An "Eye" for Photography

Having an addiction to facebook can be beneficial.  While I was browsing my homepage, I noticed a post in the AAPD intern group about a concert at the Kennedy Center—a concert of musicians with disabilities provided by VSA, the international organization on arts and disability.  The talent of the musicians was outstanding.  The other interns and I walked away impressed and excitedly began planning our next visit to the Kennedy Center.

As I watched the concert, I thought about myself as an artist with a disability.  While my musical skills are below average, I have been working to improve my photography skills since high school, and I consider myself to be pretty comfortable behind a camera.  People’s reactions when they learn that I am a visually impaired photographer can be very amusing and are usually just silly.  I have been told that visually impaired people aren’t supposed to be able to create great artwork.  Oh, how ignorant people can be!

Title: "Drop of Patriotism"
Description: A drop of water hits an American flag plate in my kitchen sink

The most common question that I have been asked is: “How can you see what you are photographing?”  To put it simply, carrying around my camera is like carrying around a giant magnifying glass.  I have a Sony a350, which allows for interchangeable lenses.  My macro lens has enabled me to see details of objects that would otherwise remain unnoticed because of my visual impairment.  So, I actually see BETTER when I am photographing the subject. 

Title: "Give Me a Sign"
Description: Taken at the Boneyard for Signs in Las Vegas, Nevada

One of the first art exhibits that I applied for was through VSA Michigan, the state organization on arts and disability.  Because several of my pieces were chosen for the statewide exhibit, I experienced a newfound confidence in my artwork and began to apply to calls for many national and international exhibits.  A few years ago I would never have imagined that I would be calling myself an internationally exhibiting artist today.  I have had my artwork displayed in galleries in Australia, Canada, and across the United States.  I guess you could say I have really developed an “eye” for photography.

Untitled
Description: A flamingo in the gardens at the Flamingo Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada

ACCESS NOW!!

This week, I participated in a conference held by the National Council on Independent Living.  Here, I attended workshops related to different issues such as violence among those with disabilities and the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD).

I also participated in my first protest march to the Capitol.  I learned a few catchy and significant chants,

"What do we want?"
-"Access!!"
"When do we want it?"
-"Now!"

 Allie and I on our march towards Capitol Hill. Sweet!

"We're here, we're loud, we're disabled and proud."

Afterwards, we participated in lobbying by going to different Senate offices and talking about the importance of the ratification of the CRPD, which is a international treaty that pushes for equality of rights for those with disabilities.  Often times, countries-- especially developing ones-- don't allow people with disabilities to obtain legal rights to vote, determine their own medical treatment, nor do they provide accessible buses, taxis, buildings, etc.  People with disabilities including vets and ex-pats that are abroad experience more challenges because they lack access basic human rights.  Every single person has a right to get into a post office, grocery store, swimming pool, independently and with ease.  Unfortunately, not every country has something like the ADA to protect and care for people with disabilities.  We are overlooked... and there is definitely something wrong there.  Back in 2008, the U.S. has provided its signature for the convention, but has yet to ratify it.  Therefore, we are pushing for Congress to ratify the convention (hopefully for this session) to officially commit and set the example for other countries.  Why shouldn't we? It is modeled after the ADA, it doesn't cost anything more, and it builds up the morale of our citizens because they know they are heard.

This whole conference was been an amazing experience.  Not only am I proud to be disabled, but I am also proud to be part of such a strong and purpose-oriented community.  I'm learning so much about disability-related issues I never even thought of, how to address them, and how to self-advocate.  I'm so fascinated by the relevance it has to public health.  There are many issues to address, but little by little, we can conquer them all as a team.  We can and must never give up on what we believe in and that which we are passionate about.

"Nothing about us, without us"

The great Justin Dart’s words of “Nothing about us, without us,” has rung true to my ears since the moment I learned and engaged in the disability rights movement. Yet, the meaning behind his words always seemed abstract until this past week at the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) Annual Conference. Never before have I seen the disability rights movement at such a lively and large scale. As soon as the Open Plenary began, the speaker referred to the attendees as “brothers and sisters” as he yelled with passion and intent, “What do we want? Access! When do we want it? Now!” I was overcome with happiness, pride and enthusiasm for this movement that I was thankful enough to witness and engage in.

