I Can't Post One Without the Other

From The Maryland Reporter April 5, 2010. Somehow it never got posted here.

Disability Advocates Demonstrate for Tax Hike

A small group of people with developmental disabilities demonstrated in the State House lobby Monday night, chanting “10 cents makes sense.”

The group was frustrated with failure to pass a major hike in the alcohol tax to help pay for services for the disabled. Alcohol taxes, now about a penny a drink, have not been raised in more than 30 years.

Senate President Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael Busch have said for months that the legislature would enact no tax increases of any kind this year.

At the end of the video, Sgt. Larry Barnes, a state trooper who is the sergeant-at-arms for the House, told the group to quiet down, but he promised to try to get them in to see Busch and Miller. According to Busch’s office, the speaker later went out to meet with the group, but they had already left the building.

Small Group Protests Over Possible Medicaid Cuts

From Brian Witte, AP, January 17 2011 Photo & Video from WBAL Radio.

Disabled Maryland residents called on the governor on Monday to avoid budget cuts to Medicaid that they fear could seriously damage community-based support services.

About 10 people held a brief rally in front of the marble staircase that leads to Gov. Martin O'Malley's office inside the Maryland State House, down the hall from the Maryland House of Delegates and the Maryland Senate. The state is facing a $1.6 billion shortfall for the next fiscal year. The rally was held four days before O'Malley is scheduled to disclose a budget proposal he says will fill the hole entirely with cuts.

The participants chanted: "We want O'Malley," "Don't cut our services" and "I'd rather go to jail than die in a nursing home" during a protest that lasted about 10 minutes. Participants are members of a grass roots disability rights activist group called Maryland ADAPT. They say Medicaid cuts could force disabled people from communities into institutions.

"We wanted to come out and share our concerns about what may possibly happen," said Floyd Hartley, who spent three years in a nursing home before finding out about a Medicaid program that enabled him to move to a home setting. "We're hoping that they don't happen, but we're here to interject to the governor that these cuts can be detrimental to many individuals within the state."

Few people were in the building at the time of the rally. Lawmakers are not scheduled to gather for session until 8 p.m. O'Malley was in Baltimore commemorating the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. national holiday and volunteering at several events marking a day of service.

O'Malley, a Democrat, has emphasized that his proposal will be the beginning of a dialogue with the Maryland General Assembly about how to handle what is expected to be a difficult budget year due to the evaporation of federal stimulus money that helped the last two years.

O'Malley has said he will keep an open mind about any new tax proposals, but he has said he will not include any tax increases.

The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene made up about $8.9 billion of the state's budget last year. About 70 percent of that is in the Medicaid program, which comes with a large match in federal funding and provides services to about 1 million people in the state.

O'Malley is scheduled to make his budget proposal public on Friday.

The article appeared in the following places. One of these days I'll link to everything.

WTOP - Baltimore Sun - Bloomberg News - Delaware Online - Forbes - Connecticut Post - MSNBC Business - Canadian Business - Business Week - Yahoo Finance - Greenfield Daily Reporter - Darien News - Daily Finance - WUSA - WJZ - WBAL Radio - Times Union - Beaumont Enterprise - The Star Democrat - Greenwich Time - Delmarva Now - News Times - Stamford Advocate - Daily Journal - The Republic - ABC 27 - MD Daily Record - Frederick News Post - Cecil Whig - WBOC TV - Media Dis&Dat Blog - WBFF - WAMU - Fox5DC - CNBC - Pharmacy Choice - Maryland Reporter

What will we be up to next? Just wait and see...

A Roundup

First, Some blogs

Big Noise was briefly on my blogroll, but Cilla was never posting. Apparently she got inspired by Mike. Keep a look out. She may be back on soon if she keeps this up.

Through Networked Blogs on Facebook (here is Uppity Crip's page) I found Sasha is a Monster. Looks interesting. She's Jewish, in her 20s and has BP II. Remind you a little of anyone?

I also somehow recently came across Love on Wheelz. Google Love on Wheels and you come up with other stuff. The title of the latest post is offensive, but the writing is good.

I also recently rediscovered Deeply Problematic, good if you ever want to read blog posts that make you think. If you like thinking about the intersection of feminsm and disability that is.

