Blind

I was just dx’d with cancer that I have been dealing with for at LEAST 10 years. I’m 75 this week. I left one GP for several reasons but including having ignored this specific complaint back in 2014. A Specialist I went to last year also dismissed it. In a not-so-comedy-of-paperwork-errors last week, it appears that I am unable to get the appointment I need this Friday with this area’s best Specialist, and must wait until August to be seen! Of course I’ll call every day if they tell me there’s no “waiting list” for cancellations. In just five weeks I’m finally hopefully to be ruled on Parkinson’s Disease. I have one surgery, 3 screenings, & a mid- spinal procedure to go thru before then. I keep up. But something’s wrong here. Something is VERY, VERY WRONG. And I am NOT ONE to keep quiet 🤐 when “wrongs” need to be “righted”. I am feeling very “expendable” because of my age…being elderly. Like if you’re “elderly”, you can be readily dismissed, kicked to the curb, you’ll be gone soon-enough anyway, you’re not worth wasting time on. Business is $$$. Get lost. Ignored. Discriminated against. THIS IS THE FINAL STRAW! My grandsons deserve their adoring “Mimi”, I have a full life, and this kick-a** mother knows how to be a mover & shaker till her last breath!! Watch me!!
P.S. This is the furLove of my life, hysterically funny cat “Salsa” who was just 1 yr old. Got her at 10 weeks, she’d been badly abused. She doesn’t “meow”, she only “chirps” & very high-pitched “trills”! And LOVES drinking running water from the tap where she plays like she’s a fish! Being a Ragdoll, she behaves as if she were a dog- is SO smart, loyal, loving 🥰… still shy about lap sitting, but never leaves my side and sleeps on the bed! She needs me to spoil and play with her! That’s one thing elders do well when they’re not trying to help educate this misguided world!

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. This is one of the most important months of the year for us in the disability community. Though I advocate year-round for employers of all sizes to hire from within the disability community, having a spotlight shined on the cause is critical.

As someone who has worked as an entrepreneur, a government contractor and now as both a workforce development program manager and accessibility expert, I am the embodiment of what NDEAM is all about.

Despite being ready for work, there are far too many disabled professionals on the sidelines. With the rise of remote/hybrid work, a plethora of assistive technologies, and more emphasis than ever on the value of a diverse workforce – companies should be moving faster than ever to hire across the disability spectrum.

My particular experience focuses on blind and low-vision individuals, but what I see across the board is that many companies overthink what it takes to hire a disabled person. I tell my corporate clients: a simple conversation consisting of what that person needs to be successful in their role is usually all it takes to figure out the best setup for that individual. Disabled people are often reluctant to share their disability, due to fear it will impact their candidacy. But the truth is – disabled people, just like the able-bodied, apply for jobs that they believe they can do! By simply opening the door to the question of how, we find that more often than not, the answers are quite simple.

My advice to disabled candidates is equally easy: go for it! Apply for the jobs you know you can succeed in. Be honest with potential employers about accessibility needs and explain how you will use these tools to fulfill the requirements of the role. Only through this transparency and conversation will we effect change.

October is a great month to reset in general, but I encourage everyone – use the momentum of this month to take stock of your employment base. Ask yourself if you are truly looking at the widest candidate group possible. Use organizations like the one I work for, NSITE, to help you – we know what to do and can help get things moving quickly.

The only thing you have to lose is your next best hire. #Disability #Blindness #RP #Blind #dei #disabilityatwork

Hi Mighties,

My atypical hEDS goes together with High Myopia. I have like minus 7 dioptria left, minus 5.75 on my right eye. So I wear those glasses with quite thick glass.

My problem in society is that I can't recognise people by seeing their face.
So I might spend an evening chatting and talking and having fun with a couple of people I just met.
Next day- really embarassing🙈- I dont recognise the person any more.
This makes me look arrogant.

I have read in media, that Brad Pitt seems to have the same problem, but he does not know anybody else with this problem called Prosopagnosia- the inability to recognise people by their face.

At least I am not alone with this problem. My Dad and my Uncle, both with even higher Myopia than me (-15 or so), also have Prosopagnosia. We recognise people by their gaith. So when somebody stands or sits down, it is impossible to recognize this person 🙈

Does anybody out there also have Prosopagnosia? #eds #Depression #myopia #visual impairment #brad Pitt #bendy #SocialAnxiety #Blindness #Blind