I need to time posts so there is more space between them

[trouble]

Bad Cripple:

I have no doubt that people have said, either to you or someone you know, something that sounds like they’re just gaming the system, including a breezy “Oh, I’m just gaming the system.” But you have no idea if they’re serious or not, or what their circumstances are, or how much pressure they’re under, internally or externally, to “pass for normal”.

60th Disability Blog Carnival, or what I was doing last night until they kicked me off campus.

Comments

[From: princess]

I feel strange commenting over there, so I'm commenting here.

Thank you for this. Amongst my issues is the fact that my mental health problem got so severe at one point while I was at my last employer that I began displaying physical symptoms. That was the first time I got seen as someone who wasn't faking it, and got a "pass" out of bad cripple land.

[From: trouble]

Ack. :( I'm sorry it took such an extreme thing before people believed you.

I err on the side of believing people who tell me they have a disability, condition, or health concern. Despite what a lot of people think, it is not actually a ticket to easy money or fun times.

[From: princess]

I think some of it is that there's so much cultural stereotyping of people who are disabled (just as there is, for another example I've dealt with in my lifetime, of "welfare queens"). It's hard, I think, for TABs who have never had to confront a mental disorder to understand how it can be debilitating. At least they can understand physical disability ("Oh, it's like the time I broke my leg..." To which I always want to reply, "No, not really, being in too much pain to move is nothing like that," but that's not helpful, and at least that does approximate sort of...)

Anyhow, off my soap box. I've been finding FWD very thought provoking.

[From: yarram]

on the 'like the time I broke my leg':

My reaction is always, "Yes, but your leg got better. My hearing never will. My second shift is permanent; you were at least able to tell yourself that it was temporary. Leaving something for when I get better is not an option for me, because it will never happen."

[From: dpfesh]

Is it ok if i share the "bad cripple" link with my peeps? (i figure so, but thought i'd ask first) :)

I have a few friends with mental illnesses that leave them varying degrees of "functional" and "Not so much" (even the functional is really a veneer, as they have told me) - and i think they get a lot of flack from the world - esp the "Of course you could work! Just get over it and get a job!".. and i think it's really nice to have people who get it.

I'm kinda new to your journal over here in my lil corner, but i've been learning a lot & i hope to be a better person for it. So, just a random.. thank you for 'fighting the good fight'. (joking about dis/abilities and all) :)

[From: trouble]

Oh gosh, yes, share! And if they have any comments or concerns or disagreements, they (or you) can let me know.

Thank you! :) :) :)

[From: willow]

Huh I could totally have commented here instead of there. It's not a matter of feeling uncomfortable there, as the name I use for non personal blogs and the pre-set anger I have given this year's shenanigans at anyone bringing up health issues as a reason to discount my voice.

Anyway **random hugs**

[From: spiralsheep]

youtube, captioning and accessibility:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8369941.stm

(Sorry I'm link-dropping stuff on you rather than signal-boosting in my own lj but I don't have the spoons right now... or the forks or the sporks.)