Next, A Blog Post

Of course it's by Therese:

Alas, I came to the end of the day with some successes, and I realized that it's definitely not the noteworthy achievements that should be celebrated if you are, like me, impaired by bad brain chemistry. It's the days where you choose over and over again to get well, even though the other side is beckoning you to sleep in, eat pizza and ice cream, skip the exercise, and blow off work.

Then, Some Articles

A few weeks ago Emma posted that she had an article (a really good one) published in Disability Now. Read People Say the Strangest Things. I also found other great articles on DN:

As someone who uses a wheelchair and is interested in human services, I was really interested in Facing out the Elephant. Other good Mental Health related articles are Questions of Balance: Work and Mental Health and Trisha Talking the Talk, both of which have made PINT apperiances on this blog.

I can't finish with DN without mentioning their article about the current goings on of DAN, ADAPT's counterpart in England. Read Direct Action! Life on the Streets. I find DN so much better and to have so much more of a wealth of stories then New Mobility, the closest US counterpart I can think of. Oh, yes, DN has work by Americans too. There's Coming to Terms by NYLN's Betsy Valnes.

Lastly, an article in Monday's Baltimore Sun State Health Chief Pledges to Safeguard Public Mental Health Dollars

Lawyer Takes on Psychiatric Industry For Over-Prescribing to Foster Children

Speaking of Zyprexa... I have a friend, who took it as an adult, who had a MASSIVE heart attack and has serious diabetes from taking that. Which is why I am seriously cautious about anything that's been out for less then 5 years...

Also, Monday I spent way too much time online and stumbled across some articles on childhood bipolar. When is childhood bipolar no longer childhood bipolar and is just bipolar? Anyone know? Because I really wish I was diagnosed at 15 and not 22 (lot of years in between there), not that it matters what it's called though... *end tangent*

from babble.com Are More Kids Bipolar? That article links to articles from the New York Times and Slate, all good reads.

On Work & Disability

From the article Questions of Balance: Work and Mental Health

I Think I'll be Buying Some Friends Some Flowers

From an article on Disability Now

Today Is World Suicide Prevention Day

I signed up to write over at BloggersUnite (that's the page for the swarm) and then decided that what I want to write about is best suited for Mental Illness Awareness Week next month.

Today is World Suicide Prevention Day sponsored by the world health organization and the International Association for Suicide Prevention. On the event description page the UN states that

On average, almost 3000 people commit suicide daily. For every person who completes a suicide, 20 or more may attempt to end their lives.

I think that it is nice to have a worldwide statistic for once as opposed to just a US statistic as suicide is a global issue. I wonder, the same as everyone knows at least one person with a diabetes and/or cancer diagnosis if everyone also knows at least one person who has attempted / committed suicide. I wouldn't be surprised, although I think my view is skewed based upon the fact that I met the largest chunk of my current friends through a DBSA affiliated support group. I know someone who committed suicide, as do all the people who have been coming to this group since before 2010.

It's unfortunate that this death has had the level of impact it has on me. My life has changed for the better this year, as evidenced by yesterday's post, and this is due in part to how the suicide affected me and those around me. I'd rather the person still be alive of course, as I imagine they would be a huge source of support for me, and I could have been for them had they let me in.

Let me tell you this:

No matter how alone you feel you are in this world, no matter how much you feel like things won't get better, they can and they will. There ARE people who will miss you. If this person had known the impact they had on everyone around them I'm 125% certain they wouldn't have done it. People don't often tell others what their positive impacts are, and that's unfortunate, as I'm sure just this act would reduce suicide rates drastically.

If your support system is dismal, I suggest you click on the link above and see if there is a DBSA affiliated group in your area. It could be a life saver.

Facts About Mental Illness

[Source: Medical Assistant]

A Guest Post on Seclusion & Restraint

My friend wrote this recently and wanted me to share her experiences in order to bring greater awareness about seclusion and restraint. She was pretty much incarcerated in a psych hospital for a year over 2 decades ago. You would hope things were better, wouldn't you? But things like this still go on in developed nations today.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She couldn’t comprehend the hospital’s rules. She went into her bedroom to escape the racket of people crackling, shoes squeaking, Bob Barker barking from the T.V. set, and the fax shrilly ringing. The noise hurt her ears. The next thing she knew a crowd of men stormed her room. Pinning her limbs behind her back they carried her kicking and screaming to a dirty, barren room. Unceremoniously they dumped her on a gym mat, rushed out and locked the door.

