It's The End of Disability Awareness Month

Wendy On Wheels just looks GREAT! Anyone read it yet? Thanks AZ for posting!

Top 25: My 500th post

It's my 500th post. We're 6 weeks shy of my 3rd blogiversary, something I probably won't commemorate, because I'm doing it now. I noticed 2 weeks ago that blogger now has a feature to display your top posts (up to 10) on your sidebar. I almost did, but then I realized that those are not my top 10 posts, although I think 2 are listed below. They're the top 10 most likely to be clicked on through a google search and then clicked off. Not ones people stick around to read. So, I've decided in honor of my 750th post (I'm planning ahead) I'm going to list my top 75 posts. They're all very personal to me and emotionally charged.

This first group will be my top 25 posts from December 2007 - September 2009. My next group, posted in April on the date of my 600th post, will be my top 25 posts from October 2009 - October 2010. My last group of 25 posts will of course be posted as my 750th post, In December 2011, and will contain my top 25 posts from November 2010 - December 2011.


So now here is the list, from oldest to newest...

What Does Disability Mean to Me? (my first real post) December 2007

I was getting ready to get in the shower when a seemingly random train of thought interrupted the mindless spacing out I engage in several times a day. I think I like myself better (at least somewhat) ...

What Does Bowling Have in Common with Art? December 2007

I have CP. In addition to the fact that I can't walk fast and that people can hear me coming from a mile away because I'm so heavy on my feet, or the fact that I seem to be incapable of eating like a ...

Label Jars? December 2007

I'm home alone with nothing to do (other then trying to locate the spare pair of sneekers I keep here), so I thought I would write an early blog post. The above picture appeared both on the slide for ...

Medications January 2008

I have written previously about my recent sleep problems. They haven't gotten any better and I've decided that I just do not want to be doing what I've been doing--sleeping pills. I agreed to try sleeping ...

Why Aren't There Child Life Specialists for Adults? January 2008

If you are reading this blog and are under 30 (or are over 30 and got lucky) or are the parent of a child with a disability that requires hospitalizations you have hopefully met a child life specialist ...

I'm Tired February 2008 (I'm so glad I don't feel like that anymore, but at the time I thought it was the most powerful thing I'd ever written)

I’m tired of being tired
I’m tired of having to fight all the time
I’m tired of having to struggle
I’m tired of not being in control
I’m tired of trying to be in control
I’m tired of being patronized
I’m ...

Tiny Tims & Supercrips March 2008

"It's always been my belief that media images of disability cause the disability community some of its most serious and persistent problems..." ~Prof Beth Haller [of media dis&dat]

Images of disabled people being depicted ...

Focus on Your Needs: BADD 2008 April/May 2008

If this is the first time that you have had a visit to my blog, I'd like to extend a big welcome. I hope you'll look around some more. For this year's Blogging Against Disablism Day (my very first), I ...

My Blog is Group Therapy July 2008

I got to this article randomly last night through a combination of allpost & the Disability Blog Carnival – which I am hosting right here in just over a month. Topic chosen, but under lock and key ...

SEX: The Elephant in the Room July 2008

Over the last 8 months that I have been blogging here there has been a fair amount of discussion on sex, as there should be. Everyone loves good sex, don't they? But no one ever wants to talk about sex ...

The Worst Words August 2008

Often what you write is inspired by what you read out in the blogshpere, as is the case with this post. I've been trying to catch up on my blog reading and I'd have to be living under a rock not to have ...

A Good Haircut... September 2008

seems to be all that I need to fall in love with myself.. For the last few years haircuts have put me in a rather good mood, but this time it seems to be particularly so. I'd been walking around for a ...

Congratulations to ME!!! October 2008

Friday is my one year anniversary!!!!!! One year anniversary of what you ask? The one year anniversary of when I finally decided to start taking my meds. This is the biggest deal to me since the first ...

