This Pandemic has been hard on everyone. Changes to Graduation ceremonies, Birthday Party’s , Holiday’s , Sporting events and more.
Life has changed so that Life can go on.
While these social changesare necessary, that doesn’t make it any easier.
Up until the middle of last March when many of these changes began I was doing Special Olympics , Some Art Classes and volunteering. Last year we came together for holiday parties.
For many of us it is a lot quieter this year than it was last year. We don’t have the holidayparties . Holiday shopping comes right to the doorstep.
A lot has changed in a short amount of time!
These small changes have a BIGimpact on the Disability community. The aforementioned NBC News story shares the impact the changes the pandemic has created and the impact it has had on their Disabled son/Brother.
I have been ableto useblogging, Creating art, Running ,Biking , and Walking my dogs, to get outside and to exercise my brain.
Not everyone is able to do this.
Even so, The pandemic and the changes that it has brought to routine are hard.
Anger
Isolation
Fear
Depression
Anxiety
Stress
Are some of the feelings that peoplehave dealt with during this pandemic.
The changes which are unsettling as it is aren’t easy for disabledpeople. It’s lonely not having the social interactions that we had before. It’s not easy for everyone to adjust to technology based social interaction like zoom.
There are Disabled people who are essential workers that are putting their lives on the line to make necessary money to pay for housing, food, and medication. In contrast there are Disabled people who are either unemployed or that have been laid off and due to the pandemic can not work.
The next round of stimulus checks passed by congress , bringing aid to people affected by this pandemic Did Not include help for the DisabilityCommunity.
A lot changed in a short amount of time going into this pandemic. A vaccine , maybe more than one vaccine is the hope that we have for change.
A lot can change!
You’re not alone in how you feel! You’re not alone in your struggle!
Where did you getyour start? What paying job or jobs have you had?
I have dog sat for people who had to travel and their dog could not go with them.
I’ve baby sat
I’ve worked at a daycare
I’ve taken photos for people upon requestand I’ve sold some of my photography to people who liked my art.
I’ve sold some of the art paintings and drawing that I have made.
I’ve had a few different jobs that I have gotten paidfor. Dog Sitting and Babysittingwere fun jobs butthey were also jobs that required a lot of responsibility.
Preparing meals and Knowing how to take care of an injury like a scraped knee or torn toenail on a paw were some of the things that I had to know how to do.
I’ve learned about lighting for photos, some tricks for editing photos and how to make videos with photosand videos that I have taken. I’ve had my photography in the newspaper and on tv.
Photography, Babysitting, and dog sitting are all things that I have enjoyed doing and gotten paid money for.
Advocacy specifically Self Advocacy is something that I have done a lot of work for unpaid. (I don’t think that Self Advocacy is something that can be done as a career).
I’ve given speeches and talked to legislators. Self advocacy has helped me to come out of my shell a bit more. I feel much more comfortable than I used to when I attend social events.I’ve had some really great opportunities for my work thanks to Self Advocacy.
I started blogging in 2017. Poetry is where I once thought that I’d wind up as a professional. I’ve written poetry and some short non fiction stories but, I’ve really found my niche with writing about the different disability and life topics that float through my mind.
I’m definitely a creative person.
I haven’t found a career in the workforce to work in as a full time, retirement saving kind of job.
Blogging or photography are both things that I would love to see my business growin.
I know that I am a talented and hardworking person . The skills that I have learned thus far are great for the future.
Voting is a milestone and a right you have once you turn 18.
You make choices about who you think is the best person to represent or speak for you. Issues that affect people include: jobs, the economy, Education, Healthcare,Social Security, Disability rights, and Climate change – the environment .
There are many candidates who speak about what is important to them . There may be someone that you really feel would represent you and what the causes that you support. Out of the many candidates that are running (campaigning ) TWO become the candidates that you will have to decide (choose) between. The ONE candidate that gets the most votes wins the election.
I kind of like pineapple on pizza 🙂
On Election Day normally what happens is you go to your local polling place which is a school gymnasium, a library, a fire station and you wait in line to cast your vote.
