Did you know that there is an International Day for People with Disabilities? I didn’t. Not until this year, though I have been a part of the community of people with disabilities for over 16 years now. Yet, the annual observance of the day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1992…just two years after the Americans with …
Survival Day #16, A Year of Loss and Discovery
This year, Survival Day began at 1:45am when a searing phantom pain disrupted my precious sleep. Awareness dawned before physical reaction and I was able to clamp down on the rising scream before it erupted into the night. Irena still slept beside me. I propped myself up on an elbow, wondering if that was just a single pain, or the …
A Renaissance Fair, A Concert, & The Feast of the Hunter’s Moon
The past three weekends have been full of public events for Irena and I. One of the ongoing stressors for people with disabilities is attending public events. Especially when they are in unfamiliar territory or uncontrolled conditions. For some, the level of fear can become paralyzing, creating a border of frustration and isolation between themselves, their loved ones, and their …
Accessibility: Code vs. Practical Application
Before I acquired my disabilities I worked as a Manager in the Hospitality industry. I was aware of the Americans with Disabilities Act, though no emphasis was placed on my understanding of it’s details or it’s purpose. All I really knew was that it was a law that said how many rooms and parking spaces we needed to have designated …
Kudos to Deer Creek & the Dave Matthews Band
Last Saturday Irena and I had the pleasure of attending the Dave Matthews Band concert at Deer Creek (Ruoff Music Center…but I’m from the time when it was called Deer Creek, as is Dave Matthews, and I’m pretty sure we both refuse to call it anything corporate) with our close friends Scott & Phoenix. A few months ago I reserved …
Walking Spirit Blog – Historical Posts
I invite you to read my journey here: Walking Spirit. Through the archives you can begin with the earliest blog posts, written by my sister to keep our community of family, friends, and supporters updated on my condition while I was in a medically induced coma and in the early days of my recovery. You can then read along as …
Survival Day #15 – Year of the Pandemic
What has happened to our world? (Part of me just wants to leave it there, that question, unanswered, and go back to bed). Fifteen years ago an almost 6 week medically induced coma was a wonderful way to escape from reality. Though not my intent when I climbed into my Jeep after a long day of work at the Walden …