Mental Illness: Illness or Chronic Condition? November 2008

I was lucky to get the chance to do a poster presentation yesterday (along w/faculty) at the Association of University Centers on Disability's annual conference. I'VE GOT MY MOJO BACK NOW! I'm currently ...

I'm Thankful November 2008

Well, it isn't thursday, but I'll be too busy to post on "thankful thursday." Some people wonder why my blog posts are so personal, so raw, why I'd open up my heart to perfect strangers. This blog is ...

Art: Something Else Therapeutic/My Blogiversary & 100th Post December 2008

Sometime in November I realized that I had written 93 posts and that I could time things perfectly to write my 100th post on my blogiversary. I have nothing really to say that I haven't already said ...

I Found a Guy and I Lost him. Or, It Isn't a Big Deal January 2009

So a long time ago I put my best friend's boyfriend on the task of finding me a date. 23 and I've never been on a date before. PATHETIC.

Fast forward to Sept, one weekend night. I get a call from a bar ...

My Testimony In Favor of HB281 February 2009 (This "law" passed on July 26, 2009 as an executive order by the Governor)

I mentioned in a previous post that I found out that a bill was being introduced into the Maryland Legislature in favor of Disability Rights/History education in schools. I wish I could have done a bit ..

What About ME!?!?! March 2009

I feel rather odd not having blogged for a whole entire week. I think I ODed on the whole blogging thing in Jan/Feb and I need a break, even though I wrote down a long list of things I want to blog ...

My Childhood was on TV Last Night March 2009

And I don't know how I feel about that. I have to sort my feelings out, and I don't know how. My shrink and I don't really do that.

It all started with Table for 12. A half hr Christmas episode. Eh. I'm ...

My Whole Life is a 'Happy Accident' April 2009

No, not one of those kind of accidents (I did say happy, didn't I?). [picture to the left is a car crash] And it wasn't an accident that I was born or that I have CP. No hospital negligence there. So ...

Ableism Where I'd Least Expect it: BADD 2009 May 2009

I was expecting to write another r-word post. There are some issues with the use of language that I am trying to understand. Like why it is OK to use crip/ple in certain circumstances but it is NEVER ...

AYS Day One Continued: Anger, Emotions & Anxiety June 2009

Some people might have noticed that I tend to pick one word, sentence, or phrase out of a whole long thing and burn it in my brain. I would look up a post and link to it, but my brain is tired and that's ...

The Book Jacket to my Memoir (Written in 2003) July 2009

For some odd reason I felt compelled to visit my geocities site that I started in the 7th grade and hasn't been touched in years. Good thing I did because it turns out that Yahoo is shutting geocities ...

Therapy (of the Mind Kind) September 2009

Yesterday I left a comment on this post at Everyone Needs Therapy. The post itself didn't lend to me commenting at all. I felt compelled to comment about people's comments. Start reading people's comments ...

I Didn't Mean I Needed Flowers...

But thanks Mom!
[confused? See here. I just liked the quote is all...]

An Easy to Follow Video on Health INSURANCE Reform

From the Kaiser Family Foundation

It's not healthCARE reform, but it's a good start. I'm all for it! Not in the mood to go off on an analysis of reform. Enough people already have...

The Pumpkin Outside of My Door (Not so Wordless)

I was in Michaels with a friend Sunday and these pumpkins were right in the front of the store, 60% off. I'm always low on $ at the end of the month, as is everybody else, but I couldn't resist for $5 and change. I knew I had end tables I haven't figured out what to do with. They are so light I carried it out to the hall with one hand. Forgot about the leaves I've had for years from a project I never did, until I got home and something jogged my memory. At which point I remembered the candy I found the night before on top of my fridge, reject from a friend who got them as a present last winter. I hope somebody likes them...

