At one point in my life, I ran a workshop business that attracted many disabled people. My partner and I were proud that our marketing message conveyed a sense of inclusivity. We conducted five day personal growth intensives (along with some other experiences: the 5 day intensive was our core work) and we sought to create ongoing community for workshop participants after the intensives ended. The personal natural of the work and the privilege of convening weekly community meetings led to many rich and some life-long friendships. Some of these friendships were with the disabled.
I am sure many people on this list know disabled people and I am sure many people on this list have disabled friends. What I am about to say is based strictly on my direct, personal experience with a number of close friends with severe physical disabilities. I state my opinions, not conclusions of fact. I handled enrollment. I came right out and asked each person that disclosed that they had a disability what their needs were and how we could meet them. As friendships grew, I had many discussions with my disabled friends about their ongoing struggle to feel included. All of the people I am talking about agreed that the mainstream, able bodied culture tends to 'disappear' the disabled. My disabled friends tell me that they would much rather be asked about their disability than to be unwittingly erased. My disabled friends tell me that they prefer open acknowledgment of their disabilities. My disabled friends tell me that sometimes they like help and sometimes they dont: they say it is ok for anyone to ask them if they want help as long as they ask respectfully and as long as they are willing to get turned down. None of my disabled friends would prefer that a facilitator of a meeting give no attention to the fact that disabled people are in the room. As a convenor opens a meeting, it is an opportunity to advocate for inclusion of the disabled by openly discussing the accomodations that are available to the entire group: this has the effect of educating the "normal" people as well as openly inviting the disabled to feel included. It is also an invitation to the non-disabled participants to see the disabled participants as real peole, as colleagues. It has been my experience that addressing disability accomodations in front of any meeting is a steady way to educate. I know I was surprised, when I first developed friendships with physically disabled people, to learn how unintentionally they are so often excluded. Ever since then I have spoken openly, at meetings I design and/or facilitate, to include disability accomodatons as a routine part of my logistics: sometimes even at meetings where I am not expecting disabled participants. Who knows who is going to show up? I have been surprised by a few comments on this list serve. Some people have suggested that nothing special be done. I would like to know what data might indicate that no special mention of disabilities would be the right way to go. If we can tell a large group about toilet breaks and telephone access, we can include the whole group and discuss EVERYONE"S needs, acting as if everyone's needs are entitled to be met. I have a permanent disability that is not visible to the eye. I won't get started on how to include those persons in an event that have invisible disabilities . . . but I have opinions and experience if anyone is interested. _________________________________________________________________ The new MSN 8: smart spam protection and 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected], Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
