Disability Rights Advocate
By MandaLee
@MandaLee (3764)
United States
27 responses
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
26 Jul 12
Get all those lazy bums that are able to work off of disability & let them earn a living as i & so many others have. I don't know about your state but disability is pretty popular arond here]tennessee].
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
27 Jul 12
it should if it doesn't. guess she didn't like my answer either but she ask what she could do & that was my thoughts.
Dee, glad u agree,
1 person likes this
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
26 Jul 12
wow, that is fairly impressive. what i would suggest is to make sure that you speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. be fair and don't judge because you may not know everything about the people you are representing. will you have to travel?
2 people like this
@Loverbear (4918)
• United States
26 Jul 12
OMG! Congratulations!!!
Awhile ago Antiquelady and I had a discussion about people parking in the handicapped spots. We both vented a lot about things that really got to us as disabled people. I'll dig up the discussion and let you know what it was. I know that as a disabled person who needs to use the handicapped stall because my legs no longer are dependable, it needs to be addressed that because the stall is LARGEER than the other stalls, it isn't for the comfort of the people who aren't disabled. I hate to tell you how many times I go into Wal Mart or other stores and workers come out of the stalls or someone who is NOT disabled comes flying out of the booth. There should be some recourse...I hate to tell you how many times I have fallen into the stall door because my legs gave out and I fell forward (head first) into the door.
I know you'll do a great job...I am so excited for you!!!!
1 person likes this
@Loverbear (4918)
• United States
27 Jul 12
Turn us loose! I can have the guy filling his pants rather quickly!!! I took on a mall owner because I fell down a flight of stairs and injured myself BADLY!! There was no way to tell the steps from the sidewalk, and I missed the first step and went sailing down a flight of 10 steps. I didn't hit one step, I landed right on the sidewalk below the steps. It took surgery to fix my knee..I hit the sidewalk so hard I blew the knee cap out of the sack that it is in. The sack is constructed to absorb a lot of abuse, but it couldn't handle that high a fall.
I wrote the owner a letter and informed him that I had contacted my attorney and was about to sue, but would reconsider if they painted the ends of the steps so visually impaired people could tell that the steps were there. Funny how it only took two days for the steps to be painted and a hand rail installed. I didn't sue, I was involved with a suit when I was injured on the job and it took up my life for 12 llloooonnnnnggg (LONG) years. I won but I vowed that I wouldn't sue again unless there was no alternative.
The owner of the building is playing with fire as the ACLU loves people like him. We had a handicapped man come through our town and file suits with dozens of businesses (putting many of them out of business), winning thousands of dollars. He then traveled south and continued his harassment. The court system finally banned him from filing the suits. But the ACLU came through and visited 99% of the businesses in the area and issued citations for not being handicapped friendly. According to the Americans With Disabilities act, things like handicapped friendly access cannot be ignored and must be brought up to standards by a certain time. Our town is currently updating ALL the corners in town to comply with the AWD act. We went to the fair tonight and there is several special buses to transport the handicapped and wheelchair bound people. It is long past time for people to start considering the immobile person and realize that they have rights too!
1 person likes this
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
27 Jul 12
Many place are not accessable for the handicapped. I have a friend who has cerebral palsy. He is, of course, on a very limited budget and does much of his shopping at the salvation army. He brought it to all our attention that, of ALL places, the salvation army was not easily accessible for wheel chairs!! It is NOW! The store that I work in is not easy access. I can't tell you how many times that I've left a long line of customers to run and help someone in a wheel chair or on crutches or gotten another customer to help someone out. I've mentioned it to my boss who has mentioned it to the owner of the building who is incredibly lame...lives out of state. Sure could use an advocate like you on this one.
1 person likes this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
27 Jul 12
Congratulations on your appointment!
I would suggest talking to people and asking what they want and/or need. We might think that one thing is a priority, but there might be others that think that different things are a priority. The best way to find out is to ask and see what most people think and feel, and then decide for yourself. Also, you might want to find out what groups are not being advocated for as much as others and perhaps try to get the lesser ones more representation, especially if there are a larger number of them in your particular area.
