I recieve tremendous support from everyone I'm around on a daily basis. 8 out of the 10 full time professors in my dept have either extensively worked w/PWDs, done peer reviewed research about PWDs, and/or have at least 1 PWD in either their family of origin or procreation (even if it is something "nontraditional" like cancer). Chances are that the other 2 do too and I just don't know about it. When I need an accomodation, I get it, no questions asked. When I don't know what it is that I need, they are the ones who initiate figuring out what it might be. They're pretty good at it (even if I'd rather not listen to what it is they came up with).
All of my close friends are multiply disabled as I am, and are either finishing up their undergrad degrees, in their first year of grad school, or are in their first year working post-masters degree. Last night I had a conversation with one friend about our sensory stim needs and talked with another about voice intonation and some such thing. Sometimes I have conversations with friends about medications. A friend with CP decided to stop at target on her way home from work yesterday. She also decided to walk home from there. It's a 2 sec car ride but it took her 40mins on foot. It would probably take me 30mins. She had a heavy backpack with her in addition to what she went there to buy (was she crazy???). I know EXACTLY how she felt when she walked in the door. The only way you know what that kind of exhaustion feels like is to experiance it yourself. It's not something that can be explained. I surely can emphasize with her. I know exactly why she did it without ever having to ask. If it was me I would have done the exact same crazy thing in a heartbeat, knowing fully well just how crazy it was.
It's a wonderful feeling to be in an environment where everyone "gets" me. I say "gets" because no one gets me entirely. Yesterday was the 3rd annual Blogging Against Disablism Day hosted at Diary of a Goldfish. Stumbling upon last year's BADD inspired me to start this blog. Reading BADD posts lights a fire within me. It provides me with a level of comfort that I'm not sure I can clearly articulate in words. Sometimes I feel more connected to those in the blogsphere then anyone else. My friends and professors are not activists. Fighting the good fight is on a whole other plane then just having first hand experiance with/as a PWDs. I have such a strong driving force behind me, and knowing that so many of you do too is what brings me that comfort. I always know that I'm not alone, but it never hurts to have that reinforced.
The official BADD directory is long and very extensive. I hope to read through every post and comment here about my favorites, but it's the end of the semester, so that isn't going to happen anytime soon. What I thought I'd do is link other disaboomer's posts below so that they are all in one spot and don't get lost in the shuffle. If you're a disaboomer and posted on your offsite blog, please comment. I'd still like to link you.
In alphabetical order:
Attila the Mom (on her offsite blog): Little Pitchers Have Big Ears
CherylBeryl (the official post): Focus on Your Needs: BADD 2008
CherylBeryl (the unofficial post): Tiny Tims & Supercrips
Nightengale: Anyone Else Doing Blogging Against Disablism Day?
Veralidaine: Why Disablism is Your Problem, My Problem, and Everyone's Problem
Vicki (a slightly late post): 5 Ways the Internet is Important to Me
Happy reading!
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