Hi Everybody-

I'm a writer and activist with a disability who's totally happy to be here. I'm obsessed with election season; I'm a very political animal. I write lots of poetry, a poem a week during bad periods (normally it's a poem every two/ three days). Due to my disability, I have about six assistants that cook, clean, wash, type and so on. I spend lots of my time advocating for them, myself, and others with disabilities. That's the most important thing I contribute to the universe besides merely existing as a bisexual, women of color with a disability and showing that such people can have happy productive lives.

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Today, I am under the weather. I had to fight for access at a musical event I want to go to. Tomorrow, I'm going to fight for access at the wheelchair place (I need a new chair, I think). I hate this, fighting for access always makes me feel trapped and small.

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I wrote, wrote, and wrote all day today and I was very productive. I usually write 4 or so hours per day on average. My schedule is write for a hour or so, unless I'm going to a morning event. Then I usually go out, even if it's just for minute. Then I return and write for a minute. Evenings I'll usually have a trip out or chill with my TV and Richard, my cat. Then I'll write again off and on until bedtime. I'm pretty prolific. Everyday, I blog at least and most days I write poetry or fiction, if not both.

Today I went to a Best Buddies Fundraiser. Best Buddies is a program that connects people with intellectual disabilities and those without them, who may be able-bodied or have some sort of other disability like I do, and fosters friendships between the pairs. I don't have much money now and I'm sorry for that as they are going to have a budget cut of $60,000 this upcoming fiscal year which I think is really shameful (but what does our government do lately that isn't shameful? God I sound jaded). I've decided, however, to help them using poetry if they agree. They have a visual arts program there I'm going to request that people make art and then I'm going to write poems inspired by the art that they make. Sort of like illustration but in reverse. That wasn't my idea by the way. That was my assistant's phrase for it. I figure I'll give them half the money for the zine and I'll keep half because I need money to survive. Basically, I make now about $150.00 plus benefits if I'm really devoted to writing on the internet. I don't have a real job. If I did, trust me, I would give them all the money.

I'm also going to volunteer to be a buddy. Hopefully with another writer because they have an artist program. I've never written with anybody I didn't know. I've also never written with anyone with a intellectual impairment. I don't know what they're going to write like because of course they are individuals, but I suspect it might be happier than my usual political snarky commentary (but who am I to judge? I don't know as I haven't met them yet). Perhaps its my own stereotypes of people like them that expects their words to be all happy and rainbows. I don't really like admitting that, but it's true. I just realized I'm guilty of the same stereotypes I yell at other people for having. Not a fun realization.

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This has been the longest day. At first, I barely wanted to get up even to go to my wheelchair appointment (which I made myself do by the way). Then, I had an annoying email from people I work with. Then, I got a headache. Then, I took a nap. Basically, all I want to do is crawl back under the covers and stay there until this day is over.

But nothing ever got done that way. Instead of doing that, the mechanics and the seating coordination guy figured out what was wrong with my chair and what parts they needed to order. Now I'm back in my old chair just waiting for the new parts to come in and I must say it feels safer. On the job front, I talked to my co-coordinator and we got stuff dealt with. Not permanently, but for now. Permanent dealing will have to wait until March or so. My headache is gone. That's a good thing. Now I'm writing so I'll earn a little money today.

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I wore this sign on my wheelchair today; it was my little act of celebrating the day. The day was renamed International Day of People with Disabilities recently. It began in 1992.
TAX PAYERS:
Today, December 3rd is International Day of Disabled Persons. I just wanted you to know that I live on my own in the community with support services and have a job. If I lived in a nursing home it would cost $87,500 according to a 2004 Kiplinger�s Personal finance report (the latest data I have). Paying for my 2008 community based services save the state (and tax payers)$24,086 a year, every year.

If I live the standard 80 year life expectancy of a Massachusetts woman according to the Massachusetts Department of public health, that will equal a tax payer savings of $1,204,300! Support community based services now and free the 8,200 Massachusetts residents waiting for community services that current reside in nursing homes!

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