Makes me happy... :-D

I Think I'll be Buying Some Friends Some Flowers

From an article on Disability Now

On Being Hit On

I can't believe that in almost 3 years I have never written about this. The drunk men who have hit on me at karaoke bars and on the bus, the completely sober guy who hit on me while I was waiting for my ride outside the hospital I used to volunteer at, the numerous cab drivers, and the seriously manic group member. [for those of you who don't know, mania, in some cases, can make someone hypersexual. Frustratingly continuously aroused.] There was also the bus driver who would ask me inappropriate questions, but I'm not sure if he was actually hitting on me or not. I was a regular on that bus and the only one on the bus sometimes. Maybe he just wanted conversation?

Only once (or maybe twice, it's been awhile since I've gotten hit on at a bar, I've stopped going to bars) have I ever been brushed up against, by a drunk man on the bus at about 10am. This man then got off the bus at my stop and asked me out to lunch at McDonald's. I said "I'm going to work," and then sped up as fast as possible in my powerchair so that he couldn't catch up. It was the same day I got hit on by the manic guy -- a banner day for me. *end sarcasm*

Most recently, yesterday, I got hit on by a guy at 7-11. I'm not in the best mood and he looked at me (I did not make eye contact with him) And told me to smile. He said I looked like I have a very nice smile. I'm always flattered by it, even if the man is clearly not in his right mind, has no idea what is coming out of his mouth, which he cannot control, and which he would be embarrassed about if his meds were tweaked right. This guy was not manic or drunk. So I started to smile (still not making eye contact) and then decided not to give the skeevy guy any satisfaction. Or at least I tried not to -- I couldn't get my spastic muscles to wipe the half smile off my face quickly enough.

I'd like to think that men would still find me attractive even if they weren't drunk or manic. They just would have the sense of mind to keep their mouth shut about it. I'm not picking up a guy at 7-11, certainly will not give a cab driver my number, but yet these are the only men that have the courage, or the idiacy? to give it a shot. How much of it is because of my good looks, how much of it is that because of my disability these men think that I'll settle for anything? Because I'm "damaged." How much is the lack of interest by other men because of my disability, or is it my weirdness, me being intimidating because I heckle the president for fun? It's something to think about.

In the meantime though, I'll continue to smile to myself when the drunkards and the manic group members shamelessly hit on me, politely, or not so politely, turning them down. I have too much self-respect not to wait for the man who finds heckling the president with me to be a turn on. He's out there somewhere.

Whatever Happened to...

Christine of The Power of Housewife Word of Mouth? I have taken her off my blog roll to add a blog, Cracks in the Pavement, by my friends, fellow ADAPTers, who wanted to blog about the lives of a disabled engaged couple. Go check them out! They're CUTE! Christine hasn't blogged since January.

Whatever happened to Cheryl of Wishing and Discovering? She stopped publicly following me quite some time ago, but was still blogging. I clicked on her blog yesterday to say "Hi. How ya doin? You haven't blogged in awhile..." (2 months) and her blog is completely gone, as you can see. I never read her last post, was it a good bye post? I have taken her off my blog roll and added the brand spankin new blog, Smart Ass Cripple, by the ever more famous ADAPTer Mike Ervin. You can find both of these new blogs on my blogroll under the new section of "ADAPTers who Blog." (Joe if you don't start blogging again soon, I'm taking you down)

Lastly, whatever happened to the character Dr Gabriel Fife on Private Practice? As much as I like crip characters on TV who actually are honest to god cripples, he didn't really fit in with the cast. But was there a good bye episode for him that I've completely forgotten about, or did he just simply vanish?

Another Action Alert From NCIL: November Elections Critical to the Independent Living Movement

The November 2nd midterm elections are just a week away, and NCIL wants to remind all of our members to vote, and to make plans to help others vote. This crucial election will have a major impact on the type of legislation Congress will pass over the next two years, and it is important that America moves forward. In this volatile political climate we must be sure to press on, and continue to fight for change in the voting booth.

Hopefully many of you have taken advantage of your state’s early voting opportunities. For the rest of us, choosing to get up in the morning to cast a ballot will be one of the most important decisions we make all year.

