Where There's a Will, There's a Way

      Too many of the 1 billion of people with disabilities are denied the choices non-disabled people have: how they spend their time, experience activities of personal hygiene; what they eat or wear; when they go to bed or have access health care; how they socialize with others, travel around, or get an education or job; and where they live. These discriminatory and invisibility perpetuating practices must stop. They are morally wrong and economically stupid. We all know that. Yet, around the globe, and in places in the U.S. all things are not as they should be. The challenge is what are we willing to do to bring about needed changes?

       Let's start with some questions.  1) What do we want to change? 2) What supports do we need to bring about this change? 3) What steps should we take to bring about the change? 4) How would we share the change?  

       It could be broken curb cut at the end of a sidewalk in a neighborhood, a lack of rides for social activities, no accessible bathrooms or menus at favorite restaurants, or no active recruitment of applicants with disabilities for entry level jobs by employers. If we were all in a room together I know we could generate a list of what is needed to pull any of these off. Of course, we also could easily generate a list of action steps. All we need is the will to gather in a room and get to work.

      The conclusion I have reached is that anything is doable and a good thing is everyone's responsibility, not someone else's. We just need to have the collective will to do it. Now, here's the clincher. If we do commit and do pull something off we need to share it. Why? Because if people see and hear about what we pulled off, they may be inclined to do the same thing or at least copy our strategies. And then, an effort to pull off one effort to begin an inclusive community becomes a TREND. Wow, how about that!

       Locally-driven efforts result in sustainable change and build confidence to tackle bigger and bigger challenges that can impact national policy.

       Thank you,

       Common Grounder