Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Including People With Disabilities?

['Judith Wisdom (wisdom]

Please do remember that disabilities don't always mean wheelchairs.  I'm 
a coho wannabe with chronic fatigue syndrome and not in a wheelchair.  My 
disability is in being deconditioned and easily fatigued.  I need a few 
minor design accomodations and although I can walk a flight and a half of 
stairs, sometimes I can't.  My needs are more in terms of access to 
markets that deliver a full line of food and general groceries and to be 
able to contribute to the community at my energy and strength level--like 
doing computer stuff, writing, even group process, stuffing envelopes, 
and the like.  And if there is a lot of territory between what would be 
my quarters and the main house, such that I couldn't walk, that the turf 
would allow me to use my much hated (and still unused) motorized vehicle.

A reminder to new people on the list is a paper I wrote that's now been 
published that's available on the coho web page.  (I don't have the full 
URL in front of me at the moment but after "articles" is I believe 
"/CFS/html."  (Stuart, don't shoot me if I'm wrong.  If anyone wants the 
correct version email me privately and I'll make sure you get it.)

Also, remember to, that if you are an adult whose been disabled from your 
career for a while and you don't come from great family wealth or have a 
working spouse to bring home the bacon the disability has thrown you into 
financial disarray.  Hence being disabled can be linked to the issue 
being talked about now--subsidized rental quarters, which is what I 
surely need, on toast.

Judith Wisdom
wisdom [at] pobox.upenn.edu