Russell.Hunt@f240.n620.z3.fidonet.org (Russell Hunt) (05/15/91)
Index Number: 15651 Your right about the issue of who controls the process but I feel there is a very dangerous trap in being chauvanistic. I've been heavily involved in disability advocacy at an Australian and International level for more than a decade and there are some real traps in relying soely on people with disabilities. The truth is that as a group, we are as normal as we keep saying we are which means that we have our fair share of people with questionable motifs. Combine this with those who've had limited opportunity to develop their people, worldly and technical skills and you end up with plenty of people who just shouldn't be in leadership positions. Trouble is the very posession os a disability is to often seen as a credential rather than merely just identifying you as part of an interest group. The net result is that we as people with disabilities need to be very discerning about who we let spek for us rather than just saying that if they are disabled it's OK. Also, just because somebody is good at getting together with others to solve a problem locally (like getting ramps into a building) it doesn't mean that they are suited to, or would want to, negotiate policy with Gov leaders. We need "different horses for different courses" rather than just relying on one technique. Regards........ Russell -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!3!620!240!Russell.Hunt Internet: Russell.Hunt@f240.n620.z3.fidonet.org