She was bewildered as to why they would play a trick on her. She panicked even more because the walls were closing in on her. Banging on the door she screamed in vain to be freed.

She thought they wanted her to do gymnastics on the gym mat. After several handsprings she found instead the men surged back in. She fought them tooth and nail, but was overpowered. They forced her on a table and tied her in four point restraints. Outnumbered, but not defeated she escaped twice, shouting gleefully she was the great Houdini reincarnate. She thought surely her cleverness would win her release. Each time they tied the leather tighter until she was truly trapped.

She thought that if she peed on herself they would set her free. They just took her gown and underwear away. She laid naked and spread eagle for all to see.

After a time her terror grew so great that she forgot where she was. She forgot she was in restraints.

A great epidemic had swept the nation. She was contagious and in isolation, paralyzed and dying, in desperate need of someone to hold her hand and comfort her, to tell her she was not alone. A worried nurse peeked in the window in the door, but didn’t stop. Because of the epidemic the staff shortage was severe. They too were dying.

When she passed her soul entered a soft green space. She watched it shine and ascend toward Heaven. Before entering Heaven’s gate her soul was examined and found wanting. She crashed into the depths of Hell.

Later her doctor came to visit. She stretched her hand as far as she could reach to touch his hand. He stepped back quickly so as not to touch her. She hurt.

Three weeks later she left seclusion. The other patients were afraid of her. Her moans and screams of pain had echoed through the halls at night and sounded animal, not human.

I wish someone would have thought to hold my hand.

On Recovery

If you haven't noticed by now, I spend a lot of time thinking about words and what they mean and how they are used. On Our On operates Wellness & Recovery centers. I HATE those words, to me they bring forth an image of illness. But I've had nothing better for recovery. I make a point of saying I have "psyc issues," a "psychiatric disability," or a "psychiatric diagnosis," depending on the day and what I feel like, and stay far away from mental health/illness. I won't call CP a developmental disability (DD), not because I am offended by the term, but because I just feel it's too vague of a term to have any purposeful meaning. I like the label of consumer, although a lot of my friends despise it. I grapple with knowing when I am in a setting where I could get myself in trouble for not using people first language and when I can be comfortable and free to slip into "crip" and "spaz." I generally prefer shrink to therapist, although I am ok with psychiatrist--social worker sounds awkward and how many people know off hand what LCSW means?

The thing is, I like the concept of recovery, fully embrace the general meaning, and feel like I could be on the path to achieving it. It's just that I don't like being associated with the substance abuse world. I don't use DD because I feel the need to differentiate, same thing here. This lack of alternative terminology has left me feeling awkward.

BUT I'VE FINALLY GOT IT!

I've been spending a lot of time over the last 2 months or so thinking about my mom's cancer. She's approaching 10 years post-diagnosis, and well, had cancer for some time before diagnosis, so it's been 10+ years. She has had cancer every single day for 10+ years. Who has cancer for OVER A DECADE? People deal with cancer for long periods of time, but they go in and out of remission. Or they don't. They die. After a lot sooner then a decade. She's never had a remission.

Which brings me to the topic of remission vs recovery. People don't generally recover from or are cured of cancer. Doctors are very hesitant to use those words because of the high probability of a relapse or an occurrence of a secondary cancer stemming from the side effects of the chemo or what not that got you into remission from the primary cancer in the first place. They wait years and are very cautious.

So I've decided I'd like to say one day (whenever that is) that my bipolar is in remission*. It acknowledges the very real fact that my symptoms will come back, but that I am/have been symptom free for a significant period of time. Unlike cerebral palsy, I do believe that it is possible to manage bipolar to the point where my symptoms become dormant (I hope that when they do come back they don't reappear with the force of a volcano). It's something to strive for, to hope for, to confidently reach for. A challenging but attainable goal.

*I realize I'm contradicting myself when I say I'm trying to differentiate by not using DD or recovery, and then gravitate towards another word already associated with something else. But I still feel it's a clearer definition. Oh, and I'm still undecided on how I feel about the term "symptomatic."

Hurtful Words Part 1

Something came up in class yesterday that brought up one of the most hurt situations I have ever experienced. This happened roughly 5 months ago, and at the time I had opted not to make it public on the internet. You have to be careful what you put out on a a non-passworded blog, even though I choose not to divulge my last name and thus am not googable by my name (I check every so often). I have not thought about it since the incident because I think it is poinless to ruminate on a person who will never change.

