Sometimes I feel that I have been asking this questions for so many years, but I can’t seem to help myself and until someone can give me some sort of logical response, then I’ll just continue to ask with the hope that someone out there would be willing to help unravel the mystery.
You see, this is a picture that has so many question marks written all over it. It is a picture that has existed for far too long and now it is a picture that many of us from the community of persons with disabilities are no longer willing to put up with.
We see a picture where the mainstream person is generally paid for services rendered, expertise requested, and skills that are needed. However, when it comes to extending the same respect to those of us who have a disability; the picture somehow changes quite drastically.
How many times have I been at a conference and heard comments being paid to presenters with a disability telling them how much they have to offer, how much their expertise is appreciated, and so on but when you dig a wee bit deeper and ask said presenter whether or not they have been adequately compensated for their presentation, the soft and sad response is that they have not.
This state of affairs continues to prevail, and all that I can say is that as long as we as a community do not speak up and speak out, it will continue, and at the end of the day we would only have had ourselves to blame for enabling and allowing this picture to live on.
So I am going to end my editorial here with an appeal to persons with disabilities! When it comes to being asked to make presentations or provide training to the mainstream world, speak up and speak out. Demand fair compensation for what you are offering.
Just my two cents worth for today.