Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!aplcen!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!think!yale!bunker!hcap!hnews!714!404.0!Greg.See-Kee From: Greg.See-Kee@p0.f404.n714.z3.fidonet.org (Greg See-Kee) Newsgroups: misc.handicap Subject: Re: CAN-DO Message-ID: <10427@bunker.UUCP> Date: 27 Feb 90 16:36:43 GMT Sender: wtm@bunker.UUCP Reply-To: Greg.See-Kee@p0.f404.n714.z3.fidonet.org Distribution: misc Organization: FidoNet node 3:714/404.0 Lines: 113 Approved: wtm@bunker.UUCP Index Number: 6983 J> I was reading your message about showing 10 devices to the newly J> disabled group. I know you may not have originally used to word "devices". GADGETS is a far more appropriate word. J> I was wondering if you heard anything about a companion dog Yes this is a DEVICE. Other devices are: new friends, job/recreation/hobbies. Partner/ spouse. Fidonet DisAbled Conferencing, Disability organizations, solitary sex, ab/use of the medical drugs and/ or professional carers. When talking about professional carers -- they may or may not be trained/ code-of-ethics bound, disciplined. But they see that being a do-gooder is their major vocation. Before my own brain injury (motor vehicle accident), I defined myself as a professional do-gooder. Some of my causes were Feminism, Druggies, Homeless youth, crazies, quads, paras, retards, vision-impaired, and the men's auxilaries to the Women's Liberation Movement in Australia's two largest cities. Five years after the fourth most disabling thing that could ever happen to anyone, I'm still coming to terms with the new "me". BTW: The most disabling events are (1) Persistent, acute pain (2) Persistent, acute dizziness (3) Tinnitus (4) Brain Damage (5) ... ( ) Quadriplegia I'm interested in your "Hit Parades". (1), (2) & (3) are in agreement with the Australian Tinnitus Association. Brain damage, which I have, has multiple causes: 1) natural senility (premature or otherwise) 2) the birth process 3) drug abuse/ reactions, including alcohol 4) physical impact (as with me) 5) stroke 6) oxygen starvation (eg drowning, coma, ...) 7) ... 8) schizophrenia ? 9) other organic brain disorders ? Unlike mere spinal cord damage (paras & quads), or damage to the peripheral nervous system [PNS] (hearing, vision, digestion, limbs, ...), brain damage affects the total human body. In military terms, if you eliminate headquarters, you do the most damage. So in my case, it not only affects my PNS (hearing, vision, gigestion, limbs, etc), but also other important Brain-Only functions. These Brain-Only functions include: 1) Logic systems ("insight") 2) Memory systems, esp short term memory 3) Muscular Multi-processing (eg listening, swallowing) 4) Input multi-processing (eg listening & seeing) 5) Cognitive multi-processing (eg thinking/ emoting) Often termed "emotional disinhibition". 6) Output multi-processing (eg walking & talking) The other determinant of the seriousness of a medical disability, is the level of civilization around the disabled person. So if the society relies on "blue-collar" muscular-type work, then spinal cord and limb-disabilities are very critical. However if a society has the physical and social mechanisms to provide prostheses (artificial parts), then access to these physical & social mechanisms becomes much more important. With Brain Damage, a person (myself included) becomes unable to fully access the physical and social prosthesis that advanced societies provide. To put it in "street language", crips like me are so bitchy and unreliable that no-one likes being near us too long. Most of the brain damaged people are living on the streets, in "overnight refuges" or just dumped into nursing homes. The science & technology has not YET evolved to the level that it knows how to handle brain damage. Our society doen't even know how it is caused! -- END OF SERMON -- Comments, questions, arguments ... please ... -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!3!714!404.0!Greg.See-Kee Internet: Greg.See-Kee@p0.f404.n714.z3.fidonet.org