In class I said something ultra brief but then decided to send an email to this professor, whom I trust, going into great detail. This time I am choosing to post it here, as I would appreciate multiple opinions, and also thought this is perfect of BADD.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The second time I took psyc 403 [child psychology], my adjunct professor (a full time school psychologist who adopted a son years ago who has significant psychological disabilities) started in on how Drs are keeping premature babies alive earlier and earlier. In doing so they are taking advantage of parent's vulnerability, he says, for their own personal professional gain (so that they can publish the case study) and NOT looking out for the best interest of the child. He also believes that if there becomes prenatal testing for psychiatric disabilities it should become the norm to perform preimplantation genetic diagnosis. Society would be saving those babies from a life of constant suffering, not just physically, but because of how pervasive ableism (he didn't use that word) is in this society. Forget about working to change society, just kill off those people. Reintroduce eugenics [my interpretation, not his wording].

I was sitting in my chair in class that day. It was very unprofessional for him to use those words and in hindsight I wish I'd gone to the psyc dept chair. I was too depressed to figure that out at the time. Do you think it is too late? Offensive language can come in many forms and and this is much more hurtful to me then calling me a cripple, invalid, spaz, retard, a wheelchair (what, am I not a person?). 0-60 in 10secs flat.

My interpretation of what he said is that I shouldn't have been sitting in that room; that I have nothing valuable to contribute to society; that my parents should have killed me off; that people like me and his son should have been aborted. I mean, really, I have a double curse if you want to view me that way.

My life is certainly hard, but so are a lot of other people's. I asked him if he had also adopted a typical son would he love that one more? He said that he had not said that babies should be aborted or that he does not love his son [he didn't] and that I went too far in assessing what he had said. How could I not have? I'm not going to change his opinion, some people are beyond help, but people in these types of professions [professors] should know when to keep their mouth shut. I almost feel like I should address this issue now, but I almost feel like 5 months later the moment has passed... Should I?

Part 2

Hope & Recovery

Monday I stopped by Susan's blog and found out that Hopeworks Community, a blog that is new to me, posted a Voices of Recovery series that is great and worth checking out, so I thought I would give them a plug! Go over there! Now! :)

Fact Sheet on The Lorraine Sheehan Health and Community Services Act of 2010

I've been meaning to post facts about the alcohol tax increase bill making its way through the Maryland legislature and it just dawned on me that I could upload this word doc onto my blog through scribd. Feel free to print and distribute. The number of organizations involved is WAY out of date. my friend tells me that the list is now over 70.

FYI the hearing dates are Wednesday, March 10th at 1pm in the Miller Senate Office Building, 3 West Wing 11 Bladen St., Annapolis MD 21401 and Thursday, March 11th at 1pm in the House Office Building, Room 131 6 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401

Please comment here if you would like more info.

Fact Sheet - Feb 5 2010

NCADD Poll Release

Poll Memo Alcohol Tax 3.1.10

Always Carry Your Card While You're Out with Your Flair

So I was heading out to On Our Own last Friday (which turned out better then expected) and I stepped onto the elevator. A woman was already on, I'm guessing about 28, and oddly enough I just got this vibe from her. I only speak with 4 people who live in my building and sort of know 3 others. This building has 19 floors. A person could always use more friends, and hey, she's my age-ish. Should I say hi? I couldn't tell if she was eying the buttons on my purse or her hands that she was rubbing lotion on. Part way down she looks at me, "Tell me about your button."

"Which one?"

"Human Rights in Mental Health."

I told her very briefly that $17 million have already been cut from the state mental health budget and I'm part of a group that is going to Annapolis on the 20th to talk to the legislature to try to get them not to cut anymore. She used to work with kids in mental health she said, was really interested, and actually wanted my number, as she was on her way out. So I reached into my purse and grabbed my card. Told her my email is wrong but the number is right. I am so glad I always have some in the pocket on the outside of my wallet!

[the picture of 6 cartoonish silhouetted people in various colors, the one on the far left in a wheelchair, is on my card. Not what I'd prefer, but there is so little disability clipart out there.]