A sample election ballot
The Ballot is a piece of paper. You fill in little circles or bubbles on the ballot with a pen to choose the candidate that you want to represent you. When you finish choosing the people that you think would work best for the job you place your ballot into a machine that counts your vote. (The machine looks like a printer but is a lot less noisy)
Sometimes there are electronic screens like an iPad that you can use to vote. This year because of the pandemic a lot of people are choosing to vote by mail in or absentee ballot. You have to make a request to vote by mail. The ballot you vote with then comes in the mail! You fill in the circles or bubbles to choose what candidate you think should win. (You don’t even have to get out of your pajamas to vote!)
The link above brings you to a page for a group called ReV Up they want to Disabled Voters to have their voices heard. They want to help people register to vote. Rev Up wants to make sure that polling places are accessible.
Make sure to find out where your polling place is! Knowing where you need to go to vote is a big help. It makes it a little less unknown and scary. Knowing where your polling place is helps you to know whether or not it is accessible for disabled people. If you know that accessibility at your polling place has been a problem previously contact city, state or federal lawmakers who represent you NOW! YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to VOTE and every voice needs to be heard.
Trust is whatMichael Hingson had in his Guide Dog Roselle as he fled down 78 flights of stairs on 09/11/01. Michael couldn’t see but, having vision would not have been any help as the stairs he descended were dark.
Fire burnedwithinbuilding. Elevators weren’t functioning.
Roselle confidently led Michael his coworkers and a few strangers down the numerous flights of stairs. Firefighters hurriedly ascending the stairs stopped to offer assistance and to pet Roselle. Their last interactions.
For Roselle she was doing simply what she had been trained to do!
Guide dogs learn different routes that a person uses. A guide dog can follow the instruction to follow a person when getting from point a to point b in a unfamiliar setting.Guide dogs can find and lead a blind person to an exit in case of an emergency.
Dogs are smart!
Companionship , Comfort, Guiding a blind person. So much trust is placed into a dog.
My family has trained future guide dog puppies. We teach them basic skills like sitting, down , walking on a leash nicely, ignoring distractions.
You don’t want another tragedy like September 11th to occur. There is a lot of Trust that is put into having a Guide Dog guiding you. When it’s someone that has a Guide dog that you helped to train it’sa very surreal feeling.
Guide dogs do so much more than helping people to cross the street.
Guide dogs provide independence. Independence allows people to live their lives fully.
It’s been nineteen years since 9/11 but it still feels like yesterday.We remember the people who lost their lives and we cherish thesurvivors like Michael and Roselle.
Episode two of the Netflix series “Love on the spectrum “ began with a Autistic Man & Woman on a date. They found out that they both enjoyed the similar interest of Cosplay (I.e dressing up as characters from Anime , Comic books, Television and Movies)
The thing that I could relate to was that the young woman started tohave a problem with socialanxiety and sensory overload. She had toget up and leave the table. This is a scenario that I have found my self in before. It’s a very vulnerable feeling. It’s almost a “flight or fight” instinctual feeling that you get. Pressure builds inside of you like a volcano and to feel better you need to have an “escape “ getting up and walking around , playing games on your phone , movies on an iPad.
This is a feeling where you shutdown. The conversation stops. Though the man and woman had things that were in common there were awkward pauses in there conversation that really became noticeable when she began toshut down. These awkward pauses are uncomfortable in any type of social situation! It doesn’t feel like there is a connection and both parties lose interest fast.
It has been hard for me at timesgoing out to eat , going toworkout, traveling when I experience sensory overload. I use my phone, iPad, music asawaytoregroup.
Theman that was on the date feltlike hehad done something wrong. When you’re used to relationships friendships notworking out you second guess yourselfin the social interactions thatyou have. You look at how you interacted and try to evaluate what you did wrong. Even if it wasn’t anything that you did. The reaction this manhad when the woman got up was worry, empathy and fear.
The second date that they went was to a cosplay convention. It was in a less formal setting and they both had a good time. Before the date the man said how hisheart grew 10 times big . It was good analogy for the love that autistic people have to share in relationships.
They have shown different people each time. The new woman that they featured this time was tall ,independent and liked anime. She wanted somebody who was tall and muscular. They asked her Mother if they hoped she would find Love. Her Mother “ said that she hoped her daughter would find love in a relationship ”. This isn’t something that I’ve ever asked my mother about But, I think that’s something that She knows that I want. I think that she wants me to be able to find love in a relationship but, also happiness if it isn’t something that happens.
