#Disability Accommodation

[wewanttolive]

As it is disability pride month, it’s good to recognise the places in your area which are not accessible.

Shops, medical spaces, other raised areas can be made difficult to access for many people including but not limited to wheelchair and walker users. Ramps are sometimes constructed but extremely steep ramps can still be just as difficult to get up and down with.

Anti-homeless architecture is also greatly anti-disability as it takes away places to sit and rest which can be beneficial to people who want to be able to walk and enjoy the neighbourhood and go to the shops but find it hard with disabilities affecting their muscles or energy.

Talking to council members and encouraging petitions and projects dedicated to accommodating people with physical disabilities can help make your neighbourhood a more accessible, friendly area. :)

[mental-mona]

This is aimed at Reform synagogues, but 90% of the advice applies to synagogues of ALL denominations.

[newyorkthegoldenage]

A man on crutches tries out the Van Rensselaer Moto-Chair, February 6, 1923. It was operated entirely by hand controls and was to be exhibited at the National Motorcycle Show at the Armory.

Photo: Underwood Archives via Fine Art America

[sephirocks]

So I'm on a trip to see friends and I'm coming home and when I land at my fucin uhhhh transfer the next flight is on the other side of airport and I have no time to get there cuz I'm crippled and walk super slow due to a spinal injury and Calf weakness and I was freaking out but like

I just talked to a flight attendant and she was like oh yes of course I will make aure a wheel chair is ready for u and someone will wheel u to the other side of airport. They didn't ask to make sure I was the "right kind of disabled" or judge me for looking able bodied (I have invisible disabilities although if u look it's clear I have disabilities) the flight attendant just automatically offered accommodations.

Ngl I was scared to ask. I hadn't asked the whole trip because I'd had a lot of time and I'd just struggled. I shouldn't have. I have every right to have accommodations. But because I was dressed weirdly I was scared they'd judge me (not appropriate. People should care no matter the appearance) . But someone took time out of their day to make sure I could make my flight with proper accommodations.

THIS IS HOW IT SHOULD BE EVERYWHERE. NO OPPRESSION TESTING. NO MEANS TESTING. JUST A WILLINGNESS TO CARE FOR AND ACCOMMODATE PEOPLE IN NEED OF HELP NO MATTER HOW MINUTE THEIR NEED MAY BE OR HOW SILLY THEY LOOK OR SEEM.

Edit: this experience makes me happy but also sad at the same time. Lemme explain ~

Like. I know I have privilege because I'm thin and semi attractive (according to others) . I think a lot abt how maybe someone who doesn't pass or how someone who's fat would be treated in the same boat

Bonus photo. Sephiroth on a plane with a cloud face mask

- Seph

[frogeyedape]

I am reminded that dividing groups like this as if they're naturally separate/different in unique ways that don't exist between indivuals within the same group is...unhelpful

Autistic person: please give accommodation Austism.Accommodation.1

Someone else who may or may not be autistic or otherwise neurodivergent who may or may not have different needs: but we can't give everyone Autism.Accommodation.1! (Ignoring for the moment any specific-to-particular-accommodation legitimate concerns)

Autistic person: but it would be awesome if everyone who could benefit from Autism.Accommodation.1 were able to be accommodated!

Someone else etc: [any further argument against accommodation is horrible. If there are practical concerns that make it difficult, that is not an argument against the need for accommodation, that is reason to tackle the problem creatively. No, I'm not gonna put words in someone etc's mouth. You just get my commentary yelled over whateverthefuck they're saying instead]

TLDR: neurotypical people are not united against neurodivergent people, and various nd people's needs conflict in such a way that intra-nd argument is as likely as nd-nt argument or intra-nt argument. Also, people need fucking accommodations! Accommodate them!

Autistic Person: "We need these accommodations."

Neurotypical Person: "But if we give them to you, we'll have to give them to everyone else too."

Autistic Person: "Then do that. No, really. We would love it if everyone got these accommodations. Not only would it help to remove the stigma, but it would also help those who need them and haven't been diagnosed."