I tend to be awkward at starting conversations / have trouble knowing how to be appropriate with my activist ramblings. Social cues aren't my speciality. Buttons. Who woulda thunk it? She has my name because it's on my card, I just wish I'd gotten her name. :-( I also wish I'd given the grocery store cashier my card. Didn't think of it and I haven't seen her...

Anyway I hope this person does call me (she hasn't yet) and I hope she'll drive. I HATE TAKING PARATRANSIT TO ANNAPOLIS, especially on Wednesdays.

Have YOU Written the Governor Yet?

I wrote mine on some old bright ORANGE (If you're an ADAPTer, you'll get it) personalized stationary that I found so that it will STAND OUT. Remember, the Governor's address is:

100 State Circle
Annapolis, MD 21401-1925

Here is my letter (I hope he can read my messy cursive):

Governor O'Malley:

I am writing in response to the current budget crisis. I understand that some tough decisions need to be made in this economy but you must look CAREFULLY at every cut you make. Between March and November over $17 million have been cut to the MHA budget for community services with little to no funding cuts to state inpatient facilities. As mental health consumer I am writing to beg you not to cut funding any further as it has been well established that appropriate community supports can stabilize psychiatric symptoms better then institutional settings.

Not only are community services more effective, they are also CHEAPER. The cost per person per year in a state psychiatric facility can be over $200,000 while the statics I received state that services through a wellness and recovery center is about $1000 per person per year. I estimate though that the wellness and recovery center I attend twice a week operates at about $200 per person per year while providing a level of acceptance, friendship, & support higher then with any other service I have tried over the last 14 years. There have been plenty of times over the last 6 months where seeing friends I have met through the Towson On Our Own center was my only motivation to leave my apartment.

It has been my experience that the programs with the least funding supports are the first to have their funding pulled. Keeping programs such as these operational will keep people moving & motivated during these tough economic times. I can't imagine what could happen to me should this support disappear and I worry about people who are uninsured that use wellness and recovery centers as their only resource in dealing with their psychiatric issues.

I urge you Governor to be fiscally responsible and supportive of the citizens of Maryland by not further cutting funds for community mental health services.









Cheryl *censored*


The next letter I need to write is to Senator Mikulski to thank her for sponsoring Rosa's law. She is my Senator after all. I've been meaning to write this for over a month, however I don't have all the info I need in order to write it. I want to get in EVERYTHING. I want to write 'hey, thanks so much for sponsoring Rosa's Law & supporting disability rights, you could really show your support if you signed onto...'

Someone help me with the bills I need please. I know the Community Choice Act and I know the CLASS Act and the Community First Choice Option, but what else? Isn't there a restraint and seclusion law? What am I missing?

More Button Experiances

I'm starting to feel like Eva, although I don't have a camera hidden on my chair :-)

It's a weird feeling to realize that someone is staring at you without actually staring at you. I'll get used to it one of these days. Yesterday in the elevator at the mall I noticed a group of adults with intellectual disabilities being herded around (link to Ashley's Mom, and oddly enough in my case as well the caretakers were african american women). We all squished into the elevator to go down from the 3rd to 2nd floor. All of a sudden I noticed a caretaker that was next to me staring at my lap. OH! MY BUTTONS! I realized. I moved my arm so she could get a better look. Logically that's what I do now when someone's staring at my lap. I move my left arm out of the way and/or readjust my purse so that the person can get a better look. This person didn't ask any questions or make any remarks. We got out of the elevator and I went on my way.

I rearranged my flair after I got a new button at the Action Annapolis meeting Tuesday. It's yellow and black and says "HUMAN RIGHTS in MENTAL HEALTH." This evening I was fumbling with my purse looking for my debit card so I could pay for my groceries and the cashier says "I like that button; human rights in mental health."

So I told her about the rally and we briefly spoke about the budget cuts. Then I had to sign my receipt and she says ever so randomly "You know they used to beat people who were left handed." [fun fact for the day, 90-something percent of all people with CP are left handed] I replied that they used to tie that hand behind your back, and then asked her if she was a psych major. Who else would be that engaged? "That," she said "and I have both personal and professional experience." I don't remember if I said anything but I gave her an 'I hear ya sista' nod. As she was handing me my bags she said "It's so expensive, and I even have insurance." That of course got another nod from me as well as a "yeah..." in an 'I hear ya sista' tone. As I rolled away I told her the date and time of the rally, but really, how many people are getting up that early to schlep to Annapolis? She told me to tell her how it goes, and hopefully our paths will cross again so that I can. I don't know her shifts. But if we do, I think I'll invite her to On Our Own.

