What is normal? By Kelly Rouba

A few weeks ago, I was invited to lead a discussing on finding employment at a Center for Independent Living (CIL) in New Jersey. As someone with a mobility impairment, I know quite well how difficult it can be to find a job. I’ve had to overcome a lot of barriers to get where I am today, and I am happy to say that I love my job and my employer.

Unfortunately though, many employers are not capable of looking beyond a person’s “disability” in order to appreciate his or her “abilities”—no matter how talented he or she may be. Over the years, I have discovered a few ways in which individuals can prove their self worth and as I prepared to offer my advice to those at the workshop, the executive director of the CIL asked the group how they would respond if a Human Resources representative asked them about their disability. One girl who had a cognitive impairment quickly piped up and said, “I don’t have a disability. I am normal.”

With that, a silence fell upon the room as everyone was taken aback. I know I was. But, the more I thought about it, the more I realized she was right. We SHOULD all be considered “normal” and not referred to by our “special needs” or “disability.” In fact, a few people I know who have a disability prefer to call themselves “differently abled.”

While this phrase may or may not appeal to you, it’s a step in the right direction. It would be great if society could evolve enough to start celebrating each other’s strengths and stop focusing on the weaknesses. Imagine how productive we could be?

The other day, one of my friends said that everyone has a disability—they just don’t always realize it. It is true that we all have our inabilities—some are just more obvious than others. And it’s unlikely that you would want someone to harp on your limitations. This only makes people feel worthless and does nothing to make them want to rise to the challenge or help them grow as a person.

So let’s not forget that we are all “unique” in our own way, and because of that, we all have something special to offer. Here’s to being normal!

Five percent-No Excuses!

ThisAbled.com is calling on President Obama to employee people with disabilities at all levels of the Federal Government.  Currently, people with disabilities make-up less than 1 percent of the Federal workforce, this is unacceptable.  We can longer afford to keep the most vulnerable in poverty by denying them jobs and promotions.  America is better than that and we will prove it!

Together, we will send Washington a clear and unequivocal mandate to fix the unemployment problem which faces 54 million people with disabilities.  We will not, we cannot and we must not take the same lame excuses that we have for decades.  The Clinton Era promise of 100,000 new jobs for people with disabilities was a cruel hoax perpetrated on a community of people who have no choice but to believe in promises made by government.   During the rolling economic times of the Clinton Presidency, Executive Order 13163 went into effect.  It called for 100,000 new hires by the year 2005 today Disabled employees represent 0.92 percent of the federal workforce, a decrease of nearly 15 percent since 1997.  

The Ticket to Work Act of 1999, also signed by President Clinton has been a serious disappointment to people with disabilities wishing to work.  The saving grace of the Act may be the Medicaid Buy-In program which has allowed thousands of people with disabilities, to receive medical benefits while working.  These, programs are run through a States’ Medicaid Agency and may go by different names in different States.  For a list of Buy-In States go to http://www.nchsd.org/links/index.asp?c=39 and click on your State.

One would suppose that the unfulfilled promise of 100,000 jobs by Uncle Sam was a kick in the gut.  However, what really leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of many Americans is the money and effort expended by the Federal and State government to “get people employed”.  For example, in 2001 “The Social Security Administration (SSA) awarded MAXIMUS a $56.4 million nationwide contract to provide Program Management services for the Ticket-to-Work and Self-Sufficiency Program. (Maximus Website).

The five-year contract would make MAXIMUS the Program Manager for the Ticket-to-Work Program. They would be responsible for recruitment and management of nationwide employment networks anticipated to be in excess of 4,500.  In addition, they would coordinate services to 13 million Ticket recipients over the next five years; assistance to SSA in processing payments to employment networks; and operation of a national call center.  In reality, more people with disabilities were working before this contract than after it.  MAXIMUS, like most huge conglomerates never got it.   Therefore, no jobs were really ever created.  Here is a thought, contract someone to get 100,000 people hired into the Federal system, then move on from there.

Everyone has heard of all the new jobs that will be created under an Obama Administration; well we want 5 percent of at least the Federal workforce to be people with disabilities.  The Federal workforce is under the direct control of the President.  54 million people with disabilities have waited too long and cannot afford to wait another year.

What can we do this year?

Sign and Share our Petition to President Obama.  Simply copy the text below and email it to friends, family, colleagues or post it on websites and social network sites, Facebook and My Space.

Five percent-No Excuses!

The Second part of 2009 efforts on behalf of people with disabilities has begun. Here is the www.thisabled.com petition to President Obama to increase the number of Federal employees with disabilities by five percent. We ask that you sign it and forward to others as well as share.

http://www.petitiononline.com/Thisable/petition.html

Petition Text

We call on President of the United States Barrack Obama to employee people with disabilities at all levels of the Federal Government.  Currently people with disabilities make-up less than 1 percent of the Federal workforce, this is unacceptable.  We can longer afford to keep the most vulnerable in poverty by denying them jobs.  America is better than that and we will prove it!

Five percent of Federal workforce to be people with disabilities by 2013, no excuses!

Together, we will send Washington a clear and unequivocal mandate to fix the unemployment problem which faces 54 million people with disabilities.  We will not, we cannot and we must not take the same lame excuses, we have for decades.  Five percent-No Excuses!

Sign the petition at:  http://www.petitiononline.com/Thisable/petition.html  

Can Obama make it better?

Will anything change under an Obama administration for people with disabilities?   That is the fundamental question people with disabilities are grappling with.  Will there be meaningful change that is measureable in four years?  Or will it be more of the same, repackaged with a Democratic gift wrap?  There is possibly a bright spot to the beginning of this four year journey with the first African American President of the Nation, he actually acknowledged people with disabilities in his victory speech.  For a few seconds the world thought about the existence of an overlooked and underserved portion of the United States populace.  But will acknowledgement lead to action in a depressed economy?  The worst economy in a century will pose a serious challenge to this President and an even greater challenge to our community.   Will we matter?

