No Limits to Life Blog

Creature Discomforts is a UK-based site which has developed its’ second wave of ad campaigns. The sponsor, Leonard Cheshire Disabiity, has taken real audio interviews of folks sharing about their disability and then matched the voice with a “claymation” type critter who tells the story. Their site states that they support over 21,000 disabled people in the UK and works in 52 countries.

“We campaign for change and provide innovative services that give disabled people the opportunity to live life their way.”

The videos are an entertaining and effective way to spread the message of how society impacts folks with disabilities through real stories with real voices of the actual storyteller. The goal is to create more awareness and educate folks on the feelings, dreams and struggles of those with a disability.

The Creature Discomfort site also has a blog and a forum as well as links to see behind the scenes on how they made the videos, etc.

All the best to you!

Lon

Penny Richards has written a post on Independence Day and I wanted to submit it here. I LOVE her writing and posts and highl;y recommend reading them.

I also received an email about a restaurant and cooking show for reality TV involving the vocational training of special needs adults for the restaurant business. I loved the idea and will be sharing more on it to come. I hope all my U.S. friends have a great Independence Day. I am taking a few much-deserved days off to be with family.

All the best to you1

Lon

Blogging Against Disablism Day 2008 was the Blog Collection I browsed online this evening. The posts are a pretty incredible list of submitted efforts of well over a couple hundred people. There are categories for employment issues, education, Access issues, law/legal, the term disablism, relationships, etc.

I am amazed at the networking that has gone into building this compilation. Check it out. There are a lot of good things to chew on there.

All the best to you!

Lon

I have had my share of times when I was feeling tired of others not understanding my limitations and wishing they would give me some slack. On the other hand, I have had times when I wished others would stop worrying about me or asking me how I am doing, accommodating for in me some way and making a reference to whether I should be doing something or not.

I guess you just can’t get everyone to be, do and say what you want, so you have to adapt and let it go. I was called “grandpa” by the checker at the grocery store today when my son and I went through. She said “I assume.” That is a mouthful isn’t it? How often we assume what others can or cannot do, assume what others think, how they feel, etc. I am really tired of people assuming about me - but I need to be careful not to assume about others too. This brings me to the point of this post: If we could all be comfortable to be around each other without trying to control the situation, label each other and put expectations on the time together, we would have a far better time. I like calling it “being comfortable.” Have you ever enjoyed being with someone that you didn’t have to explain anything to? Isn’t it nice to be around people who let you try and fail and it’s OK?

I have a friend that lives in Oklahoma. He lives on a lake and has a pontoon boat. He likes to go out and fish with his cell phone and laptop! He wrote a software that he sold and now has the support contract so he can sit on his boat, fish and take calls and work people through issues. His name is Buddy. His personality and his name are exactly the same. He is a buddy. He doesn’t criticize, he doesn’t expect anything, he gives of his heart and will go the extra mile for you. I could sit on his boat and get my line tangled, have trouble tying a new hook on, getting my drag right and Buddy doesn’t care. He helps but never makes you feel like you don’t know anything. “It could happen to anybody,” he says.

Thanks for your example Buddy. I hope I can lighten up and be the kind of person that others feel is easy to be around. I pray that I have the patience to listen and not jump to conclusions or assumptions. How about you? Maybe you need to be on a pontoon boat on a lazy Oklahoma afternoon learning to be comfortable too.

All the best to you!

Lon