It's nice to really connect with people, and who knew all you needed was a button (or 6)? A guy even stopped me in the lobby on the way back up here...

Write the Governor! Now!

Tuesday I went to an event sponsored by On Our Own Maryland and MDLC. It was a kick off event for Action Annapolis (AA), a lobbying / policy educating day / rally which will be held January 20th (a Wednesday). We will be meeting in the Miller Senate office building (11 Bladen St) at 9:00am. If you would like more info just post a comment to this and I will point you to the right people.

Prior to AA day we would like people to bombard the Governor with letters. You see we are still in a huge budget deficit and unlike most states the Governor has full say on all budget matters. The legislature can strongly suggest that such and such be done, but ultimately he has the power to say "the hell with you" if he wants to and go rogue. Below is a handy letter writing prompt that was given out at the meeting. I suggest that the letters be hand written on brightly colored stationary. This really stands out in the pile. Who writes anything handwritten nowadays? I wish I remembered the statistic on how much more attention those letters receive as opposed to emailed form letters. It's a lot.

Tips On Drafting & Submitting a Letter to the Governor about the Mental Hygiene Administration (MHA) Budget

(sample letter)

Send Letters to:

The Honorable Martin O’Malley

100 State Circle
Annapolis, Maryland
21401-1925

*NOTE: the letter should NOT be longer than 2-pages (typed single-sided).

Below is an example of a sample letter:

*Sample Letter*

The Honorable Martin O’Malley

Chairman of Senate Committee on Finance
100 State Circle
Annapolis, Maryland
21401-1925

Re: Requesting No Cuts to Community Mental Health Services

Dear Governor O’Malley:

• First say: “I am writing this letter as a mental health consumer / advocate / family member. I am requesting that no further cuts be made to mental health community services. If cuts must be made, then please make cuts to MHA inpatient facilities instead of community services . . .”

• Then, explain why mental health community services are important. Talk about your personal experiences receiving mental health community services. For example, you can discuss how these community services are recovery-oriented. You can also mention how essential/important community services are to your recovery. If you experienced difficulty obtaining community services, you can talk about how under-funded they are now and how important it is that more funding is not cut from vital community mental health services.

• If you are recommending that funding for MHA inpatient facilities should be cut over community services, you can talk about your personal experiences in psychiatric facilities. If you were treated poorly in state facilities or if your rights were violated, etc., you can speak specifically about your experiences in these facilities and how inpatient facilities do not promote recovery.

Sincerely,

(your name)
(your address)

Human Rights

[image to the left says EVERY HUMAN HAS RIGHTS]

This post is a continuation of yesterday's, in fact I was thinking of just going on about it in that post, but I decided it was a separate topic.

So that march I went to on Sunday, the march started 1hr after it was supposed to. Plus, Going from Baltimore to DC on the weekend using public transit takes 3hrs each way. Needless to say, there was a lot of time to talk.

What did we talk about? We talked about human rights without ever really using the term "human rights." We talked about the "DD world," the "LGBT movement," and the "consumer movement" (mental health)

• We talked about how the DD world has it together way more than the consumer movement (at least here and mostly in terms of legislative POWER).
  
• I brought up "mad pride" and how that seems very new, although I know nothing about it really.
  
• She talked about the LGBT movement and how people are afraid to associate with the consumer movement because people still conceive LGBT as being a "mental illness" and it is not. They want to get far away from it.
  
• I talked about how I wondered why On Our Own isn't part of the Cross Disability Rights Coalition when psyc issues are disabilities? Plenty of people are on SSI/SSDI and medicaid because of them. CDRC is comprised of People on the Go and ADAPT. I was told that when it was formed the "DD folk" wanted to stay away from the "psyc peeps" because people often assume that they have psyc issues and they do not.
• She said that from what she's seen it goes both ways. Some people in the consumer movement don't want to hang out with DD folk because people think they have a DD.

I've tried to get people involved in CDRC and I've gotten the impression that they don't consider their issues disabilities (even people on medicaid/SSI/SSDI). They don't seem to care what disability, it's not specifically DD that is getting to people, it just seems like they think disability issues aren't their issues. My roommate seems to think that LGBT issues aren't my issues. Well I've got news--THEY'RE EVERYBODY'S ISSUES.

