Talk of the Town

July 28, 2011 at 6:14 AM (Uncategorized) (, , , , )

Somewhere floating around in my head I had this idea…that there must be some places where complaining about the physical effects of one’s disability sound really stupid… in a housing development where all residents have some kind of physical impairment or other.

Turns out, that’s the case for some of the folk here.  If you’ve had some sort of attachment to being ‘special,’  in the wider world,  losing it here is a good idea.    Sometimes,  too much bemoaning of your situation can earn you private scorn.  (although the folks I’ve met are always courteous to everyone who is courteous to them as regards public interaction )

I like that.  A surprising side effect is:  when complaining of these things is a faux-pas, when extended kvetching is ‘just not done.’  you tend to do it less about this aspect of disability overall.

That doesn’t mean there isn’t a fair amount of conversation.

There’s plenty of active discussion about how the able do view us, positively or not…the social barriers and aspects of disabled/able interaction,  get a fair hearing.  Sometimes politics makes its way in …and the issues that everyone, able or not talks about…paying bills, what’s on sale, what social activities are ahead…family etc.

(and my newest pleasure,  local information, and the history of the housing company itself. Good stuff).

It’s a relief, really.  Good solid proof that PWD’s are just people.  With more assistive tech perhaps, but in this age of the I-Phone, the Netbook, the I Pad and Pod…I’d imagine the number of assistive tech devices is beginning to equalize between people with disabilities and the more tech-obssesed of the able.

(In other words: “I’ll see your blackberry, and raise you one power chair.” “I’ll call, because I want to see how your Kindle, I-Pad and Netbook straight stands up against my ‘hand’ of a walker, a service dog, and a mechanical bed full house etc, etc, etc. )

 

This isn’t one of those expensive assisted living complexes or a nursing home. The only three differences between this complex and any apartment building you might drive past,  is the fairly stark utilitarian hallways, with handrails, the only part of the place that does sorta scream nursing home… the incredibly  physically accessible features of the building and of each unit, and the number of aides seen moving through that assist neighbors with activities of daily living.

(I’m on a waiting list for such services.  After three months here, turns out there are still some things that I need assistance with.  I had the naieve idea that because of the features here,  that I could handle every single chore completely on my own.  Not quite.  I need *less* assistance than in Colorado, but unfortunately ‘none’ won’t work long term either. )

It started out pretty damn cloudy today.  I’m going to see if some outside time might work out later…chat a bit.

 

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Safe and sound

May 7, 2011 at 7:16 AM (Uncategorized) (, , , , )

First, I want to be really clear:

I love, love love my new accessible apartment as I’ve said. I would never do anything to diss the place. It’s great.

I completely understand why there are security cameras in a building like this: The primary and obvious reason for it is the safety of persons with disabilities and their aides…And there are security cameras at all outside entrances for the same reason. Whether we like it or not PWD’s are viewed by predators and any other category of Bad People as easier prey than the able-bodied, so I do agree that these are good things. Keep them here. I feel safer with them than without them.

I am troubled though, because in the wider world during the last ten years it has been made clearer than ever that “any” use of those cameras or footage from them that the government believes to be necessary…they’ll get used for.

In addition, my particular apartment’s placement leaves me open for extra viewing because the security camera for one of the front doors is a 360 degree thing as they all are and coincidentally can see straight into my desk when the curtains aren’t at least partially pulled…so, the curtains are now always partially pulled when I’m on the computer…I’m sorry, but nobody gets to mind my business that easily.

And all my curtain pulling could be useless because the safety thing might actually extend inside…and there could be one in here too…

And on the lighter side, once I realized there were “eyes in the sky” in the hallways, I thought “oops, better not just have socks on my feet when I roll for the mail, the trash, the laundry room”…have to have shoes on in order to meet the place’s guidelines.
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Resurrection Day/ A Room of One’s Own (Using for Blogging Against Disablism Day 2011)

April 21, 2011 at 12:27 PM (Uncategorized) (, , , , , , , , )

This is so surreal.

From being subject to a roommate or stranger to help me…

I’ve arrived at my accessible apartment, in my new state (a return to Ohio where I was born and raised),  begun the explosive process of moving in (by explosive I mean boxes exploding everywhere)…charging up my power chair…so I can roll for three minutes and head to the store…or to the bank…or another twenty minutes and arrive at church, or the drugstore…  And realizing I can now do the personal care stuff on my own…and cook, and hang outside (no elevators )  I have no pics yet, but will post some in the next few days…

I’m on assistive tech joy overload.  (an unassisted shower is a marvelous thing)

From a year’s worth of crazy all the way to this?

I’m really stunned by having something genuinely good happen.  It’s been awhile.

And the house rules here are not:

My former roommate’s, or my parent’s  (I don’t have to live with what someone else cooks or buys)

They are my own.

I was an only child,  but also am high verbal, and really social.  So my most ‘comfortable’ head space is: living in my own place, alone, with a lot of friends and neighbors nearby…I did the marriage thing and the roommate thing fairly well, but all that was a learned behavior as an adult.

This is the setup I’m used to.

I have some anxiety now that I wrestle with, so of course living alone will be tougher…

the downside…The lack of frequent public transportation in this part of the state is unacceptable…so, my first adventure, after settling in, is finding out how an ordinary citizen can get a precis of the Lorain and Cuyahoga county budgets, and do some line item checking on my own….

“So, you say there’s no money to run a connector from the end of the LC transit system to Walker and Bradley, the last corner where the RTA (Cuyahoga county) route 55 ends? Or no money for each transit authority to jointly fund an extension of the 55 route past our complex and a nearby senior center twice a week?

I know, everyone is broke.  Hell, *I’m * broke.

But give me the data, some time, and a pencil.

I’ll find the money *for* you,  budgetmeisters.

I thought this was most appropriate for BADD this year…so it kinda breaks the rules…but go over to goldfish’s blog and read the stuff that was original to the day and actually linked…, as usual it’s amazing…

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Home is where…

August 23, 2007 at 7:06 PM (Housing, Independent Living) ()

You have to obtain liability insurance against other residents/staff

You have to be “assisted” whether you like it or not.

And the common area and dining room at your facility state that you are unwelcome…

According to a recently settled lawsuit...those in independent living were also pressured to move to assisted living…

I’m glad to see this settled in these communities, but how much “teeth” will the provisions of the settlement actually have…

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Some linkage for a Sunday…

July 8, 2007 at 9:48 AM (Education, travel, Travel and Accessibility) (, , )

The Freedom Tour… 

Wants to highlight where the ADA is now…

I think it’s significant that disabled veterans are part of this event….

The organizers want to educate the country that the ADA applies to more than access and physical impairment…

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From the owner of the site Barrier Free Travel…After July, if someone tells Europeans with impairments that they cannot board a plane a fine might be levied

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In the wrestling to renew No Child Left Behind, would the changes make education of students with disabilities tougher or simpler?

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The Justice for All Listserv sent out a really troubling article, about monies that could have helped house persons with disabilities being sent back to Hud….

and in one city, what will happen to homeless people with disabilities and the general fund when those funds go away….. 

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