Before he died, Justin Dart once said to “Get into politics as if your life depended upon it. It does. And the lives of all humans in the 21st Century... become a politician for empowerment in your living room, in your community...vote.” These words carry the same truth and significance as they did ten years ago. We are in a fight for our lives, and every bit of progress that we have made stands in the balance. In this new decade we will either lean forward or be pushed back; the choice is ours to make.

Vote for candidates who support equality, choice, and opportunity. We cannot afford to elect representatives who do not have a fundamental appreciation for the civil rights of all Americans. Assume your responsibility in the Movement, and to your country. Vote on November 2nd, and bring a friend - your life depends on it.If you experience any voting irregularities or inaccessibility, please call:

1-866-OUR VOTE (1-866-687-8683)

Friends

I've been thinking since Sunday that I don't have a lot of friends, and I don't like that I don't have a lot of friends. Not that I need a lot of friends, having to keep up with and coordinate plans with 50,000 people would be overwhelming and EXPENSIVE! 10 I've decided would be a nice number.

Making/keeping friends has always been hard for me, as I'm sure it is for most people with psyc disabilities, but surgeries and physical therapy are added barriers when you're a kid. There was a long period of time known as high school where I would consider that I had 2 friends.

College was easier, I think mostly do to proximity (except for the year and a half I commuted from home and had no friends). College kids live on top of each other. It's almost impossible not to make friends. Throughout the times I lived in the dorms I'd say I had 6-12 good friends (6 was a little low, I still felt somewhat isolated and alone, but I was unmedicated during that time). Some of them drifted in and out, some of them were continual. But, as happens, we drifted apart and I don't speak to a single sole.

It wasn't ever a transition where I had no friends, but there was a significant dip, and now, I realized Sat night, I have just 4 good friends. Not that I'm not thankful for my 4 good friends, I'm incredibly grateful, but I feel like I could be monopolizing, unloading on them too much. I think a bit of depression is making me focus on this, but this isn't a bad thing, taking stock of my life. I decided 10 was good. There was enough to go around.

The situation is this: I've never had a problem hanging out with people in structured groups, such as youth group [outside link] in high school, and camp when I was there, but it's always been hard for me to make that jump to deeper friendships outside of those structured times. What would you call a relationship that's in limbo right between an acquaintance and a true friend? I guess you could say that over the last half of my life I've had quite a lot of those, whatever they are. Still do.

What I don't have, what I'd like to have, is a larger network of people whom I wouldn't mind if they showed up at my door in a crisis at four in the morning (FYI, if you try to be polite and call first, I'll probably turn off the phone); whom I wouldn't feel like I was imposing on if I called them up at 7pm on a Saturday night and told them I was packing 2 changes of clothes and calling a cab because I couldn't be alone (did that once a few years ago).

Unfortunately, some of those people, who are not in the counted 4, live in Chicago (Shari Lynne & Sean are SO CUTE [shameless plug for their new blog] together) and Austin [picture right is Shari Lynne, Chicago, and Sarah, Texas] and I only get to see them every 6mos to a year at national actions. I'm not much of a phone person depending on my moods and find it difficult to keep up with people when they're not in easy transportation distance, which, being a non-driving crip, isn't very far. I cherish my weirdness and they cherish their weirdness, and that's hard to find.

Which, you know, leaves me with 4 true friends unless I decided to move. I doubt I'm living in Baltimore for the rest of my life (if you told me that 4/5 years ago I never would have believed you) but I'm not moving anytime soon.

Last week Therese did a post on 12 ways to make (good) friends, and I think that's really what put this in my head. It took 6 days to get it planted in my head and now I can't get it out. Joining OOO really did wonders, that's where I got 2 of the good friends and a gazillion acquaintance-friends (or whatever they're called) but when they stop coming we stop talking. I have in the past "stolen" friends from other friends, as Therese put it, but you have to have enough friends to "steal" from. I wouldn't call it stealing actually as it just created a larger network that hung out in a bigger and bigger group...

