Did You See the Lovely Seats Up in Second Class

Yesterday I finally finished dealing with a complaint I made against A GIANT THING. I knew going in that my complaint would be dealt with because GIANT THING has a process for dealing with every, single complaint made. I knew when I sat down and filled in a form, attaching an outline of my concern and the basis of my complaint that the hope of anything being accomplished was minimal at best. But, I felt that I had a duty as a citizen to complain, but it was my membership in the disability community made that duty, compelling.

So, I've had a few phone calls.

I've had a meeting.

Along the way I've had choices regarding which way the complaint would go. I chose what I thought best, taking into account the energy level required in each of the options. I did everything I was supposed to do.

Yesterday I finished the last step. By then I knew pretty much what the outcome would be and what, very little, effect my complaint would result in. The last thing to do was to write a letter basically stating the impact of the issue that caused the complaint has had on me and my life.

The hardest thing to do was to figure out what angle to take. Once that was done, I wrote the letter. At the end I stated, because I felt that I needed to be clear, that I thought that, because it was all over, few would ever even bother to make it to the end of the letter. It was a closed complaint. It's done now.

This all made me think about why we advocate, why we raise concerns and complaints, why we choose to be noisy when silence is an option. I didn't expect much going it. I pretty much know that change is hard, and when change is demanded from a group of people whose voice isn't yet either acknowledged or valued sometimes the biggest job is simply getting someone's attention.

So I complained and set about the process, a long one, because I believe that silence is consent ... and I do not consent to be treated as if I don't matter. As a disabled person it isn't that I am objecting to being considered second class - I am ASPIRING to second class status. I am aspiring for the recognition that disabilities issues ARE issues. That they aren't my INDIVIDUAL concerns, that these are the concerns of a class of people. Yes, I aspire to second class. 

It took a long time and I feel like a wait has been lifted from my shoulders.

It is finished.