What we can learn from children with disabilities

I always find it interesting how some people describe their disabilities. When people ask me what my disability is, I usually just say my legs are paralyzed from a car accident. Depending on the situation, I may go into further detail that my injury is a complete spinal cord injury at the thoracic 5th and 6th vertebrae. It is not only how you describe your disability, it is how you view it. Some adults I know are proud to have a disability, while others are maybe embarrassed about their disability. Everyone is different, but kids are another story.

I stumbled across an ad for a children’s hospital and it was interesting to hear what the kids had to say about their disabilities. There was a 10 year old girl with Cerebral Palsy in the ad who spoke very proudly about her disability and I was very touched by what she said, because I agree with her statement. Here is what she said:

“I’m different in my legs - Not my mind! There is nothing different about me inside - it’s just my outside appearance.”

This statement is very true, and to hear it from a 10 year old little girl just says it all. Here is a girl who was born with a disability and she already knows that – you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover!

In the interview she talked about how she always thanks other children when they ask her why she has to use a wheelchair. She wants to share with other children so they will be comfortable around her. As an adult, I get tired of explaining my disability, but I know people are just curious. It reminds me that no matter what age you are, we all need to have patience with people and educate them. If people with disabilities don’t take the time to educate society about our disabilities, then we can’t get mad if we don’t feel accepted. Next time I run into someone that asks me about my disability, maybe I should thank them for asking too, and explain - that I am also just different in my legs and not my mind!

Tammy Wilber
~I’m the same person, just sitting down!~

Resources for kids with disabilities:
Here is a great magazine for kids with disabilities: http://www.kidsonwheels.cc/
Here is a great book I heard called, Arnie and the New Kid by Nancy Carlson: http://www.nancycarlson.com/

What is the difference between “Barrier Free” apartments versus an “ADA” apartment?

When you use a wheelchair it can be hard to find accessible apartments and housing. Over the last 10 years, I have always been someone that rented an apartment and at one time I even had a small house. The internet is very helpful, but when I have gone online to find apartments, I always googled words like “wheelchair accessible apartments” or “ADA apartments”. A lot of information would pop up, but it was still always a challenge finding an apartment that fits my needs as a wheelchair user. I am lucky because as a paraplegic I don’t require a roll in shower or a lot of extra adaptations, but one day I may need things like this. Some simple things that I need in an apartment for it to be accessible would be things such as an accessible bathroom, easy access to reach a washer and dryer, a place to park my car, and access to the front door.

Once I rented a small house with a friend, which was owned by an older couple. When I first called to ask about the house, I did not share with them that I was in a wheelchair, I just asked if the house was on one level and how many steps there were up to the front door. After I saw the interior of the house, I realized it was very small and a ramp would need to be built, but everything else I could deal with. Although, the landlord was really apprehensive about renting to someone in a wheelchair, he had his lawyer draw up some papers, and asked me to sign them. Basically, the legal documents said that I would not sue him if I was to ever fall out of my wheelchair and hurt myself on the property. The main reason he wanted me to sign the legal document is because he said the house is not meant for someone in a wheelchair to live in. The papers also said that if I built a ramp it had to be removed when we moved out. I called the American with Disabilities Act hotline and asked them if this was legal and they said no. Even though I felt discriminated against, and didn’t want to sign the papers, I needed a place to live. I felt that it was wrong of them to do this because when you really think about it; there is no difference between me falling out of my wheelchair and hurting myself versus someone tripping and hurting themselves.