Neurotypical Person: "Hey! I was just trying to bully you! How dare you respond by making sense!"

[firminfollowing]

Something that’s really radically changed my life is the ability to ask for what I need.

I don’t just mean, making my needs known, or advocating for myself, so that’s a super important thing.

I’m specifically talking about asking for exactly what I need to hear or have done.

If I’m feeling insecure about something, I no longer say, “my art/music/etc so bad.” Instead, I ask directly, “can you tell me you think this is good?”

Of course I want people to tell me the things I do are good unprovoked, but most of the time people don’t know what you need to hear, and often you do know what you need to hear.

If I’m feeling like I’m having to do too many chores, I no longer say “ God, I wish someone would help me with the chores,” or “man, all this work is so hard to do alone.” Instead I directly tell the person, “I feel overwhelmed with the amount of chores that I’m doing, and I need some help.”

(I’m working on this one in particular a lot right now.)

There’s something just so radically freeing and uplifting about being able to ask for exactly what you need.

Not only are you accommodating people who might otherwise not be able to pass through those intentions, but you’re also accommodating yourself by putting your needs before catering to standard social norms.

Not being passive aggressive, or being around the bush are great social norms in the first place.

Truly, communication is key in all aspects of life. It’s important to communicate clearly with the people around you, if it is safe to do so, as much as you can. Not only does it make your life easier, but it also makes you safer person for other people to be around.

TLDR: communicate openly with the people around you. Express your needs, and how you want the people around you to meet them. If you’re insecure about your art or you’re writing or anything else, and you need to feel validated, let the people around you know that that’s something you need to hear. If you’re feeling burdened or overwhelmed with certain tasks, tell people directly. no one can read your mind except for you.

[alianoralacanta]

The case where one needs an accommodation and does not get it, is always worse than the one where an accommodation is needed and is available.

Mobility aids and sensory aids aren’t a “worst case scenario”

Stop acting like it’s a tragedy when someone starts using a cane or wheelchair, and stop acting like it’s someone admitting defeat if they need ear defenders or stim toys.

Aids are a good thing. They allow us to live better than we could before, and that’s something to celebrate, not demean and be doom and gloom about.

[mental-mona]

D’var Torah for Jewish Disabilities, Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month

By Yossi Kahana

Jewish Disabilities Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month (JDAIM) is a unified effort among Jewish organizations worldwide to raise awareness and foster inclusion of people with disabilities and those who love them.

JDAAIM is observed each February. But the truth is, while it brings the issues of disability inclusion to the forefront, inclusion is something that we must keep focused on all year long.

In our quest to include every member of our community, we would do well to pay attention to the following ancient examples of accommodation:

The Torah begins by telling us that we are all created in God’s image. If everyone is created in the image of God, then we have the responsibility to make sure that everyone – even if they are differently abled — has equal opportunity to participate and feel accepted.

In the Book of Exodus we read about Moses, our greatest leader and a man with many abilities, and numerous challenges.  We know he had some sort of speech impediment. 

A famous story about Moses is the one with the burning bush.  When asked to lead the Israelites, Moses initially objects, saying, you got the wrong guy!  He is “heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue”— a phrase that has led many rabbinic interpreters to assume that he spoke with a stutter or lisp. In response, God affirms Moses’ many capabilities and notes that his brother, Aaron, can offer any support that Moses needs to fulfill his responsibilities.

The message is clear: Moses did not seek a miracle, a distraction from his true predicament. He dug his heels into the reality he occupied, and presented himself honestly to God. “I am heavy of mouth and tongue.” Perhaps, he speaks on behalf of every man or woman who possesses a disability. “These are the facts; we have everything to give—if society can learn to move past nature’s constraints and facilitate our abilities.”

Throughout the year we see an emphasis on inclusion.

We begin the Passover Seder by opening a door, ha lachma anya, or inviting in the hungry, the needy, and the enslaved. We offer the matzah as part of that welcome—it is a beautiful message offered freely and inclusive to all. We read about the four sons, each representing a different type, a cross section of the Jewish nation. What links the four together, despite their very different personalities and levels of observance, is the fact that they are all an intrinsic part of the Jewish people. During Passover, we celebrate with them, as they collectively join us at the Seder table.