Throughout the week, I couldn’t get enough of everything! I was the one person in the audience always taking notes, as I wanted to soak in every bit of knowledge from the unique and diverse leaders from around the country. These leaders, whether center directors, lobbyists, independent living specialists, youth organizers or policy analysts, were all here under the same cause that people with disabilities have the right to live independent, free, dignified and fulfilling lives. No matter how many structural, ideological and cultural inequalities that oppress people with disabilities, this grassroots movement is not ready to give up. And that momentum, which emulated throughout the conference, provided me with my own burst of energy and excitement for the future and my own place in the movement.

As the conference came to a close, Amber Smock spoke of a new movement: the “Disability Justice Movement,” where for the first time, people of color, the LGBT community, the prison community and others will be fully included in the movement. It is no longer about just enabling and maintaining the simple accommodations, it is about deconstructing the institutional structures of ableism and changing the mind of the mainstream to see disability as a valuable part of society.

Thank you to AAPD for providing myself and the other interns opportunities to attend the NCIL conference. And thank you to all of the disability rights leaders leaders before me who have continued to say, in Justin Dart’s words, “Lead on! Lead on!”

Fate!!!

Fate is defined as events occurring outside of the control of an individual.  But I believe that we have the control to nudge fate along to its final destiny.  For this week I feel that I was able to test my theory by scheduling a meeting with my Deputy/acting Commissioner.  I went to the meeting expecting that he wanted to answer questions I prepared for him and the meeting would last approximately 30 minutes given that he is a busy man.  Yet, what really happened was the polar opposite if my expectations.  He was interested in my career goals, dissertation topic, extending help with the topic, and even at times offering advice. Wow!! But of course, I had questions to ask him, and he expounded on them without hesitation. Before I knew it an hour and half had past.  He indicated that we could continue the conversation, but I requested that we terminate the meeting.  He stated that he would be glad to converse with me at anytime in the future.  I was so thrilled to have been in his presence. 

At the beginning of the week, I assisted with the completion of a project assigned by my supervisor to a team of us.  It was a proposal that he was going to send through the proper channels for approval.  It is something he has been thinking about for two years.  It was fate that brought me to help on the project.  I was elated to have worked on the project with team members, and I hope the best for the project.

Finally, I requested to have dinner with my Senator on next week.  His staff replied back with haste, and I will have breakfast with the Senator Harkins. Know fate would have it that he is a major supporter of persons with disabilities.  Yes!  What a week!!

I have had the pleasure of spending most of my life living near bodies of water.  I was born in a city along the Hudson, grew up down the Jersey Shore, came back up to New York to once again live along the Hudson River, and now am spending the summer along the Potomac.   There is nothing more relaxing than the feeling I get from a day in the water.  I am not much of a swimmer, and just sort of doggy paddle and float, but oh what peace it is!  While oceans and rivers are wonderful, my favorite place is the pool.   In fact, going to the pool is my most favorite thing to do.   Nothing is more fun for me than feeling the cool refreshing water on my skin on a hot August day!  Whatever is going on in my life, however troubled I am, whatever pain or discomfort I am feeling, this elixir, the water of life, takes my mind away from everything else.  I leave the pool only at closing (arriving promptly upon opening), feeling rejuvenated and whole.  The water nourishes my mind, body, and spirit; it is tranquility. 

Getting in and out of the pool is the hardest part for me; the ladders are very difficult, and I have fallen on pools that have steps, even breaking eight toes once, however, I am not about to give up the one thing that gives me the greatest pleasure…I just want it to be easier for me to get in.  I WANT EVERYONE TO BE ABLE TO GET IN THE POOL WITH ME!  EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO COME IN AND SWIM!   While I am fortunate that some of the pools I go to have zero entry areas, none of them have pool lifts, and that makes me sad!  Pools belong to everyone, and everyone should have equal access, especially when that pool is at a hotel or lodging establishment, where you have paid the same money as people who can access the pool, but you are not able to reap the benefits of what you have paid for and what is rightly yours as a both a citizen and hotel guest.    The original ADA deadline for making public/hotel pools accessible was March 15 of this year;  however, lobbyists for the American Hotel and Lodging Association were successful in pushing that date ahead to January 31^st of next year, which means another summer of no swimming for my disabled brothers and sisters.  The arguments lobbyists are making against compliance have been disgusting: from stating that paraplegics will poop in the pool, to saying that pool lifts will cause a hazard to both disabled and non-disabled swimmers.  These arguments are ridiculous.  Last week, I was part of a rally to make our voices heard in front of the AHLA building.  I hope that you will all read the links that Mark Perriello has sent us.  If we all speak out, we can start getting these lifts in.

