Carlos.Steffens@f19.n367.z1.fidonet.org (Carlos Steffens) (07/19/90)
Index Number: 9303
Who would have guessed it. Washington, the capital of USA, the
most INaccessible place for wheelchairs. Most of the sidewalks
have ramps and the Metro has an elevator, that's it! Unable to
find housing anywhere because most everything has steps and/or is a
2 stories townhouse with no bedroom in the 1st floor, I finally
found housing on-campus.
A young girl from New York was going to work as a live-in with me.
At the last minute, her boyfriend told her that if she moved to
D.C. everything between them would be over...so I was left rolled
over. I am then informed that I cannot have a live-in on-campus
because she is not a Georgetown student and men and women may NOT
share an on-campus apartment. Guess that's how jesuits promote
homosexuality. *8-)
Now the same agency, Special Care, is setting up other prospects so
that I may interview them and I'm looking for off-campus housing.
I went to see an apartment built to handicapped specifications:
1. Wide doorways - OK
2. Cozy rugs that are hard as hell to push on - yeah, right!
3. A roll-in shower, with a 4 inch wall and as wide and large as a small
wheelchair *without* the footrests - very accessible!
4. The master bathroom has a *tub* - great for rolling into!
5. Underground parking, under which my van (without a raised roof) doesn't
fit - great for a snowy day!
6. Low countertops - OK
7. It all goes for $179,000 - perfect for a student!
Please, excuse the sarcasm on 2-5 and 7 but I expected more from D.C.
Cannot go without giving credit to the law school, which is
completely accessible, along with its library, the great museums,
which are all very accessible and *free*, and the staff at
Georgetown, who have been doing their best all along.
A young woman, who's also a quad, stays on-campus, and is a night
student at the Law Center has given me great help, Sherry. She
told me to contact John Campbell, from the Center for Independent
Living in Virginia to find help. Anybody knows him? I would have
sworn I saw his name here months ago. BTW, how safe is to run a
BBS from on-campus housing when it closes for winter,spring break,
and summer?
~~CarloS~~
--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!367!19!Carlos.Steffens
Internet: Carlos.Steffens@f19.n367.z1.fidonet.orgJoe.Chamberlain@f140.n150.z1.fidonet.org (Joe Chamberlain) (07/24/90)
Index Number: 9454
PM> I'm sorry I can't help, but I know litle about how to get systems like
PM> this to work properly. I mean, for example, somebody at a big school
PM> like that should be able to make all those arrangements for you, and
PM> they aught to have allowed you to have an attendant living with you
PM> regardless of whether or not she was female.
There is a good article in ACCENT ON LIVING this month
about attendents away from home and the difficulty in arranging
for them. Advance planning is essential and several trips are
necessary.
-=joe=-
--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!150!140!Joe.Chamberlain
Internet: Joe.Chamberlain@f140.n150.z1.fidonet.orgJoe.Chamberlain@f140.n150.z1.fidonet.org (Joe Chamberlain) (07/25/90)
Index Number: 9514
CS> As I said, it is "handicapped accessible". The doorways are wider
CS> and that's where it stops. No accessible bathroom or anything like
CS> that.
Now see, if you would attend the University of Delaware
there are accessible apartment six miles away. That includes
light switches, bathrooms, kitchen, and bedrooms.
-=joe=-
--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!150!140!Joe.Chamberlain
Internet: Joe.Chamberlain@f140.n150.z1.fidonet.orgJay.Steinhardt@p3.f230.n231.z1.fidonet.org (Jay Steinhardt) (08/14/90)
Index Number: 9826
Hi Nadine
I came in on this conversation mid way. Do I understand that you
are not able to live on campus?
This could be a violation of your civil rights. I am an
affirmative action counselor for the disabled in Indiana Protection
and Advocacy Services as well as the Director of Abiolities Inc.
I am the 504 counselor at that office. I can tell you that there
may be a system in place to allow you to obtain the services that
you need.
The "Recipient of federal funds" is responsible to make "Reasonable
accomadations" to meet your needs. There are some limmits to the
term reasonable but if you want to tiscuss the issue you can send a
letter to me public or privite to the below BBS. I will be happy
to review the issue and make recomendations.
Good luck,
Jay Steinhardt
Director of Abilities Inc.
--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!231!230.3!Jay.Steinhardt
Internet: Jay.Steinhardt@p3.f230.n231.z1.fidonet.orgCarlos.Steffens@f19.n367.z1.fidonet.org (Carlos Steffens) (08/14/90)
Index Number: 9828
JC> Why must you have a female attendent? Analyze the
JC> situation. A male is much stronger and can do things with less
JC> effort. If you slip, he can catch without hurting himself. It
JC> doesn't require a female to do a bowel program.
JC>
JC> Are you getting your care program mixed up with your
JC> sexual desires?
Definately not!! I am very afraid of having a male attendant rape
me while I'm in bed. If there is something I would never allow is
to get mixed emotionally with someone who is working for me. Did
you really consider that last question seriously or was it a joke
that I didn't catch? Coming from a latin tradition of machism,
it's hard to accept someone of the same sex handling my private
parts. My father helps me at night and does the bowel program, and
even with him I don't feel comfortable.
~~CarloS~~
--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!367!19!Carlos.Steffens
Internet: Carlos.Steffens@f19.n367.z1.fidonet.orgCarlos.Steffens@f19.n367.z1.fidonet.org (Carlos Steffens) (08/14/90)
Index Number: 9830
JC> CS> I hope so, I'll just have to overcome my shyness around people
JC> CS> I don't know. Still, the people I met while looking for
JC> CS> housing were very friendly.