Just a couple of years ago I was looking for an apartment and felt like I was getting nowhere. One day I stopped by an apartment complex and wanted to look at an apartment and the office manager felt so bad because the “model” apartment that they show people was up a flight of stairs. She was really helpful though because she said that she thought that their sister property probably had an opening for a “barrier free” apartment. I had no idea what she was talking about? What the heck did “barrier free” mean? What I discovered about this terminology is that it seems to be a way to describe apartments that have access for wheelchairs, but may not be up code with the Americans with Disabilities Act. So, this is what I want to know from other people: Am I wrong about this, or is the term “barrier free” a way for an apartment complex to get around the codes of the American with Disabilities Act? I have seen apartments that are considered ADA approved and most of them seem to be up to code. A good example of some things that ADA apartments have that mine doesn’t is the kitchen has accessible/roll under sinks, low counters, handles and grab bars in the bathroom, maybe a roll in shower, wide hallways, push button doors, among other things.

Well, I ended up looking at the sister property and was shown an opening for a brand new “barrier free” apartment that was just newly renovated. The apartment I live in now works for me, but I am not sure if it would work for someone in a power wheelchair. So, what is it about the apartment that I currently live in that makes it “barrier free”? Well, it has accessible parking, there is easy access to the front door, all of the hallways are wide, and there is one very large bathroom instead of two. I assume all the other apartments that are above and below me with stairs, have two bedrooms and two bathrooms.

So, my advice to others is to do your research when you go apartment hunting. If you can be somewhat discreet when inquiring about accessible apartments because I have noticed that as soon as I started talking about the ADA , some people just shut me down. I believe that they know their apartment complex is not up to the code of the ADA, and they worry about renting to someone in a wheelchair. It seems like a lot more people respond positively when you talk about “barrier free” apartments. If you should happen to rent an apartment that is barrier free, you can make requests to make the apartment more accessible to your needs. When I moved in, I asked them to put in a lower peep hole in the front door for my personal safety so I can look and see who is at the door. They even offered to put in grab bars for me, but I said I didn’t need them. There are other things I have suggested as well, but it is a slow process. I just hope that suggestions I make to them will make the apartment complex more accessible for other people in disabilities, and they can learn from having a tenant in a wheelchair.

Tammy Wilber
~Living independent and barrier free~

Time for People with Disabilities to vote- Your Voice Matters Your Vote Counts!

According to a website on the census of how many people have disabilities of some sort in the United States; are about 58 million people. With that amount of people affected by disabilities in the United States, this election is very important that we all get out there and vote! I wasn’t someone who always thought this way about voting because I thought politics was boring, but I am glad I woke up and am now educated.

With the elections right around the corner, I just wanted to pass along some important information about voting. Since I live in Washington State, I know that the deadline to register to vote is 30 days prior to the elections. However, if a person is not yet registered they have to go in person, TODAY, to a county elections department.

I am glad I did my research ahead of time because when I was helping my mom figure out how to register online to vote, since she is a new resident to Washington, I looked myself up and saw my status to vote was inactive. I didn’t update my new address when I moved, which was my error, so I am happy I got it all straightened out in time.

If you are from a state like mine and today is the last day to register, get going because it is so important for this election. If you are not sure about the voting requirements or when your state deadline is this website seems helpful:

http://www.declareyourself.com/voting_faq/state_by_state_info_2.html


If you are registered to vote and still are unsure of your decision on which you are going to vote for, I suggest taking a look at the candidate’s different websites:

1) Here is a link to Obama’s plan on disability issues:
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/disabilities/

2) Here is information on McCain’s plans for Veterans:
http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/9cb5d2aa-f237-464e-9cdf-a5ad32771b9f.htm

3) Also, on McCain’s website, here is some information about people with disabilities, and what they have to say about McCain’s views of Americans with Disabilities:
http://americanswithdisabilities.johnmccain.com/AmericansWithDisabilities.htm

I am not going to share with you who I am voting for because I am writing this blog solely to educate you. I want you to make your own choice and remember that who you vote for is going to affect all of us in different ways, from health care to employment, and the future of the American’s with Disabilities Act. I know there are a lot of other issues to consider, but my game plan is vote for who I think is going to make my country better, and who is going to look out for people with disabilities.

Tammy Wilber
~Don’t miss the boat, Get out and VOTE!~

TIRED OF FIGHTING FOR MY RIGHTS FOR WHEELCHAIR ACCESS!

