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Category: Uncategorized
Handicapped Parking Permit Law
Today the parking permit law in Florida was changed. It is now more difficult for people to receive parking permits. It also puts a stricter period of time as to how long the temporary permits get to be used. Hopefully, now, there will be more spaces available when one goes to park their car.
We may not see the effects of this change immediately, because the permits probably don’t expire for a while but, this is definitely a step in the right direction. It might be an inconvenience for people because they will have to show medical documentation every four years (when the permit expires) but, that is really no big deal. I am happy to show any medical documentation of that sort if it means that there will be less abuse of those parking spots.
The only question that is left to ask is how much will law enforcement attempt to enforce the law? I realize that they have total discretion and that there are other, more severe crimes that they need to handle but, if this law is not enforced, in other words, ticket the person who does not have the permit showing, no permit at all, or an expired permit, then, people will continue to park in these spaces without having a permit because they face no consequences for their actions. As a result, those of us who can use the spot will be in the same boat as now and not be able to use this service that we really need.
What do you think about the new law?
Thanks for reading…
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Role Models
Who is your role model? This is a question teachers use around the 5th grade or so when they are trying to teach their students how to write an essay. Most of the time, the answer is my mom or dad, or favorite teacher.
As we get older, people say their role models are sports figures like Michael Jordan or LeBron James. What are the qualities that make these celebrities role models? What makes people role models? Is it their attempt at being the greatest in their craft or maybe the way they have persevered in their lives to get where they are today? Is it the way they dress or maybe even the lifestyle they lead? Even so, most of the time, the most important role models in our lives are our family members or close friends.
At some point, as we get older, our role models become our family and friends again, just like when we were kids. This is not a bad thing at all. Be proud of who you are and what you have accomplished. Sometimes we don’t even realize that people in our lives consider us to be their role models and aspire to emulate what we do.
What qualities have your role models helped you implement in your life? How have your role models changed your life?
Thanks for reading..
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Jack Osbourne and Multiple Sclerosis
I was watching Good Morning America earlier this week and heard that Jack Osbourne, son of Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne, announced that he has been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. It made me think of a few things….
Number one…Jack Osbourne is a celebrity from the younger generation..(younger than mine). The point being that Multiple Sclerosis may get some attention from the younger generation because of his diagnosis and celebrity status. As a result, younger people might learn more about Multiple Sclerosis and maybe even other disabilities too…
Number Two…Now that Jack Osbourne is being associated with MS, the disability may get pushed into the spotlight and maybe some good can be done in the form of more research or donations to fund studies leading to better treatments, or even a cure for those who live with the disability. Maybe even something similar to the things like what Michael J. Fox has been trying to do for Parkinson’s Disease since his diagnosis, can result from this news.
How do you think popular culture is affected when celebrities are diagnosed with different disabilities or illnesses? (By the way, I am in no way stating that a disability is an illness because to me, that is the farthest thing from the truth) Does it positively affect people’s perception of that disability or illness after the news of the diagnosis becomes public?
Thanks for reading.
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Another kind of Advocacy
I have been working on some things that are Advocacy related. It is funny to me that people are surprised that I try to help other people and am not just in it for what I might gain. A lot of disabled people feel like no one will listen to them so, they keep quiet on things they care about most. Let’s not forget that we contribute to society too. Maybe some more than others, but what we have to say counts.
I was watching “The Doctors” on t.v. the other day and one of the doctors (I think it was the OB/GYN) said the most important thing we can do for ourselves is be our own advocate when we are visiting our health care providers. People feel like they are bothering their doctor if they ask a question during their visit. If we do not participate in our own care, the providers who are taking care of us cannot do their jobs to the best of their abilities. In this case, the only person being cheated is the patient.
When I was pregnant, I went to one of my appointments and had questions for my doctor. He told me that most people don’t ask questions because they feel embarrassed about what they are asking. I know there are some sensitive subjects that we may encounter during any kind of doctor visit but, if we don’t ask these questions, how do we expect to get the help we need?
If you have a disability, you should not feel bad when asking questions about your health either. I once met with a group that because they were disabled, were not even given the chance to learn to ask questions about their health. To me, that is unfair, and in that case the person is not being treated like a person at all. Everyone should have the ability to speak up when it comes to their healthcare and get the answers they need. They should be able to know information about their own health at all times.
How have you become more informed about your healthcare? How have you participated in your own treatments?
