My Friends Video Americans With Disabilities Act

[Nyboy]

My friend liz worked very hard on getting this video made. I am very proud of her.

 

[journey11]

Very well done. I agree, social barriers and misconceptions are the last major hurdle to overcome. Everyone deserves to be given a chance to contribute their best to society and everyone has something they can give.

My DH's aunt suffers from schizophrenia. She has really come a long way in recent years after finding her niche and it has given her the will to stay on her meds and out of the hospital, knowing she has others depending on her. She heads a support group and teaches art classes to other mentally ill individuals and also to seniors in assisted living facilities. She has been featured in several art shows around the state too. I am so proud of her. We go to as many of her shows as we can. I will show her this video. She will like it.

My 20-year-old sister has Asperger's. She has not found her place to shine yet. I worry that she doesn't get very good help from the assistance program my mom has her enrolled in. They have a hard time finding quality individuals who have their heart really in the work they do, rather than just for the money. My mom is also very introverted and passive and doesn't fight for things like she really should. I have another friend with Asperger's who is going to college for culinary arts. His parents have done an awesome job advocating for him and searching out opportunities.

 

[dickiebird]

I watched this video and think it was very well made....but I don't always agree with what some of the disabled community wants as standards for everyone else to abide by.

THANX RICH

 

[digitS']

I think it's great .

I haven't had "normal" hearing from a very young age. It has been a slow slide and includes over 30 years using hearing aids. About 15 years ago, I went from moderate to severe hearing loss. Profound is the next step - that is what we usually call "deaf."

I always wanted to be able to do what nearly everyone else could do. I didn't fit in the deaf community and didn't want to. The young deaf lady in the video said she wasn't disabled. In a way, she is right. She has a language and is able to communicate quite well with other deaf people. However, there are very few hearing people with any real skill in sign. 99.9% have no skill. So, these people are isolated. They form their own communities and tend to be quite defensive about these relationships. How else could it be? Well, I'm sure that it was quite a bit worse not all that long ago.

If 99.9% of a crowd of people will not communicate with you, you are alone in a crowd. You can keep your mouth shut, nod and smile ... that's about it. It's not the way I like things! I may understand. I can hear some, if it isn't too noisy, if I can also see someone speaking, if they don't have a bushy mustache . Ha!

I would have enjoyed my life more if I'd been better integrated. I could also have had greater flexibility, extroversion. I had speech therapy at age 10. Other than that, I can't remember a thing ... until I tried using a text telephone 20 years ago. Nightmare! The hearing world didn't want to deal with someone who used a calling assistant, paid for through ADA. Fine. I struggled for another 10 years.

Even now ... sensitive helpful nurses ... I want info by email or, I'll come in to the office and try it face-to-face. I get a phone call!!! Can't give you information by email! You need an appointment, no walk-ins even to just get info from the nurse! Oh, you don't understand me? Sorry ...

Even my stinking insurance company ... "we need you to answer some questions over the phone." "He doesn't use the phone!" "Oh." A month later, they call back - again and again and again. "Send it by mail!"

Letter arrives, "We have been trying to reach you. Please call, 1-800 ...." !!!

Would this have been more difficult if I had severe loss before ADA? I'm sure it would have been. At least now, there is a glimmer of awareness that we aren't all standard issue. Kinda like what the guy said who lived in a house where everything was above his head.

Steve

 

[Smart Red]

What a crazy world you've been trying to adapt to, Steve. I am beginning to find the world much like yours as DH loses both the ability to hear on the phone and the ability to understand questions/recall answers.

* The caller says they need to talk to Clayton. I tell them he doesn't use the phone. I can talk for him. No, they need his permission to talk to me. Okay, I say, ask for permission. They ask Clayton, what's your birthdate? Clayton asks me, Linnae, what do they want? I get back on the line and say ask me what you want Clayton to answer. They say they need him on the line. Fine, I say, here he is. Just ask him if it is okay to let me speak for him. Instead they ask, Clayton, what is your social security number? Back to me, Clayton turns wondering, Linnae, what do they want? Tell them for me.*

I know the deaf community is adamant that they are not disabled and I understand why they feel that way, but it still seems that they are hearing impaired and it is a factor when they expect to get along in a hearing world.

I had the nicest neighbors, both profoundly deaf, who had three children also deaf. I was amazed at how they adapted their home -- phone, fire alarm, doorbell, etc. -- and I was able to communicate with the husband a bit, but it seemed that their deafness was a problem that sign language alone couldn't solve.

Steve, I would suggest you telling businesses you deal with that you don't have a phone. Yes, they would look at you as if you were crazy -- just as they look at me for not having a cell phone at my ear -- but without a number to call they would have to notify you by mail (or E-mail).

 

[journey11]

Even now ... sensitive helpful nurses ... I want info by email or, I'll come in to the office and try it face-to-face. I get a phone call!!! Can't give you information by email! You need an appointment, no walk-ins even to just get info from the nurse! Oh, you don't understand me? Sorry ...

Even my stinking insurance company ... "we need you to answer some questions over the phone." "He doesn't use the phone!" "Oh." A month later, they call back - again and again and again. "Send it by mail!"

Letter arrives, "We have been trying to reach you. Please call, 1-800 ...." !!!

If anyone should make an effort to accommodate you, it should certainly be your doctor and his/her office. I know they have their HIPAA regulations to comply with, but you would think the ADA would certainly allow them to make an exception as needed. Or maybe they're just set in their ways or lazy? My physician sends the general results of my annual well-woman visit by (snail) mail and DH has gotten health screening results back by mail too, so I have to question that they "can't" do that for you too.

 

[digitS']

I had "follow up" questions after tests at a specialist's office. (More like "recovery questions") The primary care office puts things in their secure server email for their patients. Yay!

It wasn't the first time that I have had a phone call immediately after a question I've sent email with the information that I cannot use the phone. ... just, what I thought was an extreme example.

The problem is that we are all different. Imagine people visiting five "disabled" in your neighborhood. They start at my house and we sort things out. Then they arrive nextdoor and one turns to the other and says, "okay, 'disabled,' so that means we have to speak clearly and directly." But, the person who lives there doesn't have hearing loss, she is blind and won't be able to read the literature they have for her.

The next house, same conversation outside the door but this person uses a wheelchair and has no trouble hearing or reading. He just takes too long to open the door and the visitors think he's not at home and leave. Another "disabled," cannot speak clearly. The visitors make errors recording her answers to their questions. The fifth "disabled" has mental problems and won't open the door to strangers.

The only one accommodated was me! The visitors failed even with communicating information to 4 out of 5.

Can accommodation be broad enough to serve everyone in all circumstances? Probably not. But, don't be surprised if some people feel isolated and left out. And, don't require them to appear in person at a courthouse with only a flight of stairs to reach the door. Things had to change.

Steve

 

[Smart Red]

The ADA was needed and has been a great help in many instances, however, just as equal rights was needed and has been a great help in many instances, there is still room for improvement. As long as humans make mistakes, problems will arise.

Steve, you didn't even address the disability of one of the visitors. ADHD can make a good, knowledgable visitor -- who understands the purpose of each visit -- inflexible to the changes required by each person's disability.

 

[valley ranch]

Hi, Interesting subject. I maintain and build adaptive ski equipment that is used with persons with missing limbs or other disabilities, wifey is the coordinator or the adaptive ski program at a major ski resort.

I understand the need for something like the ADA, but disagree when it is used to bully and sue.

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The video was well done.

 

[Nyboy]

I really felt for the man who wanted to become a teacher, but didn't because he was told no one would hire him.