Fuzzy Thoughts - Being Differently Abled
So the "A" on my key board is... defective. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it sticks and sometimes it won't respond at all. So I get this.
Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. I know. Tke it prt nd fix it. But you see... tht hsn't worked. So my bility to crete is hmpered gretly. See?
I write for aaaaaaaaaaaaaa living. Technical Writing (which I am very good at) - is different thn cretive stuff - which I do for fun (which I am oky at). TW is pretty stright forwrd - except... even Tech needs the " " tht will not work.
SMH. New computer isn't in the budget so thingd just got interesting.
This brings me to being Disabled or Differently-Abled.
There are innumerable ways to be D.Abled. And often it is a combination of things rather than one single thing that keeps us from fully utilizing the systems set up for an 'Average Human'. The systems put in place to give equal access fall under the umbrella term
ACCESSIBILITY
But people in the know will chuckle and say "Okay. Now what? Define that puppy.
Anything that "keeps [someone] from using systems" is a barrier to access. Those who can not use the average systems are left outside the normative experience of ... well... anything really.
That's the fact of existing for those of us who do not fit the psper-cut-out of 'Normal' or 'Average'.
You can't read the form to get a copy of your birth certificate because the lighting in the room is subpar and the text is too small. Or - the computer screen is a jumble of white and pastel and the click box is somewhere in the middle of all that but the terminal is in the sun and you can't see it... and there is no one available to help.
The ramp is blocked. The elevator jam is too wide. The parking ramp isn't lit. The surface of the parking lot is fractured with holes and cracks. The movie is not subtitled, the movie does not have audio description. The dog is not allowed at your feet. Your visual timer is not allowed at your work station because 'it looks cluttered'. Letters are seen by your eyes but are jumbled by your brain and there's no one willing to give you an oral test. Your skin requires shade, but you're constantly told to take off our hat.
We are differently abled and we bring our systems with us, when possible, to help us navigate the places you take for granted. Along with these tools that make us stand out...
"Sir, I would turn off my phone but it is providing speech to text transcription of the movie so that I can read the dialog when their lips are not facing me. I promise it will not ring."
... is being constantly subjected to everyone else's opinion of your abilities as perceived by their full-abled normal-ness to surf the world.
And those opinions will be provided publicly - with or without a side dish of humiliation. Everyone is socially abled to have an opinion on YOUR ability or inability to use or need systemic assistance. Especially that disability is invisible. Everyone feels it's their right to judge whether you are 'faking' either for attention or a check.
↑ Thank you VoodooHorde on DeviantArt ↑
We are differently abled. We need assistance of various kinds to navigate a world that is fashioned for the fully-abled. We know the world is not set up for us, we don't expect it to be. We do, however, expect to have options available that allow us to participate and a certain amount of empathy goes a long, long way in helping.
We are differently abled and if you're curious about what that may be like... try loosening your A key ... then go on line and try to communicate as 'normal'. When your friends on Discord or TikTok or Facebook say something about your spelling, explain to them that your A is wonky. Sit back and endure the flood of well meaning or accusatory comments ... that is kinda what it's like for us every day.
