Thursday, March 22, 2012

You Can't make This Sh*t Up

I can't make up stories as bizarre as what happens in real life.

Here are three examples ... point by point:

Inclusion Doesn't mean YOU!

1)  I get asked to do an interview on 'inclusion' as part of a series being done on 'inclusion' and 'self advocacy.'

2) I agree

3) I am told, 'oops' the radio station isn't accessible.

4) We talk about options, telephone interview, taped interview.

5) Radio station nixes all options and I am dropped as a participant in the series.

Yep, I was excluded from a series on inclusion because of inaccessibility.

You can't make this shit up!!

I Need Counselling Just So I Don't Throttle You

1) I save up a bunch of posts to post on the week which includes World Down Syndrome Day.

2) The two posts which lead up to 'the' day lay down, clearly, my view that people with disabilities, generally, and people with Down Syndrome specifically are part of the tapestry of diversity.

3) The first comment on World Down Syndrome Day advocates reducing the incidence of Down Syndrome through 'proper counselling'.

You really, really can't make this shit up!!!

A Locked Front Door Is Just Good Business, Mate!

1) Joe and I decide to go out for a beer after work.

2) We go to one of very, very, few accessible gay bars.

3) They have their patio open so people are going in and out through the patio entrance, so they've locked the main door - which is accessible and which is right beside the patio.

4) People, who are not yet drunk but are happily journeying there, try to convince me that my chair can go over the step.

5) I get in but all are annoyed that the front door has to be unlocked.

Nope, I am not as creative as life seems to be ... is my life a skit ...

14 comments:

John R. said...

wow.....wow.....nope you can't make this shit up....wow.....

Anonymous said...

It's not "Inclusion Doesn't mean YOU!", they are really saying "Being inclusive, Doesn't mean US!"

By the way, what is going on with the font sizes? The main page is huge, and the comment page is itty bitty,

Sharon

Dave Hingsburger said...

Sharon, I upped the font size because I had readers who had asked for larger type. I simply don't know how to do than on the comment page. If anyone does, let me know!

Andrea S. said...

Some years ago, I was the only deaf staff member at a school for deaf children with multiple disabilities. All the other teachers and classroom aides were hearing, and all could sign well enough to carry along a conversation.

One night, all the staff took all the children camping. After we had put the kids to sleep, the staff had our own social event. Except that I couldn't follow what was going on because no one was using their sign skills. I politely requested that they please sign so that I could participate. They all refused. One explained (this is a rough paraphrase), "You have to understand, Andrea, that this is meant to be a fun event for us to relax. We shouldn't have to think about communication issues."

I guess when they said they wanted for the group to not have to stress out about communication, they really meant everyone EXCEPT for me.

Joyfulgirl said...

It is absolutely shocking. Sorry.

Moose said...

I can't remember if I told this tale here.

About a year ago I was visiting the city where I lived most of my life and went with a friend to a favorite restaurant.

The regular bathrooms have steps going up to them, but there is a separate handicapped bathroom at the end of the bar. I got to it and pulled on the door and it was locked, so I waited. Unfortunately, all of the chairs in the bar area are bar-stool height, which, with only one fully functional leg, I can't use. So I stood there, struggling, for about 3 minutes until a customer at the bar saw me and said, "I think they keep it locked."

Long(er) story short, I wound up having a run-in with the manager who kept explaining to me over and over again why they kept the bathroom locked -- "It's for your own good, so that the bathroom is only used by handicapped people!"

I pointed out things like, "*You* don't have to ask for permission to use the bathroom, why should I?" and "How can this be 'good' for handicapped people when they can't use it?" The manager kept insisting that having to ask for a key to the bathroom wasn't any big deal and made it very clear [by her tone becoming more and more childish] that I was obviously unable to grasp why they were doing this wonderful thing to make sure I would have a handicapped bathroom available.

Belly (Liz McLennan) said...

Alas, I reckon you could create an entirely new blog based on this sort of thing, Dave. You could even call it "You Can't Make This Sh*T Up".

Seriously. I'm cringing at all of it, hoping to God I've never said/done anything so stupid, but fearing that I probably have...

Tamara said...

Just speechless - these three situations plus the ones Andrea S and Moose described just make no sense to me.

The other thing I really don't understand is why in the world people talk to people with disabilities like they're children. What is with that? It seems so common - yet makes no sense. It almost makes me want to rent a wheelchair for a month and see how differently people treat me ... Kind of like that book from the 60s - Black Like Me ...

Princeton Posse said...

Oh boy, I just shake my head. You have to laugh at the craziness of it all, if it wasn't so true.

Heidi said...

Said to me yesterday... "I know you're all for children going to their local school, but the special school is very inclusive". And who was it who said this to me...an educational psychologist!!! I really resent segregated settings high-jacking the word "inclusion"..it's only to make the whole separation thing more palatable.

Colleen said...

Un-freaking-believable!!! I wonder if people have any idea how ridiculous they sound? And like Liz I really hope I have neve done this to anyone. But if I have I would rather be really uncomfortable and be called on it than go on my merry ignorant way.

Mary said...

We have a system here for care called "Direct Payments" - disabled individuals given the funds to manage their care needs directly.

To keep it manageable, Direct Payments users are required to set up a separate bank account for Direct Payments purposes.

However until I received Direct Payments, I could not pay someone to accompany me into the town centre to set up the bank account so that I could receive Direct Payments.

It took about six months to untangle that one!

Anonymous said...

To ease that tickle in your throat Dave, try some warm honey and just let it slowly drizzle down your throat, it will coat your throat and should ease the cough.

And no, you are so right...you cannot make this shit up!

Cheers,
Susan

Anonymous said...

Re, Chlomar's note:

Drinking any warm fluid will help relax the muscles in the throat, which can help ease a sore throat (at least as long as you are drinking the fluid!). Hot/warm tea will also do--since you already drink plenty of tea I expect that should be no hardship for you! I haven't ever tried honey or other fluids able to coat the throat so I can't speak from experience if this would be any nicer to the throat than any other similarly hot/warm beverage. But if you have the honey, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try for comparison's sake! (Or if not honey, maybe experiment with other warm syrupy substances?)

Andrea S.