My work requires a lot of advocacy. Usually systemic in nature. Arguing the case for the holistic inclusion of the needs of people with disabilities into the way places do business. Trying to make it easy for the decision makers to look good and if your very lucky understand why such policies will work.
It requires a strange balancing act. A tightrope between passion, pragmatism, diplomacy and complete dis-interest; often about the same topics in a short space of time. this is an exhausting juggle but an extremely neccessary one, to maintain sanity and credibility not to mention effectiveness.
Also as a member of a sub-group within the minority, supposedly representing the interests of the whole minority I tend to practise a fair degree of reverse discrimination to ensure I’m not favouring people who use wheelchairs over those with other disabilities. So my own personal experience of living is not something I usually give myself time to consider between 8 am and 6 pm.
However while explaining the issue of why a contraversial ramp is neccessary:
P1 “Why is this ramp important?”
Me “Because we cant build something that excludes”
P1 “How do you feel as a person with a disability when stuff is built that you can’t use?”
I get discreetly choked up and say nothing.
P1 ” ok we are going to do an op-ed and you’re the subject”
go figure.
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