The Roving Activist’s Blog

Sorry this is so late folks. I’ve had bad luck with my Internet connection. Let’s hope that it lasts!

The fun Run was cool, even if it was a rainy, dreary day. Fortunately, it was not raining during the Fun Run, but it was damp. We made the most of it, though, and had lots of fun! Lisa and I did 25 laps. Sometimes, I wheeled myself, sometimes, I hung on to Dawn, or Terrie’s power chair, and sometimes, Lisa pushed me. Here are links to a couple of pics I managed to take:

David Runs David Hayes, of Colorado runs with the crowd

Lead On! A Birthday sign and card from Yoshiko

Bobby and Yoshiko Bobby Coward chats with Yoshiko

RA’s Note: Here is another article from today’s Democrat and Chronicle about incoming Governor Paterson. It is a decent article, with a number of quotes from me. Note though, that I am a Systems Advocate, not a Systems Analyst, even if it does have a nice ring to it.

Blind share hopes for Paterson’s role

Rene Latorre is legally blind, but she says her vision impairment is just another personal trait that has nothing to do with her successful career.

“It’s a characteristic like my hair color, my height. … To me, it’s no big deal,” said Latorre, director of advocacy for consumer concerns at the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired. “I’ve achieved what I’ve achieved because I’m driven and I haven’t taken no for an answer.”

The same should go for New York Lt. Gov. David Paterson, Latorre said: His rise to the governor’s office might make him a role model for blind people, but it should just be a “sidebar.”

Paterson will be sworn in as governor at 1 p.m. Monday after Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s resignation takes effect. Paterson will serve the remaining three years of Spitzer’s term.

“It seems like there’s so much focus on (Paterson’s) blindness …, but to me it’s ‘Is he a leader that is going to move the state forward?’” said Latorre, who lives in Brockport.

The National Federation of the Blind hopes Paterson’s tenure as governor will be a watershed.

“Despite the obvious successes of blind people in politics and other realms, the blind still face a situation where society has very low expectations for us and we are perceived as unable to do very much,” said spokesman Chris Danielsen. “Whenever a blind person reaches a high-profile position, it’s helpful to the rest of us and generates the idea that we are capable of doing anything we set our sights on, just as everybody else is.”

As an infant, Paterson was blinded by an infection. He has optic atrophy, a degeneration of the fibers of the optic nerve. He has no vision in his left eye and 20/400 vision in his right.

Paterson does not use a guide dog or a cane. His aides at work leave him long voice messages and record speeches so he can memorize them. He plays basketball, can recognize people from a few feet away and has run a marathon.

During a press conference on Thursday, Paterson said he’s “privileged, proud and flattered” to be a role model and gratified by “whatever extent my presence will impress upon employers or impress upon young people who are like me.”

Anita Cameron shares that hope. A systems analyst for the Center for Disability Rights in Rochester, she is legally blind and uses a wheelchair.

She longs for the day when “it won’t be a big deal for people to see someone with a disability at work and it won’t be amazing for people to see us out there doing all of the normal things other people do.”

Kim Klein of Rochester has been in the computer technology and programming business for almost 18 years. Born legally blind, his poor vision has progressively worsened over the years. But he has adapted, relying on a few tools and programs that translate written text to sound and continuing to do the same kind of work he did with better vision.

Klein, an adaptive technology administrator for ABVI, never fully learned to read Braille. He lost his sense of colors or shapes about eight years ago but can still sense some light differences, such as whether it is sunny or cloudy outside.

Not everyone has been as fortunate to have the tools that Klein has at his job site, said Cameron, 42, of Rochester.

Cameron, who has college degrees in biology and computer information systems, was unable to find work in her chosen fields after graduating, a problem she said many people with disabilities face.

So she now fights for more opportunities, access, education, transportation and affordable housing for people with disabilities, she said, adding that she hopes Paterson’s high profile will draw attention to the needs of disabled people.

“My disability, my own blindness is just an inconvenience,” she said. “So many people with disabilities have the same gifts I have but haven’t been able to work because the supports and services aren’t there.”

While there is some hope among disability advocates that these issues will become more prominent because of Paterson’s own disability, Klein said it will be a tough sell.

“I would expect that some accessibility issues will have more attention, but maybe not,” he said, since any statutory change would first have to pass the Legislature.

