Comments on: The Invisible Disability

By: kitrona

kitrona — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:37:38 +0000

Bri, that’s just horrifying! Those requirements exclude the very people who need service dogs the most! How can they not see that? Allow family members or people they live with to help!

*sigh*

By: Bri

Bri — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:21:04 +0000

A friend of mine on LJ recetntly posted about her attempt to get a service dog for her disabled husband. Apparently in the UK, the disabled person has to be able to care for the animal totally on their own – they have to be able to feed it, walk it, bathe it, brush it etc etc all on their own without any assistance from anyone else be that anyone else family member or otherwise. Without quoting her post directly (which I’m not going to do) I can’t convey the absurdity of the situation but basically it means that her husband is unable to get a service dog because the very reasons he needs one, are the things that prevent him from being able to care for it totally on his own. The whole situation seems beyond belief but unfortunately it is very very real.
Bri´s last blog ..Guest Post – Some Partially Formed Thoughts On Size & Disability

By: thetroubleis

thetroubleis — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:25:01 +0000

Ah, this reminds me of my life so much. My service dog in training is for mental illness and sensory issues, so of course I must be faking it.
thetroubleis´s last blog ..What It Is To Be A Monster

By: Ouyang Dan

Ouyang Dan — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:27:08 +0000

Erm, umm…and thank you. *blushes* I get flattered so easily.

By: Ouyang Dan

Ouyang Dan — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:24:10 +0000

Exactly. Even people I know who do use the “proper” markers such as scooters, wheelchairs, canes (even myself occasionally) are met w/ skeptics. As if society as a whole are watching them for that great “gotcha” moment, so they can “prove” that they aren’t really that disabled, and just big ol’ fakers trying to milk us all for something. Because, let’s be honest. Even visible disability is met with disrespect and a demand from the able-bodied centric world we navigate.

By: Sweet Machine

Sweet Machine — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:29:00 +0000

The presumption that a disability must come with a big obvious sign so that other people can identify them is part of the problem to making the world outside our homes accessible to everyone.

And then, as you point out, many people feel entitled to judge if you’ve got the “right” disability for that sign, like the service dog.

This is a great post.
Sweet Machine´s last blog ..Fluffcation: Holiday

By: Astrid

Astrid — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:48:21 +0000

I read the book in late 2005, when I was clueless about invisible disabilities. Until it became obvious why Campbelll Alexander had the service dog, I assumed it was a joke and he just felt entitled somehow. I knew that service dogs exist for other reasons than blindness, but I think the fact that he refused to give a real explanation, made me assume there was none.
Astrid´s last blog ..Socialist Party May No Longer Keep Its Members’ Salaries

By: Personal failure

Personal failure — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:05:43 +0000

I think I’ll just print this out and hand it to everyone I see from now on.