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  1. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by AustinFromSA View Post
    Ever seen well-intentioned people talk to mildly mentally retarded adults as if they were little children? It's truly facepalm worthy.
    It's not as bad as when my wife talks to people from other countries and adopts this really odd fake foreign accent (it's some blend of Chinese and Hispanic as far we can tell), which she always does and which we always point out and yet she'll do it again right away, but yeah.

  2. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by iceman View Post
    It's not as bad as when my wife talks to people from other countries and adopts this really odd fake foreign accent (it's some blend of Chinese and Hispanic as far we can tell), which she always does and which we always point out and yet she'll do it again right away, but yeah.
    Ha! She is just trying to connect man! I know because I've been guilty of the same when speaking with the Irish and English soccer coaches. Oh bloody hell, at least I look like them I guess

  3. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by iceman View Post
    It's not as bad as when my wife talks to people from other countries and adopts this really odd fake foreign accent (it's some blend of Chinese and Hispanic as far we can tell), which she always does and which we always point out and yet she'll do it again right away, but yeah.
    Lindsay Lohan’s New Accent, Explained by Psychology
    When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something. To do something." Rep. John Lewis


    Kindness is a bridge between all people

    Dunkin’ Donuts Worker Dances With Customer Who Has Autism

  4. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by iceman View Post
    It's not as bad as when my wife talks to people from other countries and adopts this really odd fake foreign accent (it's some blend of Chinese and Hispanic as far we can tell), which she always does and which we always point out and yet she'll do it again right away, but yeah.
    Nurse I know thinks that speaking English louder will make a Spanish speaker understand.

  5. #30
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    This page has turned to the funny
    “How does it feel to be the greatest guitarist in the world? I don’t know, go ask Rory Gallagher”. — Jimi Hendrix

  6. #31
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    Quote Originally Posted by KQ View Post
    Told this story a couple times but here it is again:

    I was in a wheelchair for 2 months and it was eye-opening. People will not look you in the eye and step around you. Seldom do they help you with a door. I would have thought to anyone who had actually seen me they would have realized I was not someone who was wheelchair bound but rather someone who had been in an accident and was temporarily in need of a wheel chair (my entire right arm was in a cast and my right leg was in a soft brace plus my chair was bargain basement). None-the-less it was as if I didn’t exist. “Don’t stare at the cripple!” was the vibe I got. One of the few people that came up to me and spoke was a woman who embraced my shoulders and said “I have a son in a wheelchair” as if to give me hope or something. There were a few who recognized I was an accident victim and asked about it but in two months I could count them on one hand.

    As for things being ADA compliant I can tell you while the idea is there the function more than often is not. Sure they have a wheel chair stall in the bathroom but can you get in with your chair and close the door behind you? That is if you can even get into the bathroom which may be located down a narrow hall with sharp corners. Then once you’re in the stall you better hope they toilet is in the right spot for you to slide onto it. I could at least hop on one foot and maneuver but what is someone with no use of their legs to do?

    And don’t get me started on the abled bodied who have multiple stalls to choose from but take the wheelchair stall because they want to spread out. I waited many times for someone to get out of that stall when all the others were empty. I had one choice, they had many and they took mine and for me it wasn’t a matter of just walking in and dropping trou to pee. It was difficult and time consuming with one arm, balancing on one leg. There were times I came close to not making it when I was forced to wait.

    I will say that public transportation people were the most helpful and kind from taxi drivers to Seattle Metro they made my life easier.

    My experience has made me hyper aware of what life is like for the non-able bodied from sidewalks to aisle ways to public services. It has also made me more likely to recognize someone in a wheelchair or on crutches etc. I make eye contact and smile like I would anyone else.
    I can only imagine what it would be like in a wheelchair.

    For my experience, a new ACL, I got stared at everywhere I went like I was a handicap, and all I had was 2 compression stockings, full leg brace and crutches.