Fifty four million Americans with disabilities just want to enjoy fun in the pool with our family and friends.  The social aspect of pools, of meeting new friends and enjoying your time in the water together, frolicking, splashing, and swimming, is so important and rewarding.  Swimming is also commonly used as therapy for people with disabilities.  It is exercise, socialization, family time, fun, and most importantly, being able to get into the pool is your right!  I can hardly wait to go swimming this summer; I can feel that cool water as I write this. 

Let’s all go swimming in 2013! 

See you at the pool!

Theresa

My Kind of Networking: Not spellchecked

Note: Since my disablity, dyslexia, is a hidden one, I have decided not to spell check my blog post this week so that people can gain an insight into a part of my exspernce with disablity. Enjoy and let me know what you think.

I completed my first week of work on Friday and am very happy with my placement at the National Counicl on Disability (NCD). The staff is really wonderful and they have all helped make me feel already part of the team, just after a week. I spent last week meeting/mentoring with all of the staff and beginging to wade through NCD’s past reports so that I can come up to spead on the policie issues I will be working on.

But as it turns out, while I was busy at work at NCD my buisness cards were quietly doing some networking for me. After the AAPD gala two weeks ago, I walked with my partner to see the FDR Memorial. As we walked along the Potomic, we dicided to stop at one point to sit down. I removed my sport jacket and unbenouced to me, my case of buisnesscards sliped out of my breast pocket and into the grass along the shore.

It was not until I returned home that I relized that I had lost the set of cards. I knew exactly what had happened but doughted if I would ever find the case again. It was quite dark and I had no certainly of locating the place where we had stoped again. So, I gave them up for gone. Not only had I lost all of the buisnesscards I had painstiakingl gathered at the galla event, but my the new buisnescard case, which I had bought just a few days before was gone after only one use as well. My future as a networker seemed seriously in question.

But as it turnes out, loosing my businesscards might be one of the best networking moves that I will ever managed. Last Wednesday I came home from my day at NCD to find a message from an unfimilar sender in my inbox. I read the first line of the message: someone’s housband had found my case of cards….Unbeleavible! Not only had someone found my buisnescards but they were willing to mail them back to me. I was overjoyed by the prospect of getting the frouts of my networking back. But it gets better. I looked to see who the message was from. The email had been sent by a Vise Pressident and
Cheaf Diversity offeriser of a major US corperation. What is more, when I Googled the individual’s name, I found that they were very involved with disablity issues and had played a major part in the passage of the ADA.

I could not beleave that I had stumbled on this tremendous connection—or, rather, that this individual had sumbled on my name and gotten in touch. Anyway, I wrote back, gave my address and asked for a meeting. We have a confernce call scheduled for next week! That is my kind of networking!

New Week, New Role

Hello all. I hope this post finds you enjoying life as much as I am. I titled this week's blog "New Week, New Role" because I took on a new role in my office. It was just my second week, but I already have to act as am experienced member of the team. I am given tasks and expected to be able to handle them on my own, having earned the respect of those in my office. This is a huge pride point for me, as "The Hill" is a very high-stress environment, and can be a lot for a person to handle. Not only am I being given important tasks, but I was asked to help train our newest intern, which made me think I must be doing something right. Every day, I am called upon to complete important tasks. Without getting too detailed, I have had to communicate with several very important people and offices. At first, these tasks made me very nervous, however now I feel completely comfortable speaking with nearly anyone. I have noticed that I am changing in ways outside the office as well. My general organization has increased, mostly due to the fact that I must be so organized at work. I have also seen a big shift in my sleeping patterns. I've found that I'm ready for bed at about 10:30 every night, and getting up early comes easy. Even on weekends, when I try to sleep in, I barely can. This isn't a bad thing, as I get to have more productive days and still feel well rested. I got to see my family this weekend, and get to show them around DC for a day which is awesome. I plan to try and take then to as many monuments as I can in a dat, as well as give them a personal tour of the capitol. My mom and sister have been to DC before, but my dad hasn't. What better Father's Day gift than getting a tour of our nation's capitol from your son? I'm sure we'll have a great time, but I don't want them to leave. I'm excited for the upcoming week and all it will bring. My Congressman's birthday was last week, and our office's celebration of it is on Tuesday. From what I've been told, there will be many powerful people stopping by the office to wish him a happy birthday, so this could be a great time to network. Hopefully I'll have great news for you next week. Until then, keep fighting for your dreams. "It's kind of fun to do the impossible." -Walt Disney