At Shavuot when God gave the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai before the nation: It didn’t matter if a person was young or old, male or female, abled or disabled. Mt. Sinai was and is for everyone, and if one member of the Jewish nation would not have been present at Mt. Sinai, the Torah would not have been given.

During Sukkot, we celebrate this unity in an even more concrete way, as we join together joyously in Sukkahs, which include and embrace Jews of every kind, and perform the mitzvah of the Four Kinds (lulav and etrog), symbolizing the fact that despite differences in Torah knowledge and observance, we are all bound together by our souls’ Jewish identity and core connection to G‑d.

Finally, we arrive at Shemini Atzeret. On this day, we express Jewish unity not in a passive sense (standing together in prayer) or even a symbolic sense (shaking a lulav); we demonstrate it through an experiential, concrete act that encompasses our entire being, from our head to our feet. We do it through the act of dancing, and more specifically, dancing in a circular formation, as is customary in Jewish tradition.

The inclusion of all Jews is the backbone of a flourishing Jewish community, and in the spirit of Jewish unity that the holiday of Shemini Atzeret so embodies, it is a ripe opportunity to shine a light on the importance of ensuring that every Jew, including those with disabilities, feels welcome in the festivities of the holiday.

So let’s ensure that every Jew feels welcome and included in the celebration of our most precious gift: our connection to God, to the Torah, and to the entire Jewish nation.

Yossi Kahana is the director of Jewish National Fund’s Task Force on Disabilities, an umbrella and coordinating body for the various JNF programs and partners for people with disabilities in Israel.

[demigods-posts]

percy doing better than annabeth in college is one my favorite developments in the rrverse. if we reflect on percy and annabeth's academic upbringing. annabeth living at camp allowed her to receive accommodations for her adhd and dyslexia and surround herself with like-minded campers who had the same limitations. whereas percy was ridiculed, belittled, and routinely humiliated because of his adhd and dyslexia. even more so, percy's friends and family leave him out of the loop on so many important issue (no chb orientation film, no information about the great prophecy) which perpetuates his subpar confidence and self-esteem in his skills as a student and a demigod. but going to college at NRU changes his mindset because he receives the accommodations he should have gotten years ago and fucking thrives to the point of getting higher grades than annabeth — a person he deems way smarter and more prepared than him in every way. the most important thing percy is learning now is that a supportive environment makes all the difference, and he is more capable than he initially thought.

[advocatingpeanut]

Yes, this is so important! My sister uses a portable oxygen machine, but it doesn't mean that she can automatically walk around the grocery store like she used to (she has a progressive condition). It just means that she can now walk from the handicap parking spot to where they have the scooters.

reminder: just because a disabled person has accommodations does not mean they will perform at the same level or have the same capabilities as a non-disabled person! accommodations are there to make life easier for the disabled person, but they don’t erase the fact that we are disabled. as an employer, parent, peer, etc. you must be open to the possibility that a disabled person will be DISABLED by their condition. if you only see accommodations as an excuse to expect the same from a disabled person as you would from a non-disabled person, you are not the ally you think you are

[mochasucculent]

Was looking at refs and since Viktor has two different leg braces I was wondering, do we think he wears them simultaneously?? The refs don't perfectly line up perspective-wise so it's hard to tell but parts of the one he wears during the Hexcore scenes look like they could maybe line up with the brace that he wears over his clothes, but also some parts really don't and look like they'd be super uncomfy. Also HOW does he take these on and off. Experts weigh in

[reasonsforhope]

"This week, the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced a new rule requiring airlines to make bathrooms more accessible for disabled people. All new single-aisle aircraft will be fitted with fully-accessible lavatories.

Most flights inside the United States are single-aisle and as technology has improved, they are used more frequently for long flights, including coast-to-coast trips that can last as long as six hours. Double-aisle plans are already subject to the regulation but are primarily used for international flights.

