From the mailbag:

I have a small and humble blog called Diary of a Goldfish and I’m hosting the first ever Blogging Against Disablism Day on May 1st. Disabled people are very much the poor relations of the egalitarian movements and I am in a rather quiet corner of the blogosphere. However, since you guys brought us Blogging Against Racism day, I wondered it if you would consider giving us a mention. Would be very much appreciated. The main link is:

http://blobolobolob.blogspot.com/2006/04/
blogging-against-disablism-day-1st-may.html

Thanks,
Deborah a.k.a The Goldfish

I’m in. I encourage you to give it some thought as well.

1. 
   craig 2006 04 17 at 8:07:01 pm

   If I had a blog I’d complain about the people who have derisively said I’m on “welfare,” alleged that I’m just a con-man, or otherwise referred to my being on disablity as “scamming the system.” Also the ones who try to be helpful by saying I just have to “fight it harder,” etc., said things like “if you can type this message, then you’re not disabled.”
   “What, are you typing this with one of those mouth sticks? If not, you’re just lazy…” etc.

   When people ask “so… what do you do? Where do you work?” I get a knot in my stomach. On the one hand, I’m not ashamed of letting people know what’s up with me, but then I always have to deal with the confused looks as people count my four limbs and can’t figure it out… and the occasional person who says something like “my brother says he knows a lawyer who could get me in on that, but I just wasn’t raised that way I guess.”

2. 
   Chris Clarke 2006 04 18 at 2:47:31 am

   Well, Craig, this is a venue you have open to you. Just sayin’.

3. 
   Buffalo Gal 2006 04 18 at 9:33:16 pm

   My thoughts about disability - it takes many forms and many disguises.  Every day I see people with canes, crutches, wheelchairs.  I also see people wandering the streets, living in their own mental worlds even if they seem physically OK.  I think these unfortunates should be helped, even if they are not “contributing” to society.  The only alternative is to let them lead lives of misery before they die.

   In my own case, I seem to deal with chronic depression better in some ways, worse in others.  Drugs and therapy have helped me come to terms with who I am; I am happier than I have been in many years.  But I struggle more with meeting the day-to-day challenges - can I go to work?  can I work in my garden?  Sometimes it seems that denial was a better way - I forced myself to carry on.  Now that I’ve accepted the label, I let myself go more. 

   I used to feel that people who went on disability for mental conditions (except of course the extreme cases) were taking the easy way out.  But as life goes on and there is always, always a level of struggle just to do the minimum, I wonder if there will be some point at which I am no longer capable of the struggle.  Not just no longer willing, but truly incapable.  Is this what happens to drowning victims, that sinking beneath the cold water is at last a release from fighting to escape it?

4. 
   Ron Sullivan 2006 04 19 at 12:48:57 pm

   Craig, just puke on their shoes.

   Since you’re not bloggin’ from Beefalo, I for one wouldn’t mind seeing you here. I’ve missed seeing your stuff.

   Buffalo Gal, IME it’s useful to realize that the “mental” is physical, and go from there. Gave me a little bit of a break from beating myself over the head.