me. Ask righteousbabe. Ask some of the other diarists and commenters. But don't be surprised if we don't speak with one voice. Neither do you NTers.
- Lobby. Once you've found out about us, support us! Take an issue of your choice and raise it with your representatives.
- Educate. When you've learned something, share it. SOME people are bigots about us. They will never learn. But some are simply ignorant. They think we are lazy, crazy, or stupid, bot because they are bad people, but because they don't know any better. Educate your employer. Educate your friends.
The tent will get a lot bigger if it includes wheelchair ramps, interpreters into American Sign Language and text versions of speeches and presentations. It will get a lot bigger if it respects us disabled people There are a LOT of us. And we should ALL be Democrats.