CLVARGAS@DemocratandChronicle.com

MCDERMOT@DemocratandChronicle.com

I’m sure that everyone has heard of the fall from grace of New York Governor, Eliot Spitzer. He has officially resigned from that post, and effective Monday, March 17, 2008, Lt. Governor David A. Paterson will assume the office.

Much has been made of Gov. Paterson. He is the first African-American to serve as governor of New York, and only the 4th Black governor in U.S. history. He is also the first legally blind governor in the history of this country, but the second person with a disability to serve as governor of New York (the first was Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who went on to serve 31/2 terms as president).

Of course, people in the Blind community in particular are very excited about Gov. Paterson, as are many African-Americans. I have mixed feelings. As an African American, I am very proud that he is our new governor. Many White folks, particulary in the local Rochester blogosphere are tiring of hearing of the fact that he is African American. To those brothers and sisters, I would say this: I know that you are getting tired of the Black this, and African American that. Put yourselves in our shoes, though. When most of what you hear about your race is about how some Black guy killed someone, or how Black people don’t fare well in school, or some stupidity involving so-called African American leaders, or how a huge percent of Black men are in jail, prison, or the criminal justice system, or other negativity about African Americans on and on, ad infinitum ad nauseum, it is refreshing and uplifting to hear something positive for a change. Though slavery is long dead, and we are slowly “overcoming”, if you will, there is still inherent and systemic racism that makes it difficult for us to achieve the American Dream. I am by no means advocating a victim mentality, or a “blame the White folks” mentality for the fact that many African Americans still experience major disparities between Whites in many area. I am a firm believer in hard work and perseverance, along with tenacity and much sacrifice, but I also know the realities of life in a society that still judges a person by the color of their skin, rather than the content of his or her character. I’ll never give up, but sometimes, the struggle can be hard!

Also, as a person with a disability, I am proud of Governor Paterson. I, too, am legally blind from birth, so I am aware of the struggles that he has had to endure. I know what it is like to have people doubt your intellectual capabilities, or even your own worth simply because of your disabilities. I know what it is like to have people see you as helpless, or act as if you’re Hercules, or some great hero or superbeing when the only thing that you have done is something ordinary — what they would take for granted.

On the other hand, I have this feeling of “whatever” about Gov. Paterson. I mean, he has not really come strongly about any disability issue other than accessible voting. I know that he is into stem cell research, but to me, that suggests wanting a cure for disability. Just because he is a person with a disability doesn’t mean that he will be a natural ally. We’ll have to work with him and educate him. Hopefully, it won’t be too hard of a task.

On January 15 and 16, 2008, 10 more co-sponsors signed on to the Community Choice Act! There are 2 significant things about this — who the people are, and the significance of the date. Four of the newest co-sponsors are on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, where the crew from Rochester, as well as several other ADAPT chapters were for the hearing on CCA yesterday. Did you notice the date? January 15th is the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.! It’s a wonderful coincidence that Rep. John Lewis, of Georgia, a well-known civil rights activist, signed on to CCA on the 15th, as did Rep. Edolphus Towns, of New York, one of only only three Black members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Rep. Elijah Cummings, of Maryland, another Black member of Congress.

Anyway, here is the list:

Rep Cummings, Elijah E. [MD-7] - 1/15/2008
Rep Doyle, Michael F. [PA-14] - 1/15/2008
Rep Farr, Sam [CA-17] - 1/15/2008
Rep Kaptur, Marcy [OH-9] - 1/15/2008
Rep Kennedy, Patrick J. [RI-1] - 1/15/2008
Rep Lampson, Nick [TX-22] - 1/15/2008
Rep Lewis, John [GA-5] - 1/15/2008
Rep Solis, Hilda L. [CA-32] - 1/16/2008
Rep Towns, Edolphus [NY-10] - 1/15/2008
Rep Waxman, Henry A. [CA-30] - 1/16/2008

I’ve been a bit busy lately, not only with work, but with my new partner, as we get to know each other better. She has been coming to the ADAPT actions for about five years now, so some of you may know her, or at least, recognize her. Anyway, I want to wish everyone a happy, prosperous, fruitful, and productive New Year, chock full of the best!