I would suggest talking to people and asking what they want and/or need. We might think that one thing is a priority, but there might be others that think that different things are a priority. The best way to find out is to ask and see what most people think and feel, and then decide for yourself. Also, you might want to find out what groups are not being advocated for as much as others and perhaps try to get the lesser ones more representation, especially if there are a larger number of them in your particular area.1 person likes this
@Thoroughrob (11742)
• United States
26 Jul 12
What are you advocating for? What types of things? I would say a lot of it would be advocating to get equipment and things that people with disabilities need. Making sure they know the resources that are available to them. My son is disabled and there are always things we advocate for him.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
26 Jul 12
Back in the mid/late 1990's a friend of mine was appointed by her supervisor to help the Houston Public Library get in line with the ADA law.
I KNOW he picked her because she had hearing loss, but it was corrected with a hearing aid. I doubt he knew she was legally BLIND without her glasses (or contacts as the case may be.)
Even tho I have no disabilities, per se, I did hurt my feet so that I have difficulties walking distances and standing long periods of time.
I told her to walk around with the idea that if she had to pick up her feet from the ground it was going to be a problem for someone with a wheelchair.
I told her to consider any thing that she couldn't get around with her eyes shut (or her contacts out) it would be hard for a blind person.
And, that any alarm that didn't also include lights would be a problem for a deaf person.
When she took that information to the first meeting, they told her those were great suggestions.
I don't know if she said that a friend suggested it or not, but she told me that she appreciated my help - after all, I have worked with deaf people, people in wheelchairs and I have a blind friend (that was before the roomie became the roomie, but we were friends.)
So, its almost 20 years later, and there are still places that have problems with, if not access, so much as pitfalls for the handicapped.
1 person likes this
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
27 Jul 12
Congrats to you, MandaLee!! The disabled people really do need advocates. I see so many that get turned away while others that are a bit questionable seem to get it quite easily. I've got a couple of friends that are truly disabled that could really use someone that knows the system that could really help them. We need more people like you.
1 person likes this
@keshlois143 (713)
• Philippines
27 Jul 12
Congratulations Mandalee... That will be a fulfilling duty. Just keep your heart being concerned to the disable. Try to keep your eyes on them too to see practically what they really need. God bless you more wisdom on how to carry your duties out with this new opportunity to serve. Update us when you have started your way out towards these disable people.
1 person likes this
@beenice2 (2967)
• Sackville, New Brunswick
27 Jul 12
Be fair with people and your job right,and God will bless your work. Wish you strength to and guidance in your new job and lots of energy. Take a deep breath and go forward in your new job that has been appointed to you, hope that you can really help people that really needs it. Good luck.
1 person likes this
@debbygirl (213)
• Philippines
27 Jul 12
Wow! congrats mandalee! :)
That's really a great opportunity...
I have a friend who has disability too,he is blind. But he lives normally like everyone of us.
He can go anywhere he wants, he is in our band team, he joins choir and even read the Bible. But his always concern was his work. Here in our country its sad the the only work a blind can do here most of the time is to massage those having pain or play guitar and sing in the road. It's not the work that would help them in their needs, so i think the best suggestion i can give you is to first, live with them or spend time with them even in s short time each day, then try to do something about anything that concerns them or brings them treat like income.
And third, that they may feel loved and accepted by their country or place. I think that's very important. God be with you as you do your job! I know it was given to you for a purpose...
1 person likes this
@KrauseHome (36448)
• United States
22 Dec 12
This sounds like an interesting job, and one that will take a lot of work knowing what is really wrong with each person and then helping the Doctors and everyone to make the right decisions on if it is permanent, and if there is anything out there to help them resolve some of this. It sounds like an interesting yet hard task to under take. Wishing you always the Best.
@soraya452 (127)
•
17 Sep 12
Congraultions! Listen carefully to what disabled people need and do your best to help them. Life is hard enough as it is and is even harder when you have a disability. I'm sure you will be great in your new job.
