My Voice

My friend, Emma, over in England has invited me to participate in a blog swarm similar to Blogging Against Disablism Day (BADD), which is held every May 1st. This blog carnival Emma is hosting--or helping with--is called "One Month Before Heartbreak." Its creation was inspired by the budget cuts the disability community in the U.K. will be feeling soon. From my understanding, it's in regards to the reform on disability benefits.

I guess with the way the economy's been lately everyone has been experiencing budget cuts, no matter where they live. The thing is to survive, or get through them, with minimum trouble. We've been experiencing budget cuts ourselves here in the U.S. for roughly two years or more, and the Idaho Council on Developmental Disabilities (ICDD) had been in danger of being disbanded in 2009.

If I were more clear-headed at the moment I could talk about the budget cuts that have, are, or will affect Idahoans with disabilities in the future. As it is, I am muzzy-headed, I have lil umph and a sore throat that has been annoying me since the wee hours of the morning. I do want to contribute something to this carnival though, so I will briefly talk about a realization I made sometime last year.

I know I won't be on the ICDD or on the SALN Board forever, and that got me thinking. I have roughly been a self-advocate since 2005, and it was Emma herself who got me involved in the Disability Movement! I'd begun learning to speak up for myself (because no one else would--unless it was my aide) while attending ISU, however, I was never part of an active group for people with disabilities. Heck, back then I didn't even know what self-advocacy was! But then, I met Emma through a blog host website we were both using at the time and she introduced me to what is now a shared passion and way-of-life. I realized last year I want to continue on being a self-advocate for the rest of my life...and somehow I want to combine it with my oldest passion: writing. Whether it be in essays, poetry, novels, or all three remains to be seen. All I know is, I AM a self-advocate; I will be one for the rest of my life, and I want to help others speak up for themselves and help them have a better quality of life.

My Voice!
Passive and meek I was once...
once so shy and yet...content
content to let others speak for me
me, the quiet one, the naïve, sheltered one
one who learned, years later, I have a Voice!
Voice gaining strength and confidence
confidence in knowing my Voice is important
important as anybody else's...every day is easier
easier to speak for myself...I'm no longer quiet
quiet as a mouse...I'm bolder now, like a lioness
lioness who has discovered her Roar!
Roar! I have become what I was always,
always meant to be: a Self-Advocate.
Advocate for myself and others
others without a Voice still, I will be
be silent no longer! I will be heard!

May 25, 2009

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