I didn't sleep well last night so my mind won't let me come up with a cohesive ending thought. So I guess I'll just end it here unless you have any "cross talk" as we call it at OOO...

And Another One

I missed this when it got sent to me and just found it doing an inbox search

Upcoming Webinar Series- Topic Guides on ADA Transportation

The Topic Guides on ADA Transportation were developed by the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF) (www.dredf.org) and TranSystems Corporation (www.transystems.com/).

The guides are available online at http://www.dredf.org/ADAtg/index.shtml.

Schedule: Second Tuesday of the month, beginning October 12, 2010 and ending April 12, 2011

Topics:

Equipment Maintenance (Topic Guide 1)

Stop Announcements and Route Identification (Topic Guide 2)

Eligibility for ADA Paratransit (Topic Guide 3)

Telephone Hold Time in ADA Paratransit (Topic Guide 4)

Origin to Destination Service in ADA Paratransit (Topic Guide 5)

On-Time Performance in ADA Paratransit (Topic Guide 6)

No-Shows in ADA Paratransit (Topic Guide 7)

Time: 2 pm to 3:30 pm Eastern Time (90 minutes)

Cost: Free

Presenter(s): Marilyn Golden, DREDF Policy Analyst and invited guests to be announced. (Bio sent under separate email)

Method of Delivery: Sessions will be presented via a fully accessible webinar platform. Instructions for connecting to the program will be provided to registrants in advance of the session.

Registration: Registration is available on-line at www.adaconferences.org

CURE PITY!

I realized the other afternoon that it's October, disability awareness month, it's 2/3 over, and I've done nothing for it. We can't have that! So without further ado, here's a video from Gillette Children's Cure Pity campaign. There's a bit of subtle ableism in there, but I still think it's great.

From Mr Trouble, a Self-advocate with a Developmental Disability

I'm Assuming This is an Open Call I Can Post

Please join us for the next JFAAN Organizer's Forum on Getting Out the Disability Vote!

Tuesday, October 19, 1-2 pm Eastern Time (10-11 Pacific)

Speakers:

Paul O'Hanlon, Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania: Paul will share his vast experience with ensuring the right to vote through provisional ballots, emergency absentee ballots, voting from hospitals and nursing facilities, and voter hotlines.

Carol Westlake, Tennessee Disability Coalition: The Tennessee Disability Coalition has built a list of over 140,000 people with disability interests and they can reach tens of thousands of voters by phone. Carol will talk about how to set up and conduct effective voter phone banking.

Questions to be addressed include:

· What can we do in the final few weeks before the election to help get people with disabilities out to the polls?

· How do we ensure that people in hospitals and nursing facilities exercise their right to vote?

· What are other simple solutions to common barriers in voting?

One resource we want to help spread right now: 1-866-OUR-VOTE. This is a national voter hotline that voters should call if they have any problems voting.

Call in number: 712-432-0080 code: 193134#

CART: The call will have real-time captioning (CART)! The website for where you will be able to view the captioning is http://www.2020captioning.com/livefeed.php?event=AAPD Thank you to the Center for Disability Rights, Inc. of Rochester, NY for sponsoring the captioning of this call.

NOTE: We have set up a listserv to allow everyone to easily get notices about the Organizer's Forum, called disabilityorganizing@googlegroups.com. Please check your spam filter for an invitation that you may have received, or email jlehman7@gmail.com so I can add you.

2010 Maryland Gubernatorial Candidates Disability Issues Forum Repost

Still plenty of time to book your paratransit ride!

Greetings from Maryland Disabilities Forum:

The Maryland Disabilities Forum is proud to announce that the 2010 Gubernatorial Candidates Forum on Disability Issues will be held on October 11, 2010 at the BWI Marriott Hotel from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The leading 2010 Gubernatorial Candidates – Governor Martin O’Malley and former Governor Bob Ehrlich have both been invited to participate in the event. Candidates will be asked to address their respective platforms on disability issues, and will also take questions from the audience.