Thanks for reading…
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Parenting with a Disability
For the last few days, I have been looking around at different articles about parenting and disability. What bothers me the most about these articles is that it seems that when the children reach the designated milestones (i.e. crawling or sitting up), the disabled parents feel weird about it. When I watch my son grow and do things like sit up on his own, I am proud of him. I realize I did not do things like other children because of my Cerebral Palsy but, I could never be jealous of him because he is doing those things and I did them later on in life.
People see some of his accomplishments as a negative thing for me. They think it is going to make my job as his mom harder. This is the farthest thing in my mind. I knew when I was pregnant that I would have obstacles to face, that is not a newsflash to me. I don’t get upset every time he figures something out. It is just an opportunity for me to rise to another challenge.
What obstacles have you faced head on in your life?
Thanks for reading…
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Transition from High School
We went and watched a high school graduation a few days ago. As I was sitting there, watching the students walk across the stage, I started thinking about the last time I walked across the stage and received my Master’s Degree. Then, I noticed some students in wheelchairs receiving diplomas. This got me thinking about when I graduated high school.
To be honest, as I have said before, my mom was great and we had a great IEP team to help us plan out my next steps, but what about the kids walking across the stage? Did they know what their next steps were? Graduating high school is scary enough. I have worked with people who don’t have a plan, much less a network of resources to help them along the way. The fact that someone asks for help is not a sign of weakness. The important thing is to know where to go for help. I had many obstacles to overcome in order to achieve my educational and personal goals before reaching this point in life. I have seen “life after high school forums” but, are they leaving people with more questions than answers? What are some questions about life after high school these students might have that have not been answered?
Thanks for reading…
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Disabled Parking?
We went to our local grocery store the other day and parked in a disabled spot. (I have a legally issued permit or “placard” as they call them in Florida). As we were getting out of the car, we saw two people who also had a placard that had no physical impairment park in a disabled spot. That begs the question, were they using their mom or dad’s placard to use that spot? I have even seen people park in these spots with no permit and keep on walking.
There are more permits given out in Florida than actual spaces available. These permits are given out so easily that once, an acquaintance of ours was given a permanent permit instead of a temporary one (he had a temporary injury that required him to utilize the parking spaces). Luckily, he was an honest person and went back to his doctor to get the right permit issued. How many people would actually do that?
The other problem is that the police don’t take ticketing offenders seriously. When I lived in my apartment, I came home with my then boyfriend (who is now my husband) and there was no place for us to park. When I called the police because there was someone parked in the disabled parking spot with out a placard, they pretty much laughed at me because I asked them to send someone out to ticket the person. It is no wonder people often take advantage of using disabled parking spots when they don’t really have permission to park there. Nothing seems to happen to them anyhow.
Would there be better adherence to parking in disabled spots if fines were actually given out? Do people realize that there is a difference between a permanent placard and a temporary one?
Thanks for reading…
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Reception
I have been thinking about this post for a few days. Recently, we went to a family gathering and I saw some of my husband’s family I had not seen in a while. Being the pretty friendly person that I am, a conversation quickly ensued about being a new mom.
I was very impressed to see that they were very inquisitive as to how I was managing the daily care of my son despite my physical limitations. Instead of saying something that sounded insensitive, they were genuinely interested as to how I accomplish each task. I really appreciated that because I have been in other situations where I was made to feel like I was contagious or had a second head coming out of my neck.
When you don’t spend a lot of time with people, it is interesting to see how they will react to you. This is generally true when you are going to a party of let’s say a friend who you haven’t seen in years. This happened to me before I married my husband. Luckily I had gotten some warning as to the way I might be treated so, I was on my “A” game that day.
We had gone to a wedding and after the wedding, the minister (yes, the minister of all people) told me I was “damaged goods”. To this I responded with a question, asking what was wrong with him. He could only respond “Praise the Lord”
I am just a person who happens to have some limitations. It really didn’t bother me because it wasn’t the first time someone who didn’t know me said something out of the ordinary. I am not sure why this happens but, it does. In no way, though, am I going to cower in a shell and not be proud of who I am.
I had a different take on talking with a person from a church today. I was inquiring about some information that I needed and it came up in conversation that I happen to have a disability. She had a few questions out of interest in the subject (you can tell people’s intent after a while) and I think ended up learning a thing or two from our conversation.
Why do you think it is so out of the ordinary for some people when they encounter those who have some differences in their everyday lives? Doesn’t everyone have a right to go out and enjoy everything life has to offer?
Thanks for reading…
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