JC>
JC> Most people will be friendly and very willing to help.
JC> Any one will gladly get a book off the shelf for you, all you
JC> need to do is ask. A great way to meet people too.
JC> -=joe=-
Yes, yet, some of the people whom I've asked for help here have
acted as if they were afraid of me (I'm really not that ugly!), so
I feel sorry for them and try not bother them anymore. I guess
some people have a strange way of coping.
~~CarloS~~
--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!367!19!Carlos.Steffens
Internet: Carlos.Steffens@f19.n367.z1.fidonet.orgEric.Bohlman@p1.f778.n115.z1.fidonet.org (Eric Bohlman) (08/14/90)
Index Number: 9832
NT> It is really a disgrace that you cannot live on campus... maybe the ADA
NT> having been passed would correct this travesty of justice. You should
NT> have the option of living ON campus without being penalized for your
NT> disability.
NT>
NT> Anyone know of the legal aspects of something like this??
I wonder if this would fall under the Rehabilitation Act (508). If the
university receives Federal funds (and I believe that now includes admitting
students receiving Federal financial aid), it would fall under provisions of
the Act.
--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!115!778.1!Eric.Bohlman
Internet: Eric.Bohlman@p1.f778.n115.z1.fidonet.orgJoe.Chamberlain@f140.n150.z1.fidonet.org (Joe Chamberlain) (08/14/90)
Index Number: 9837
JC>> Are you getting your care program mixed up with your
JC>> sexual desires?
CS> Definately not!! I am very afraid of having a male
CS> attendant rape me while I'm in bed.
If you're that attractive you might get raped by the
female too. Females have desires too.
I'll withdraw that statement of mixing sex and care.
However, I have hired a homosexual attendent in the past and
he was not the least interested in pursuing me as a partner.
If it is not sex, then there is a possibily a feeling of
insecurity in dealing with other males. If this is true, then
you need to be aware and work to overcome it. As an attorney,
you must deal from an equal or stronger position than your
opponent and if they sense your insecurity you will lose.
-=joe=-
--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!150!140!Joe.Chamberlain
Internet: Joe.Chamberlain@f140.n150.z1.fidonet.orgPatricia.Ferguson@f13.n123.z1.fidonet.org (Patricia Ferguson) (08/17/90)
Index Number: 9865
Hi Everyone!
I just left this message to Carlos but I hope everyone else will jump in
too.
PF> CS> I guess some people have a strange way of
PF> CS> coping.
PF> Hi Carlos! Hope you dont mind me jumping in here but I have
PF> a question for you. The next topic at our support group
PF> meeting deals with coping. We are to all bring in at least
PF> one way of coping written anonymously (sp.?) for the group
PF> to discuss further. Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks!
I would like some more input, not only for our support group, but for myself
and my family also. I know that coping skills can be so different from one
person to another and from one problem to another, but can anyone offer some
basic skills or perhaps something special they have found that
would help ease some of the tension involved with coping?
And since I'm in the good ole' south.....Thanks ya'll! ;)
--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!123!13!Patricia.Ferguson
Internet: Patricia.Ferguson@f13.n123.z1.fidonet.orgCarlos.Steffens@f19.n367.z1.fidonet.org (Carlos Steffens) (08/21/90)
Index Number: 9896
JC> JC>> Are you getting your care program mixed up with your
JC> JC>> sexual desires?
JC>
JC> CS> Definately not!! I am very afraid of having a male
JC> CS> attendant rape me while I'm in bed.
JC>
JC> If you're that attractive you might get raped by the
JC> female too. Females have desires too.
Unfortunately, that's not the case. *8-)
JC> I'll withdraw that statement of mixing sex and care.
JC> However, I have hired a homosexual attendent in the past and
JC> he was not the least interested in pursuing me as a partner.
I had a not so good experience while in the hospital, I woke up to
find the respiratory therapist's hand in a place he thought I had
no feeling. That wasn't the only one so I'm a little
apprehensive. If that was in a hospital full of people, what could
happen while alone in an apartment?
JC> If it is not sex, then there is a possibily a feeling of
JC> insecurity in dealing with other males. If this is true, then
JC> you need to be aware and work to overcome it. As an attorney,
JC> you must deal from an equal or stronger position than your
JC> opponent and if they sense your insecurity you will lose.
JC>
JC> -=joe=-
Maybe with other males *in control*, but I tend to disregard that
hypothesis because when I had to catheterize every 4 hrs., it was
one of my male friends. I remember it would hurt them more than it
bothered me as they had never seen that before.
~~CarloS~~
--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!367!19!Carlos.Steffens
Internet: Carlos.Steffens@f19.n367.z1.fidonet.orgCarlos.Steffens@f19.n367.z1.fidonet.org (Carlos Steffens) (08/21/90)
Index Number: 9898
PF> Hi Carlos! Hope you dont mind me jumping in here but I have a question
PF> for you. The next topic at our support group meeting deals with coping.
PF> We are to all bring in at least one way of coping written anonymously
PF> (sp.?) for the group to discuss further. Any ideas or suggestions?
Don't mind at all! What about developing a cynical or sarcastic
attiude to the matter in question? Another way could be getting
very involved in something so that you don't have to think about
whatever it is that ails that person. Something I have seen very
often is going into religion to an almost ridiculous extent.
There's another very common way of coping: hitting the bottle.
Others are seeking help as in support groups or psychologists. If
I think of anymore I'll let you know.
~~CarloS~~
--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!367!19!Carlos.Steffens
Internet: Carlos.Steffens@f19.n367.z1.fidonet.org