    In 1984 I was chasing a girl who volunteered for The Winter Special Olympics, I got in as a coach, but alpine was full so I was on the cross country team. I took me a day or 2 but treating everyone, mild or severe condition, was all they wanted, easy to do once us able body folks get over our hangups about the disabled

  7. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by iceman View Post
    really odd fake foreign accent
    If it was an official disability I could get way better parking spots.
    Quote Originally Posted by Downbound Train View Post
    And there will come a day when our ancestors look back...........

  8. #33
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    Hey, OP. Any chance your local area has an organization like Eagle Mount? https://eaglemount.org/
    Always enjoyed seeing their participants out on the mountain. I've talked to a couple of volunteers about their experiences and it sounds amazing. Anyway, seems that sharing something you love (skiing or anything else you like outdoorsy) with other people would be a great way for you to connect on a deeper level with people with disabilities.

    I remember riding a lift in Big Sky and seeing what seemed like an adult female with Downs pass under us, hooked up to an Eagle Mount volunteer guiding her down. The expression of sheer joy on that woman's face was unforgettable and just melted my icy heart to witness that. I can only imagine how that made her guide feel, seeing her squealing with delight, grinning ear to ear, laughing the whole way down Mr. K. Anyway, I'm guessing there's not much awkwardness after doing something rad like that with someone, disabled or not. Barriers vanish.

  9. #34
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    Dec 2015
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    Quote Originally Posted by 4matic View Post
    In general, I try to never make eye contact with homeless on the street. You become a target.
    The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) states that the nation’s homeless veterans are predominantly male, with roughly 9% being female. The majority are single; live in urban areas; and suffer from mental illness, alcohol and/or substance abuse, or co-occurring disorders. About 11% of the adult homeless population are veterans.

    Roughly 45% of all homeless veterans are African American or Hispanic, despite only accounting for 10.4% and 3.4% of the U.S. veteran population, respectively.

  10. #35
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    Quote Originally Posted by wyeaster View Post
    The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) states that the nation’s homeless veterans are predominantly male, with roughly 9% being female. The majority are single; live in urban areas; and suffer from mental illness, alcohol and/or substance abuse, or co-occurring disorders. About 11% of the adult homeless population are veterans.

    Roughly 45% of all homeless veterans are African American or Hispanic, despite only accounting for 10.4% and 3.4% of the U.S. veteran population, respectively.
    all which makes this..

    Quote Originally Posted by 4matic View Post
    In general, I try to never make eye contact with homeless on the street. You become a target.
    Seem even more heartless than it did before.
    Quote Originally Posted by Downbound Train View Post
    And there will come a day when our ancestors look back...........

  11. #36
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    The frat I mentioned did a yearly cross country bike trip, which involve raising money through pledges and donating to various disability organizations along the route. It also involved getting their asses royally kicked in wheelchair basketball.

  12. #37
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    Oct 2003
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    As awful as the homeless situation is across the nation, it varies quite wildly depending on where you are and I don't fault anyone for taking a cautious approach with the homeless. For example, the homeless in my town are generally pretty docile and appreciate some conversation and help, but I've been working in San Francisco, where within 3 blocks of my office, one homeless person stabbed and killed a construction worker, another stalked women from our office until our superintendent saw it happening one night and roughed him up, another one shoved an engineer and stole his muni ticket right out of the machine as he was buying it. Others shit and vomit on doorsteps and leave needles everywhere. Hell, I even saw one homeless woman in the middle of a busy sidewalk jumping in a circle swinging a syringe around in a close fist.

    So yeah, I get it. There's a place for treating others like humans and normal interaction, but watch out for number one.
    I've concluded that DJSapp was never DJSapp, and Not DJSapp is also not DJSapp, so that means he's telling the truth now and he was lying before.

  13. #38
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    Aug 2006
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    I try empathy, kindness, and respect to varying amounts of success.

    People can be homeless for a lot of reasons. My wife and I were homeless for almost half a year in the late 90's. We got by because of our attitude, lack of substance abuse, giving and caring friends with a backyard in Berkeley, a landlord that did not care, and free rental camping gear from my work. We were able to save some money (we both had jobs) and find a rental with another friend that we could afford before winter started (thankfully!). Having a strong support network was essential for us.

    Sent from my SPH-L710 using TGR Forums mobile app

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