I found myself walking down memory lane today as I perused old copies of Incitement, ADAPT’s newsletter. That got me to thinking about Wade Blank, one of the founders of ADAPT, and of Atlantis Community, the second oldest independent living center in the country. Wade was such a neat person, and I miss him! I am blessed by having known and worked for him at Atlantis. He was my mentor. Wade’s birthday was yesterday. He would’ve been 67 years old. On that thought, the ADAPT 25th year action is April 26-May 2.

Today marks the first anniversary of my job at CDR. Sunday marked my first year in Rochester. It has been an amazing year, and I hope for many more to come!

I’m sorry that I am late to participate in the Disability Blog Carnival going on over at Kara’s, but I’m just not good with ifs. I decided to to repost an old post that I did on July 5, 2006. It refers to the July 4th launching of the space shuttle, Discovery, and some thoughts that I had, and still have about astronauts with disabilities. Those who know me, know that I am a nerd, and as a child, I was really into space and science. My biggest dream was to become an astronaut. Of course, if I had been able to do that, I wouldn’t have joined ADAPT and…

Some Thoughts…

I spent yesterday, the 4th of July checking out the launch of space shuttle Discovery. It was the first time ever that the shuttle had launched from Kennedy Space Center on the nation’s birthday. I watched with pride as the bird took off on the 230th birthday of the United States. I was especially proud of the two female crew members, one of whom is an African American. It reminded me of my childhood dreams of being an astronaut back in the days when neither women nor Blacks were accepted into the astronaut program.

This led me to wondering if NASA employs people with disabilities. Are there any folks with disabilities who are members of any of the many projects and teams that NASA has, or are we relegated to being merely janitors, cooks, or maybe, secretaries? I then began wondering if we ever got off of this rock, what role would people with disabilities play in this. Would we forever be left out of the important stuff? I believe that most folks with disabilities are healthy enough to withstand the rigors of spaceflight. At this point, though, I think that the only way that someone with a disability will get into space is if they are a rich tourist.

That is why I will be glad when private companies start doing regular space trips. Space travel and exploration should be for anyone who wants to go, and is healthy enough to do so, regardless of disability. It shouldn’t be just for government employees, or the super-rich. Just wait–when we have habs on the Moon, I’m going to apply as a policy analyst or an accessibility specialist. My skills and talents can be put to use anywhere, so why not the Moon, eh?

*********

Since that post, Discovery is once again on another mission, STS 120, and once again, Stephanie Wilson is up there making me proud to be an African American woman! Once again, I am thinking of what if people with disabilities could become astronauts or work in the space industry. Since that post, Stephen Hawking, the renowned theoretical physicist (who happens to be a person with ALS), was able to experience weightlessness. In April (or thereabouts) of this year, he took a ride on a 747 that NASA uses as a training lab so that astronauts can learn to work in microgravity. Though NASA was somewhat worried about the effect that this would have on professor Hawking, he managed quite well.

As I said before, I’m not good with ifs, but what if people with disabilities could become asronauts, or travel into space. Would the culture be different? What if NASA got over its fear and set up such a program? Would they find out that there were some things that people with disabilties could do better in microgravity, or weightlessness than nondisabled folks? What if one day, we set out on a voyage of colonization because we used up the resources of Mother Earth. Would people with disabilities be allowed to go? What if we had equal say in the governance of a new world? Would it be a better place? What if — never mind, I think I’ve gone far enough already in my ramblings!

I rarely ask for help with a project, but now I’m going to. As many of you know, I have been asked by the editor of the Empty Closet, our local GLBT newspaper, to be a regular columnist. I only have to submit a photo, and the name of the column to get set up. Unfortunately for me, naming things is not my forte, so I am asking you, my Gentle Readers, to help me come up with a suitable name for the column. Send me your ideas for a name, and I’ll pick the best one. If your name is chosen, I will credit you in my first column!

The column will be a look into ordinary life from my perspective as a Lesbian Disability Rights activist, and Woman of Color. While the column is serious, there will also be an element of light-heartedness and humor.

So, send in those names via the Comment section, and may the best name win!

Once again, I have gone quite a while without posting. It has been an incredibly busy time for me! So much has been happening, from our trip to Albany for the MISCC meeting, to our fabulous wheelchair rugby clinic with Mark Zupan, star of the film, Murderball, and everything in between! I will tell you everything over the next few posts. Stay tuned!