Does anyone ever get tired of fighting for your rights that we are entitled to, for wheelchair access to public places? I know this is just one of many things that the American with Disabilities Act covers, but we all know that the entire country is not wheelchair accessible.

After 15 years, I still try to be nice when I talk to people about how they can better improve wheelchair access such as a bathroom in a restaurant or even handicap parking, but after a while it get’s tiring. I have never sued anyone over wheelchair access issues. Instead I try to make suggestions and work with them, rather than just bark at them and say FIX IT OR I WILL SUE YOU! I just try to remember to “treat other people as I would want to be treated,” but it doesn’t always work. Today is a perfect example how frustrating it can be to fight for my rights. I live in Washington State and it was time to renew my tabs on my car, so to make it easy I went online paid the fee and chose the option pick them up at a location that was easy for me instead of paying to have them mailed.

So here is what happened when I went to pick the tabs. I pulled into the handicap parking spot located right in front of the licensing agency, got my wheelchair out locked the car and sat there thinking where’s the ramp? I looked for a ramp and didn’t see one anywhere. I looked around the parking lot, but stopped because the parking lot was not paved well, there were big speed bumps and there were lot’s of cars pulling in and out. So I sat there contemplating what to do and looked at the curb in front of me and thought I would test out my wheelchair skills. I use a manual wheelchair so I occasionally will pop down curbs, but I am not very good at going up them. So I found the lowest part of the curb, got my momentum going and popped up the curb. I usually don’t like doing curbs forward because I feel like I could fall out of my wheelchair because of my balance. I made it up the curb safely, but did feel a little like I could have catapulted out of my wheelchair. I sat there thinking all of this just to pick up my license plate tabs, heck I should have just paid the extra shipping to have it mailed to my house.

So, I go inside and very smiley and politely asked the lady behind the desk why there was no ramps, and she said she didn’t know because they don’t own the property. I told her about my dilemma and she couldn’t have cared less. All of a sudden she remembered there were ramps on both ends of the plaza. I asked her for the property manager’s phone number and she was happy to comply and give it to me. I got my tabs, went out the door and went to the opposite end of the plaza to find the ramp, meanwhile my car was right in front of me and the plaza is a long building. I went all the way to the end of the plaza and there was no ramp. Instead of a ramp the sidewalk just met the pavement of the parking lot because it evened out on the slope of the hill. So, I go through the parking lot, avoiding cars, slowly rolling over the large speed bumps, and got back in my car. At this point I was frustrated, but waited a few minutes to gather my thoughts and called the property manager. I was very polite on the phone to the property manager and explained my situation. I told them I like to educate people and make suggestions about accessibility and how they can make accommodations very easily. I first suggested that they put a sign up to say where the “ramps” were located. Putting up a sign was only a suggestion for a temporary fix, but said they should add an ADA wheelchair ramp next to the handicap spots- then I started hearing yelling. The property manger was yelling, “I don’t have time for this, I don’t have the money, and the economy is bad.” and they told me to sue them if I wasn’t happy. I kept my cool, asked them to calm down and why can’t they just put up a sign? Then click! That was the end of the conversation because they hung up on me. So in this case being nice didn’t get me anywhere, and when I say nice I was being extremely polite! I could have screamed back at them, but I didn’t. So, my question is now what? Do I file a complaint with? Do I seek out a lawyer? Do I keep calling them while still remaining nice about it? There are many things that I could do, but for right now all I can say is, I am just too tired to deal with it and won’t be going back there next year.

Don’t get me wrong I know how lucky I am to have these rights because of the Americans with Disabilities Act. I just want to be proactive and help improve access for wheelers. I have heard terrible stories from around the world of what it is like for people with disabilities, and I know I am very fortunate. I just want to improve my own access and that is why I am asking for suggestions and feedback for my situation and would like to know what you have done in these kinds of situations?

Tammy Wilber
~Tired of Fighting for my Rights~