Out Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg announced the new regulations, saying, “Traveling can be stressful enough without worrying about being able to access a restroom; yet today, millions of wheelchair users are forced to choose between dehydrating themselves before boarding a plane or avoiding air travel altogether.” ...

The secretary has made it a priority to improve service on airlines during his tenure. In 2022, six airlines were forced to pay millions of dollars in refunds to hundreds of thousands of customers and were also fined millions for causing the issues. The department’s firm stance on the side of customers has continued through this year after multiple companies have had meltdowns, stranding thousands of travelers.

All planes delivered to airlines starting in 2026 must include several upgrades. Planes already in service will not need to be retrofitted unless the plane is renovated.

“These aircraft must have at least one lavatory of sufficient size to permit a passenger with a disability (with the help of an assistant, if necessary) to approach, enter, and maneuver within the aircraft lavatory, to use all lavatory facilities, and leave by means of the aircraft’s onboard wheelchair if necessary,” the DOT said in a statement.

Accessible faucets and controls, grab bars, accessible call buttons and door locks, minimum obstruction to the passage of an onboard wheelchair, and an available visual barrier for privacy are also required upgrades."

-via LGBTQ Nation, July 28, 2023

Wayyyyyyy fucking overdue but I'll take it!! Also, very nice curb cut effect: We all get to be less miserable on airplanes, and older people don't have to worry as much about airplane bathroom fall risks.

[soshinysochrome]

Pre-cut fruit/veggies as an accommodation

I'm going to go on a rant that's been building up for a long time but needs to be said.

I just watched a video from How To ADHD where they finally articulated what I've been trying to explain to people for a long time; that buying pre-cut fruit and veggies is an accommodation.

Because holy shit, do people get angry at people who buy things pre-cut, like it's some kind of moral failing deserving of the vitriol and abuse that it gets. And it always comes complete with people smugly declaring that they take the time to cut their fruit and veg themselves, like somehow that makes them better than people who don't.

Lets get something absolutely clear.

Yes, we know it would be cheaper to buy produce and cut it up ourselves. Yes, we know that the added packaging is more wasteful. And we know that other people are judging us for it.

But here's the thing, starting with the fact that "taking the easy way" is not a moral failing:

Pre-cut produce is an accommodation.

I have ADHD, depression and seasonal affective disorder (seasonal depression). One of these by themselves makes taking care of myself difficult enough, but very rarely am I battling just one of these conditions at a time. And when it comes to cooking or preparing food, my options are very often either to spend a bit more to buy pre-cut fruit or veg, or not eat fruit/veg at all. Because if I buy produce I have to prep myself, at least one of three things will happen: 1) I'm going to forget it exists until it starts to make the fridge stink and it has to be thrown away. 2) I'm going to see it every time I open the fridge, feel bad that I can't bring myself to prepare it, worsening my executive dysfunction and depression, and making it even less likely I ever will prepare it. 3) I'm going to buy it, put it in my fridge, remember that it's there and beat myself up until it expires for being unable to bring myself to prepare it.

When people rail against those who buy pre-cut, what those of us who rely on it hear is that you don't think we deserve to eat healthily because we can't do it ourselves. Which sounds about as absurd as telling someone with glasses that they don't deserve to wear those glasses because they can't see without them.

Rant over. Leave people who buy pre-cut alone.

[cleverthylacine]

When I wear fancy lolita boots I can not only use a wide forefoot pattern if they are too narrow, I can also use other fancy patterns from that site to decorate them.  The shoelace site is amazing. 

Also I hate the common criss cross lacing pattern because it deforms the opening of your shoes.

Hey runners (and walkers)! Thought this might be helpful :)

[thepuppost]

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[chronicsymptomsyndrome]

“alt text for more info” “turn on cations for more info” no actually this is not where more info goes. These have a very distinct purpose. There are plenty of other places for more info. If you’re going to make your post inaccessible, the least you could do is not use accessibility tools at your own leisure for whatever purpose you see fit.