General Disability Lifestyle

Posted on: Tue, Jan 19 2010 7:05 PM

Posted by: PerfectlyImperfect Posts: 1,581

I usually point out other differences we have.. Something along the lines of:

Just like you have brown hair, I have blonde hair. And like you have 10 fingers, I have 6. We are all different in how we look.

Posted on: Tue, Jan 19 2010 7:38 PM

Posted by: bonnie Posts: 1,451

 Well, I have on occassion, had to go out in a wheelchair with a small bottle of portable oxygen, with a tube to my nose.  If you think people look at YOU, Perf, let me tell you the portable oxygen really flips most out.

So I have quite a few lines, like "we all have our needs," and "without this little tube I wouldn't have air; we wouldn't want that, would we?" but I smile, and most people kind of shake their heads and some ask questions which I usually politely answer, and which annoy me because they are using up my oxygen time.

Rude is ignorant.  That is why we must promote disability culture, with dance groups like "Gimp" so that people don't see a disabled person as weird.  They used to keep us locked up.  Remember that.

Posted on: Wed, Jan 20 2010 11:50 AM

Posted by: blondieblue227 Posts: 557

Exactly.
Different is not automatically weird/wrong.

‘She’s just like you’
I don’t think I like that answer anymore for parents to their kids.
Yes, I’m like you as a human being, but I’m not going to deny my differences and I don’t want people to deny them either.

Yeah so, I’m different. Doesn’t mean I’m any less human. The whole world is made up of different people. Deal with it. It’s ok to be different.

When I look back on my childhood I know people were only being encouraging but I feel it did me a disservice in the long run when they said this:
‘You can do anything this kid can do.’
No I couldn’t. In way it created a lot of unnecessary frustration.

Posted on: Sat, Jan 23 2010 3:17 PM

Posted by: ChairborneRanger Posts: 53

I dislike when parents answer their child's question ignorantly. I have a SD and most people are fascinated by him, but once when I was in the Commissary (grocery store) a child asked his parents "Why does that lady have her dog in the store?" and the father replied (very loudly) "Because she thinks that she is soooo special that she does not have to follow the rules like everyone else...she just doesn't know any better".

 My husband had to turn put his hand over my mouth because I was about to flay a piece of his hide off for his complete ignorance that he was imparting to his innocent child.

My hubby spoke very deliberately and said "No child, it is because this dog is specially trained to help people and the people in charge of the United States have made laws that say it okay for these special dogs to go everywhere with people like my wife- which includes the Commissary and even restaurants!"

The father turned bright red and we left him stuttering as his son asked him why "didn't Daddy  know about the 'special' law!".

CBR

Posted on: Mon, Jan 25 2010 12:51 PM

Posted by: blondieblue227 Posts: 557

wow. thanks for sharing.

this is why i'm for teaching disability rights in schools. write your congress person.

that is partly why the disabled community has such a hard time. crap steroetypes get passed down to kids over and over.

Posted on: Mon, Jan 25 2010 2:23 PM

Posted by: mcjane Posts: 1,291

CBR....great story!

Posted on: Wed, Jan 27 2010 1:15 PM

Posted by: swan Posts: 235

Well, I'm in a wheelchair and on oxygen 24/7 and I guess I get stares, I don't really notice but when kids ask - and they do - I'm very approachable - grandmotherly type - I just take the tube out of my nose and wave it around and show them it's just air and tell them I just need some extra air. That seems to make it perfectly all right - nothing wierd about air. They usually think the chair is really cool - no questions there!

 My problem is the risk of getting run down in the road. In that way I DO want to be noticed. . . swan . . . .

Posted on: Mon, Feb 1 2010 3:39 PM

Posted by: exsnowskier56 Posts: 125

Hello,

Well I've been away from this "hotel" for awhile so I'am "checking in".

About 7 1/2 years ago already now, I was walking down the sidewalk by the cars in the apartment complex parking lot and these two boys asked me if I was drunk. I said no, I said I have nerve damage in my legs causing me to walk this way. Kids and adults alike see a person walk such as I described and they just assumed that this person is drunk. Society in general terms is just "wet behind the ears" to various kinds of medical reasons that in mine scenario that took place years ago. Most kids don't even know what is peripheral neuropathy let alone circumstancially what I have is Sarcoid Sensory Polyneuropathy. Here at Disaboom there was only one person that stated before that they have Sarcoidosis of several thousand that have had or do now have "residence" at this "hotel" (subscribe to Disaboom).

Okay, I have thoughts time to time to say certain things to my family members and just "let things go". Now this is a different line of thinking here but using the same topic heading. Maybe it's okay to "vereer" off this direction then again I shouldn't. I'am collecting Social Security Medical Disability now like alot if not most who have subscribed to Disaboom. Most of my back amount has vanished except about $300. something dollars out of original $32,000. plus dollars. Just a long story. In between this fisacal mess I was going to get a divorce, reconciled wife the wifee', and back on to proceeding to get a divorce again. I have past bad credit and living in hotel now that is eating up my money plus that money pit car as well. After sinking money into repairs, I have presently of the heater isn't producing heat at times. Heater Core or that stupid thermostat bad again, I don't know. Now the way it is, if I didn't have this present problem and divorced I'd be leaving this state to drive cross county to like Seattle and live there for the rest of my life and not see, write, call any of my relatives.

Bye now,

Gary