Call to action: All people with disabilities
Why do we sit back and except less? Why do we feel like we need to ask someone who is blocking an accessible ramp to please move their illegally parked car? These law breakers don't seem to value our rights to access as much as their rights to illegal parking. It is really funny how upset they get when they are
inconvenienced by having to climb in the passengers side door or having to wait until, I have time to unblock their vehicle. Those same people just don't understand why I get upset when they block mine.
Hmmm?
Why do we, the disability community, accept polling places which are not accessible? Politicians don't realize the Disability Community is the "Sleeping Giant" and when you legislate changes which restrict the civil rights of 1 in 5 citizens eventually you will wake that giant up and suffer its wrath. In the past three years many of our hard fought civil rights have been dismantled by the the court system, we have to demand it stopped now! We are not any lesser of citizens in these United States.
Why do we accept doctors offices and hospitals which do not take our safety or dignity into consideration? Medical community, we spend a LOT of money buying your services, you need be providing us, safe and dignified services, such as offices which are accessible, including
TTY access, large print information for the visually impaired, and other alternative formats of access. The disability community needs to now have a "take no prisoners" attitude about such providers, filing lawsuits, DOJ complaints and medical board complaints. United we can make changes which will benefit all.
Why are we standing by an allowing the only affordable accessible housing to be in the "Crip Ghettos of the
Elderly or Disabled High rises, " or the few accessible units in the "Projects"? The housing authority gets a number of section 8 vouchers specifically for people with disabilities, are they being used for accessible affordable housing, NO! The people at HUD, at the discretion of the local housing authority, allow section 8 money to be used for buying homes, is that being allowed here? There are apartment complexes which received Federal tax credits or Federal money when they were built and must provide 5% of there apartments for people with disabilities on section 8.
Unless you are really good on the internet, there is no way to know who must
take the section 8 voucher.
Do shops and restaurants feel our money is not good enough? Seating which is not wheelchair accessible, rest rooms which take an acrobat to get in safely. Is are money not as good as the rest of the world? The disability community needs to again have a "take no prisoners" attitude about such businesses, filing lawsuits and DOJ complaints. United we can make changes which will benefit all.
The disability community, and that is what it is, a minority, the largest minority, but also the most diverse minority, needs to stand up and be counted. It is time to move past accepting the crumbs of charity, to be treated as a equal citizen of this country you have to demand more than the extra crumbs. Rights are accepted not given freely by the controlling authority. We are the only minority you can join at any point in your life, that makes us really scary.
- Dawn Schneider
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