ATTITUDE... THERE ARE TIMES...... YOU MAY NOT BELIEVE THIS BUT THERE ARE TIMES I LOOSE MY T4EMPER-- WOULD YOU BELIEBVE THAT??/.... WELLLL...I THERE ARE A GROUP OF APPLICANTS- THEY ARE NOT A GROUP UNTIL I PUT THEM THERE....LORD KNOWS SOME HAVE HORRENDOUS PROBLEMS TO SOLVE, BUT IT IS THEIR ATTITUDE TO SOLUTIONS THAT REALLY FROSTS ME... I HAD A PHONE CALL FROME SOMEONE WITH A MOBILITY DIAGNOSIS-- I AM SURE WALKING IS DIFFICULT- AND WE WENT THRU A RAFT OF SITUATIONS THAT WWERE DIFFICULT FOR HER..NOW.... SOME OF MY SOLUTIONS ARE OUT OF THE BOX...BUT...AFTER 6 "YES, BUT's" she compalined abotu GETTIN G IN THE SHOWER WHICN INVOLVED STEPPING INTO THE BATHTUB- AND I SUGGESTED WHAT I HAVE... A BIG ROPE SCREWED TOTHE BEAMS IN THE CIELING.. WORKS BEAUTIFULLY.. SHE IMMEDIATELY CAME BACK WITH "YES BUT MY PLASTERED WALLS WOULDN'T HOLD IT" SHE HAD A YES BUT... FOR EVERYTHNIG.. INCLUDING
" TRY WALKING WITH YOUR HAND IN YOUR HUSBAND'S BACK POCKET INSTEAD OF A WALKER...".
"YES BUT--- HE WALKS TOO FAST"
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THEN MEGAN CAME IN AND GOT INVOLVED IN REVIEWING " INQUIRRIES AND APPLICANTS". I SAID THE APPLICANT FROM DENVER THAT SHANNON#47 HAD INTERVIEWED SOUNDED LIKE ANOTHER KID WHO MIGHT WORK... AND WE WERE BASIING IT ON SHANNON'S OBSERVATION THAT WHEN SHE ASKED THE KID A QUESTION , THE MOTHER DID NOT ANSWER. NOW THERE IS A KID WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO WORK WITH.... THAT GOT MEGAN GOING ON MOTHERHOOD... AND PROTECTIVE ATTITUDE THAT IS DETRIMENTAL...
I CAN NOT TELL YOU HOW MANY PARENT /KID COMBINATIONS WE HAVE HAD WHERE
THE PARENT IS SO PROTECTIVE THAT THE KID DOESNT STAND A CHANCE-- MOM - OR DAD- JUMPS IN THR CONVERSATION TO ANSWER FOR THE KID... NOT A GOOD THING.... REMINDS ME OF SOME OF THE MOTHER DOGS WE HAVE WHO BITE PEOPLE TRING TO HELP.
. DISABLED DOES NOT MEAN EVERYTHING IS NOT WORKING... USUALLY ONLY ONE PART...
I HAD A LITTLE OF THAT WHEN I WENT TO LOS VEGAS WITH MY FAMILY- AND WITH A SPRAINED ANKLE MY KIDS PUSHED ME IN A WHEELCHAIR SO I COULD KEEP UP WIOTH EVERYONE- THE POINT HERE..... STRANGERS HOLDING ANY CONVERSATION WITH US INVARIABLY SPOKE RIGHT OVER MY HEAD TO WHOEVER WAS STANDING...
AT ONE POINT GWEN SAID "SHE CAN HEAR AND TALK FOR HERSELF" WHICH KIND OF SHOCKED THE STRANGER..
THERE IS A PUBLIC ASSUMPTION ENCOURAGED BY THE ADA THAT THE DISABLED PEOPLE LACK ALL ABILITIES..
THEN THERE IS TEH KID WHO IS PROBABLY BRIGHTER THAN MOST WHO HAS FIGURED OUT SHE CAN --MILK HER DIAGNOSIS--
" I CAN'T SIT DOWN ... IT HURTS UNLESS THE CHAIR IS 24 INCHES FROM THE FLOOR" ..SO EVERY ONE WAIT ON ME...STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND FIND A CHAIR 24 INCHES FROM THE FLOOR..... OR UNLESS---- AS WE OBSERVED LATER,---- HER MIND IS ON THE PUPPIES INSTEAD OF THE 24 INCHES... THEN SHE COULD SIT FINE...-- NO DOG- -
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WE ASK PEOPLE WHO APPLY TO COME HERE, HANG AROUND AND DO SOME VOLUNTEER THINGS SO WE GET TO ASSESS JUST WHAT IS GOING ON... THIS WHOLE THING IS A LEARNING PROCESS FOR US......-- EARLY IN THE GAME WE GAVE A NICE DOG TO A WOMAN WHO WWE LATER LEARNED IS A "LL" PERSON
( THAT IS LIMP WHEN THEY ARE LOOKING") SHE IS VERY VOCAL ABOUT HER DISABILITIES AND HAS IT DOWN PAT. SHE DOES NOT NEED THAT DOG ! SHE NEEDS THE DISABILITY L.
I CAN NOT PLAY THE CLARINET- I NEVER COULD ...-- I HAVE DARN LITTLE MIND TO HAND CONNECTION-I CAN'T PLAY PING PONG EITHER-- I KNEW THAT AS A KID... I NEVER WOULD BE ABLE TO TYPE-- YO ALL KNOW THAT... LUCKILY NO ONE HAD TAKEN ME TO A DOCTOR AND GIVEN A PROPER DIAGNOSIS I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE FOLDED INTO THE LACK OF HAND ABILITIES... INSTEAD OF FINDING OUT I COULD SHOVEL MANURE BETTER THAN MOST.. THAT STILL IS MY CLAIM TO FAME---
I SEE TOO MANY PEOPLE WHO CONCENTRATE ON WHAT THEY CAN'T DO.
PICKY? TRY UNEMPLOYMENT--- I CAN NOT DO MY OLD JOB OF CHIMNEY SWEEPING --SO THERFORE CAN'T WORK AT ALL AND NEED "ASSISTANCE"
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SO TO THAT WOMAN WHO'S HUSBAND WALKS TOO FAST, I SAY " GET A NEW HUSBAND OR TRAIN THAT ONE ,TAKE A VIDEO OF YOUR PROGRESS, ONLY THEN COULD WE CONSIDER YOU FOR A DOG."
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FUNNY THING IS , I MEAN IT.
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I REMEMBER........ SITTIN G IN THE T TENT ALKING TO A NEW APPLICANT AND SUGGESTED..." LETS SEE HOW YOU WALK.. TAKE HOLD OF HIS BACK POCKET AND WALK TO THE BARN AND BACK.."
WHICH SHE DID VERY NICELY-- AND WAS PLEASED AT HOW SHE COULD STAND UP STRAIGHT.
SHE THEN SAID ..." YOU KNOW WE ARE BEST FRIENDS NOW -- BUT DIDN'T KNOW THIS GUY BEFORE I GRABBED HIS POCKET... "
NOW THERE IS A WOMAN WHO WILL TRY ! AND NOW HAS A DOG.