There are so many questions facing the new President when he takes office in January.  Many to which we may not know the answer to for years to come.   So what exactly is it that people with disabilities want?  I suppose primarily the community as a whole is seeking a President who keeps the promises made to them; someone who understands the importance of inclusion and diversity in their Administration and acts on it. 

Too many politicians understand the importance of diversity but forget to implement it when they come into office.  I have served on election campaigns for successful candidates who promised much to people with disabilities and eventually delivered little, if anything.    Our diversity as a group makes us great, we are Latino, White, African American, Jewish, Moslem, male,female but it is also our Achilles heel.   We become easy to forget as we fade back into distinct groups and are no longer organized around supporting our favorite candidate.  Trying to track us as a group really is like “nailing Jello to the wall”.  We are a mass of ideologies and ideas with a poor track record of long term cohesiveness.  What I am saying is that we can come together as a non-homogeneous group for certain issues, i.e. national elections, but we do not sustain that group push. 

That lack of constant push I would argue is what separates us from other groups when it comes to overall empowerment.  It is also what we need, to ensure that politicians do not forget about or overlook our issues.  I am not saying that we cannot do this.  We in fact have a track record of successful pushes for the Americans with Disabilities Act, Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Work Incentives Act of 1990 just to name a few.  Success is achievable. 

Regardless of how many promises are made it is us as a group that can make sure they are kept.  We as a group do not have the luxury of waiting till the next election or the next law to pass before we act.  There are commonalities which unite us all, regardless of our racial, religious, or ethnic background.  We must continue to unite on common ground as we move forward. Issues such as housing, employment, health care, transportation, and education connect us all, but affect people with disabilities disproportionately.  Poverty is the direct outcome of the neglect experienced by our community by past Administrations, who promised jobs, health care and inclusion.  It is not in our best interest to meld into the background and hope for the best.  We must maintain that commonality of struggle and that take no prisoner attitude to ensure promises are kept this time.       

In my last blog about Sarah Palin I spoke about the convenience of using people with disabilities when it is politically expedient.  After all many of us can make a great photo OP even better.  Regardless of our feelings and likes or dislikes we must begin holding office holders accountable.  With that in mind, here are a few things that you can do to ensure that our views and needs are not put aside until the next election:

·         Find the commonalities which unite your group with other groups such as employment, education, or health care.

·         Agree to push issues together which benefit all such as, stem cell research or handicapped parking bills.

·         When politicians come into office in January 2008 write them a letter as to what you expect to be as it regards people with disabilities.

We cannot let four more years go by without action and cohesion.  It’s your life.  Live it!

Sharing Spinal Love

Here I am a week away from the 2008 World Stem Cell Summit and have no funds to service my van. Looking at the directions I printed out it will be a total of 30 estimated hours to drive but took us over 40. The people that helped me to get to Wisconsin from New Jersey was my mother, Armando and Alvin, my dream team. Before leaving that night,September 18, 2008 while in bed I typed a list of things to take. Camera equipment to document the event for my IReports for CNN, some clothes for 3 days that turned in to 4, I was 2 T-Shirts short so I borrowed one from Armando. I listed everything I use daily and had what I use from bed pads, rubber gloves, medications, pain relievers for the night sweats, water bottle and the list goes on. So after we all get packed I take a nap in my chair tilting it back.

We left around 2 a.m. and Armando took the first driving shift, my van isn’t made for traveling although it made it from New Jersey to Atlanta two years ago it’s still a local van. The van is a wheelchair accessible modified 1999 Dodge Caravan that I’ve used for traveling all around the east coast. It’s a nice looking van but the modifications make is ride low so I’m always scraping the road when there’s bump and it’s especially scrapping under the van on entrances in to driveways. We finally on our way to Madison, Wisconsin making one last stop to fill the gas tank and get snacks for the road.

First stop was Pennsylvania where we started documenting interviews about what people knew about stem cells and who they feel in November 2008 will be best for the country and the hope many of us are looking for. Very interesting but after thinking about it, although we have seen controversy over stem cells many people know nothing but what they may seen or heard briefly, so not to many people knew what stem cells was . If it wasn’t for Christopher Reeve I may know just as much as many others.

Ohio was next, traffic was great until we hit Chicago which going both ways was the only city we ran into traffic both ways. The weather was beautiful reaching over 80 degrees the closer we got to Wisconsin. We stopped in Indiana for a third fill up, I pretty much fill up even if I’m on half a tank after Illinois was Wisconsin, making it there GPS style 11;30 p.m. Saturday night.

The lab on the lake was at the Pyle Center and Wisconsin Memorial Union Terrace on campus. I performed Get Up Stand Up and met Charlie Brooks that understood my mission and hope that we may be able to cure all diseases using stem cells. We went to the Governor’s mansion after , all I can say is wow. I was originally just there for Sunday, but my fiend Robert invited me to stay one more day for the summit at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison. We interviewed and enjoyed the event especially the food for me, I have to thank Rob and Bernard Siegel for inviting me and my family and I hope the next on comes to New Jersey where traveling is easier.

Many others there was Dr Wise Young, Dr Patricia Morton, Sabrina Cohen, Danny Heumann, J.D. , Peter D. Kiernan, III , Josh, Sam Schmidt and so many more.

I thank God for making everything possible especially getting me home after my van had a flat, the electrical system going crazy and my brakes giving out, finally in my backyard where it broke down. My next mission is writing a van or truck company to donate a van, I really would like a Hummer, let’s pray it happens.

Check out my web site for updates. http://www.professirx.com/ and http://www.myspace.com/professirx

Professir X

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