I am interested. Audrey Coward ----- > 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.
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