We are asking you as individuals with disabilities, family members and those who care for and about people with disabilities, advocates, community organizations, agencies, and businesses to circulate this notice to anyone who would be interested in attending the event. Attached to this email is a flyer that can be printed and posted, or sent via email with a live link to our website’s pre-registration page. The Gubernatorial Candidates Forum on Disability Issues is a free event, and though it is not required, pre-registration is preferable: http://www.mddforum.org/2010forumregistration.html.

Providing a platform for Marylanders with disabilities to hear from gubernatorial candidates about the policies that affect their lives serves to keep a growing voting population well informed and active in the political process. We encourage all interested parties to attend and to get actively involved in determining who will serve as Maryland’s next Governor.

Don’t forget to register to vote, follow our links below for Voter Registration and Voting Information:

Voter Applications must be postmarked by August 24, 2010 to vote in the Primary Election on September 14th.

Voter Applications must be postmarked by October 12, 2010 to vote in the General Election on November 2nd.

For Voter Application Form Visit: http://www.elections.state.md.us/voter_registration/application.html.

For More Information About Voting Visit: http://www.votesmart.org/voter_registration_resources.php?state_id=MD

John & Michael -- or I Just Don't Feel Like Blogging

So I shall post a video. Just like all last summer. LOL I'd really like to know what people think. PLEASE comment.

PINT

FUCK YOU APA

ECT ruins lives. Where/how do you submit comments? Can anyone figure that out? From baltimoresun.com

Psychiatrists Change Their Recommendation for Depression's Treatment

The American Psychiatric Assn., which labored to bring forth a revision of psychiatry’s “Bible” earlier this year, has just released a more modest opus likely to generate much discussion among mental health professionals.

With the release on Friday of its “Practice Guideline for Treatment of Patients with Major Depressive Disorder,” the nation’s leading psychiatric association makes a number of subtle adjustments to its past treatises on depression and its treatment. The new guideline is the first comprehensive update of the organization's guidelines for depression treatment since 2000.

For starters, the APA throws its considerable weight behind the rehabilitation of electro-convulsive therapy (a.k.a. “shock therapy”) as an effective recourse for those who fail to respond to antidepressant treatment. [emphasis mine]

The practice guideline ventures to say that for many patients with chronic or recurrent episodes of depression, “maintenance therapy”—including antidepressant medication and possibly ongoing psychotherapy—may need to continue “indefinitely.”

The guideline reveals a rift between the group drafting the document and the broader “Steering Committee” of psychiatrists on the value of psychodynamic therapy —an often-lengthy series of talk therapy sessions in which patient and therapist probe early-life experiences for the sources of negative thought patterns. While the authors of the guideline would have given psychodynamic therapy an extremely tepid endorsement as an effective depression treatment, the broader board of psychiatrists elected to recommend it “with moderate clinical confidence.” (Both recommended cognitive behavioral therapy without reservations.)

Finally, the association in its latest update bows to the “at least modest” value of physical activity — either aerobic or strength exercises -- in relieving symptoms of mood disturbance, and possibly in preventing depression.

The authors of the practice guideline also engaged in a level of self-disclosure that is new for many psychiatrists. The guideline opens with two pages detailing the extensive ties of those who drafted the document with the pharmaceutical industry. Of the work group’s seven members, all but one declared that he or she received research support, consulting payments, speaking fees or author’s honoraria from several firms developing, manufacturing or marketing psychiatric drugs.

The American Psychiatric Assn. sought to counter any appearance of undue pharmaceutical-industry influence by establishing an “Independent Review Panel,” whose five members were free of any direct financial ties to drug companies, and were charged with “identifying any possible bias.” That panel, the APA reports, “found no evidence of bias.”

--Melissa Healy/Los Angeles Times