We couldn't really hear anyone at the rally, so we left early, but the little I got was that employment discrimination (specifically 'don't ask don't tell') and feeling like a second class citizen are big things. I know I've written on here about feeling like a second class citizen and I'm pretty sure I've written about the fact that 70% of PWD 18-64 who can and want to work are unemployed in the US (WAIT! I did, and it was in a post bout psyc issues. See... cross-issue) A lot of PWD can't get married, very similarly to LGBT. If they get married they lose their services--their SSI, their health insurance, their attendant care, things that they need to survive. I told my friend that the aging community was involved in COMMUNITY NOW as well as the disability community. There isn't anything different about their imprisonment. She wonders why more things can't be like that. Why people stay in their silos. So do I.

The picture below was taken on Sunday in Atlanta. The man in the picture is within the grounds of the nursing home where he lives--THAT IS SURROUNDED BY BARBED WIRE. These are HUMAN ISSUES. No one should have to live like that.

Power is Sexy and...

Action is HOT!

[image description right: a picture of a sticker on my knee from the national gay and lesbian task force. It says "ACTION IS HOT." I wish I'd managed to get a "POWER IS SEXY" one]

This week ADAPT is in Atlanta fighting for "COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS, NOT INSTITUTIONS!" I wish I was there. I wish I was chanting along with everyone while Randy, Anita, and Dallas lead while marching past Ebenezer Baptist Church (Home of Martin Luther King Jr). I wish I was there to hear Sue Jamison and Lois Curtis of the Olmstead Case. I wish I was there to meet Dolores and sing Happy Birthday to her. It is indeed a very HAPPY birthday for Dolores -- her first one on the outside after being institutionalized for 43 years. I wish I was there to invade the Georgia state capital building right now as I am writing this.

[image description left: Sue Jamison, lawyer in the Olmstead case speaks to ADAPT with a sign language interpreter (?) to her right image description right: HAPPY birthday Dolores!!!]

But I am NOT down in Atlanta; I am here at home in Baltimore and I am missing my brothers and sisters terribly.

says you: If you are not there how do you know?
says me: TWITTER.

As luck would have it, on Thursday, the Disability Policy Collaboration was lobbying congress for the Community First Choice Option and the CLASS act. ADAPT couldn't be there, some were already down in Atlanta, so another Maryland ADAPTer and I attempted to go down. It made me feel better about not going. We felt like we were doing our part. But of course there was a big transportation SNAFUBAR and that didn't happen.

BUT... as I was lamenting on Friday someone I haven't known all that long realized I was an activist and came over. She's an activist. She's involved a little in the LGBT movement and the consumer movement (mental health) and has worked some in the DD world. She wanted to know if I wanted to go to the National Equality March in DC yesterday.

says my roomate: But you're not gay...
says me: So... My friend is Bi and I'm down with it.

Again, it was my opportunity to do my part, even if it was a different movement (hence the sticker). She hadn't heard about the Town Hall/Mixer for the LGBT and disabled community. We both wanted to go, weren't able to figure out the logistics. So we went to the march/rally. What was cool was that I was marching in DC at the very same time ADAPT was marching through the streets in Atlanta and I was checking my twitter txts all along the way. We were playing drums when they were playing drums! It wasn't the same though. I don't know if it was because they weren't my people so I didn't have the same feelings or it really wasn't as good. My friend thought it was just ok too. There wasn't any energy. As one "march"er said, "We're not marching, we're strolling."

I wore my teal/purple ADAPT shirt with my solid long sleeve orange shirt underneath and a borrowed ADAPT zip up hoodie hoping someone would ask questions and no one did. Should I have started shouting "COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS, NOT INSTITUTIONS?" That would have gotten me attention :-)

Thankful Thursday PSA

"Everyone has friends. There's online friends; friends to go out with on a Saturday night; friends to hang out with and do nothing; friends who show up on moving day; and then there are the friends who will be there if someone is dealing with a mental illness. Are you one of those friends?"

I saw this on TV over the weekend and just had to share. I find it even more powerful then the other one. Little did I know (found out on youtube) that it is 2 years old. I'm lucky enough (and thankful) to have 3 good friends that still make me get dressed and drag me out when it comes to it, but many people don't even have one. What will you do?

I Think This Video Speaks for Itself.... VERY POWERFUL