The woman on the show went to acostume for disabled people of all abilities. They showed her talking to an autistic man dressed as Batman. Again this was hard for me to relate to because a relationship between two autistic people or a relationship between two disabled people isn’t something that I’m looking for. This woman also wanted a a man who was tall and muscular. Her Mother and Sister told she might not find all of those things in a guy. I think this point is true. I’m looking to date someone doesn’t have a disability, is monogamous ( is in a relationship with you person at a time) ,doesn’t have kids, likes to workout, is ambitious. Likes dogs & cats and isn’t a creepy man 10+ years older than me. 🤮👨🏼🦳 Relationships are something that you have to be able compromise to begin to with. You aren’t going to find every single detail that you envision. You will fall in love with something that you might not have envisioned in someone that you love.
The woman went ona date with aman who love paleontology (studying dinosaurs 🦖🦕) They had fun with getting to know each other throughconversation and becauseit was Valentine’s Day he brought her chocolate and flowers. They had an uncomfortable moment when it came time for the check. He looked at the bill and asked what she ordered and asked if they should split the bill. She looked panicked 😳 and he ended up paying.
Thenext autistic man that they showed was Japanese. Most of the people in this series are from Australia. It’s nice that they’re showing the Diversity of Autism Spectrum. Japanese , Australian,Male, Female, LGBTQ, Caucasian , Black. Autism is diverse!
This young man was getting coached by a relationship coach on conversation during a date, Pulling out a chair for his date. It’s hard in a new situation to remember all of the steps or instructions you have to follow. You don’t want to appear rude or uninterested.
Socialanxiety, sensory overload, a “big heart “ 💗, The “perfect “ Date, and Conversation during a date were just a few of the things I found relatable.
She’s a woman….
She’s petite…
She has Aspergers/Autism spectrum….
She’s not the fastest.. 🏊🏼♀️🏃🏽♀️
She’s not the strongest…🏋🏽♂️💪🏼
Yes I CAN! Being a womandoesn’t make me incapable! Being petitedoesn’t hold me back. Aspergers/Autism spectrumprovides me with insight and skill I might otherwise not have. I have good formand I put my❤️ heart into practice. 🏊🏼♀️🏃🏽♀️ I’m building strength.What was harder yesterday Is easier today because I’m working towards my goal.💪🏼🏋🏽♂️
People who have disabilities can sometimes feel limited in this busy world. Driving may be something that you are unable to do. You may not have a job. Living on your own may be impossible.
There is something that you Can do!
.
.
You Can vote!
Voting is an extremely important thing to do! It gives you a choice in choosing the best candidate to represent You and Your needs!
Issues that affect a person who has a disability include:
Healthcare (Specifically Medicaid)
The Americans with Disabilities Act
Supplemental Social Security Income or SSI
Jobs
It is very easy to register to vote! If you have moved you need to re-register. A great organization that is helping people who have disabilities to get registered for voting is RevUp
One of the things that is important to have and should be complied with an accessible polling place for voting. An accessible polling place not only means for getting in and out but also machines for voting or someone to help if they aren’t very high tech.
If your polling place does not have the accommodations that are necessary to make it possible so that people who have disabilities can vote that needs to be reported!
We can’t have people denying us Our right to vote!
If you can’t get out to a polling place the Absentee Ballot is a great way to vote.
Voting is using Your voice to choose a candidate who will represent You! You need to become informed on the candidate that you are going to vote for.
Sometimes the candidate that you voted for does not win an election. Yourvote & Your voice counted but your candidate did not get enough votes.
It can be hard when your candidate loses an election. You can’t give up! The person who is in office needs to hear Your voice! You may not have voted for that person but they were elected into that office and they are representing You!
You need to tell the person elected into office about the laws and programs that affect You!
As someone who votes You can make a difference!
Register to vote
Learn about your candidate
Make sure your Polling Place is Accessible if you plan to go out to vote
Report it, if your Polling place is Un-Accessible
Vote
Whoever gets elected needs to hear about the issues that affect YOU!
shespeaksherheart29 