Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929. Most, if not all of us learn about his contributions toward civil rights in school. We've heard the "I have a dream" speech at least once in full. His accomplishments should be celebrated, but my question is, where is the disabled equivalent? Mr. King's civil rights movement was based on race, and it was successful, but there are still many of us who aren't treated equally. I am a member of a minority that isn't acknowledged by the government. As far as the United States government is concerned, I'm a white male, but that doesn't begin to explain my identity. I am a white male who has disabilities and a chronic illness. The powers that be in this "great" nation have told me, through the Social Security Administration, that I am not disabled, that I don't qualify for federal disability benefits. The fact remains that the government shouldn't determine whether or not I'm disabled. I'll admit that they have to be there to determine the difference between legitimate disabilities and the hypothetical and extreme notion of "I got a paper cut at work, now I want government money". I am a minority. I didn't acquire a disability on the job, I was born with mine. People don't look at me the same way as they would look at somebody who lost a limb in a construction accident. "Well he was working hard when he became disabled", Why does that make him more worthy of "benefits"? The more important question, perhaps, is why is disability determination always in the hands of non-disabled people? In government and in standard job placement, somebody without a disability is most likely, but not always in charge of determining who gets benefits, or who gets accommodations on the job. I've been discriminated against, and the "perpetrator" of the discrimination was a lawyer who works for the state! Because she had a family member who has the same disability I do and was successful with it, she seemed to cross it off the list of conditions that "count" as disabilities. Maybe someday people will believe me and others like me when we say "I have a disability" or "I can't do that." Mr. King had a dream, I do too, and I don't think I'm reaching too high.
My dream is that I no longer have to be nervous about applying for a job or for social security. My dream is that people will acknowledge that I am the authority on how my disabilities and my chronic pain affect my own life. I hope that the phrase "with or without reasonable accommodations" is rewritten in employment applications. If I need an accommodation to perform my job on the same level as my non-disabled peers, I should not have to worry about a supervisor saying to me "well, you said you could do the job with or WITHOUT accommodations." My dream is when I say I can't do something, or I need help, that people believe me, help me and avoid lecturing me about a positive attitude. Part of being independent is knowing when to ask for help. My dream is that if I say I'm "out of spoons", people will understand and respect it.
Maybe we should have our own "version" of Martin Luther King Day. Maybe it should be Christine Miserandino Day. Christine Miserandino is the author of "The Spoon Theory", an autobiographical account of life with Lupus. The title came about through a conversation she had with her friend about energy management, and you will understand what "out of spoons" means after you read it. Today, she has a following that includes people with all sorts of disabilities and chronic illnesses. Those of us who subscribe to The Spoon Theory identify ourselves as "spoonies". Spoonies are people too. We may need accommodations to have a career and live our lives to the fullest, but that doesn't mean we are second-class citizens or that we are less entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
