So there I am, in wheelchair, and super worried, after a fifteen hour flight, jet lagged, and never travelled a distance on my own. Disabled and more than a tad freaked out is an excellent summary. I arrived at Dallas/Fort Worth, the largest airport in ghe US (if not the world, i was proudly told by staff). I then had to fly on to Atlanta.

I can only recount I met nothing but politeness, calm courtesy, and people bending over backwards to assist me, from airport staff AND the dreaded TSA. I have no doubt there are bad TSA staff – employ thousands of people dealing with stressed out travelers, and you will not have consistent good people skills at best, and genuine jerks at worst. Some people go power crazed with a small amount of authority (and a shiny badge and uniform), but I was fortunate enough not to encounter them, every single agent handled me with respect and courtesy, made the pat down as non obtrusive and invasive as they could, and kept me informed every step of the way.

So eager to assist me, that one accidentally broke the zippers on my (previously super carefully packed so everything fit just do) backpack, by packing it for me while I got a pat down, and pulling on the zippers too hard. So I needed to replace the bag, shrug, they were so heartbroken I couldn’t argue, and it wasn’t a hugely expensive bag – I could have claimed, but as an Australian traveling through, hassle wasn’t worth it for a clear accident through goodwill.

I only encountered a degree of indifference at Atlanta airport, when I finally arrived, and was led to luggage carousel then abandoned. Other passengers started to help me, when a lovely airport staffer arrived, and seeing me in wheelchair waiting for a bag, went and got luggage trolley, and assisted not only me, but the passenger near me who was also struggling. So that degree of feeling a tad lost lasted, at most, ten minutes. I can live with that:)

When I left, it was in reverse, Atlanta to Dallas/Fort Worth, where the lovely staffer who had met me last time made huge effort to greet me again, and made sure I was well taken care off. Atlanta TSA staff were, if possible, even kinder than DFW, and we’re delighted when I explained the mirrors used at Sydney to check under wheelchairs, and hoped they could introduce them to save back issues there. Glad I could help these lovely people.

All of the TSA staff were frantic busy. All of them showed courtesy, patience, sweet natured concern for my well being, and efficient processing.

Now, I may be posting prematurely, in that I travel to the US now every two months this year, and now with scooter, so may find more difficulty. And I may report back outrage and bad experience. But for this all important first nervous trip alone, I can only express my gratitude for the staff, who despite having many people to process, were so kind and considerate to me.

So I am mobility impaired – as I believe is the current term. I will also say crippled, because I am. I am not differently abled. I use a walking stick for small distances – my current limit is halfway down my block  - four houses – to the shop and back again. Then a lie down to settle the back a bit. But I keep trying. The rest of the time, a wheelchair. New in my arsenal, a scooter. Currently an old model, I am looking at buying a new one to replace the wheelchair. Because then – then I am independent. With the right model, and some clever ramps and devices, I can get it in and out of my power steering blessed automatic station wagon and get myself up that steep ramp, through the length and breadth of the shopping mall. Cope with the travel I do for work.

Because I have not let this stop me – as a matter of fact, I am doing far more than I could have dreamt of – starting my PhD studies, travelling overseas every two months Okinawa, Hong Kong, and Atlanta in the US under my belt in last three months already:) ) Working and studying and living. Like any normal person, I want to be able to strive, to work, to dream and dare, to live.

And when I use normal, it is different to many. Normal means anyone self aware. We all, as  humans, wish to strive and work and attain and hope and dream and do, and most of all, to independently achieve, not rely on others helplessly, feel a burden.

But I have to say, society often makes it damned hard. Oh, it isn’t deliberate. The world isn’t made for us, really. So things like this register. And I know, I know. We are supposed to be grateful for any advance. We are so often voiceless, or disempowered or disenfranchised, that any advance is good, right? Hey, you people never had it so good.

Yeah. Thanks and all. Really. Thanks for thinking we might want access to entertainment. Or planes. Or taxis. Or doors we can open. Little things you tend to take for granted – unless you are disabled in some way.

I know I sound ungrateful. I just am not grateful. If you think about it for a while, you may understand why.

This week’s Angry Cripple column is written by Disability Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes. It’s a celebration of all the great work done for, by and on behalf of the disability sector as well as a slap across the face for all those who could and should have done more for the cause.

via Disability 2011: The good, the bad and the patronising | Article | The Punch.

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An Australian tv series about gay *(disclaimer) scifi fans – with a disabled woman? Could this appeal to me any more succinctly???

Btw, fans (like me) of the absolutely marvellous Boxcutters podcast have long been waiting for this:)

The new television series Outland, set to air on Australia’s ABC1 in February, has been described by some as a gay answer to The Big Bang Theory. Says the show’s producer: “[C]loseted science fiction fans will finally have a voice… a full family of gay Australian characters can go where they never ventured before – prime-time television.”

via Upcoming Outland TV Series: Australian, Geeky, Gay.

*(disclaimer)Ok technically my sexuality is fairly ambiguous, i subscribe to the love the person, notice the packaging later theory – I happen to love my husband, and have for many years, but have loved women too. I find both sexes attractive, IF I find the personality attractive – looks alone just cannot do it, and people become more attractive the more I like them as a person anyway. Thats another post though, but I just don’t get the need for labels and putting people into strict boxes of definition –  unless that is where they WANT to be).

Sheila King, a spunky 75-year-old woman from a small regional town with post-polio syndrome, is taking on Jetstar in a disability discrimination claim in the second highest court in our country. 

Ms Kings claim is that she was refused access to a Jetstar flight because there were already two passengers using wheelchairs on the flight she wished to board.At great financial and personal cost to herself, she is not seeking any personal gain from this case.

Rather she wants Jetstar to change its policy of imposing a limit on the number of people with disabilities who it will take on each flight.Rather than quietly enjoying her retirement, Ms King is doing this because she wants to see Australians with a disability be able to get on a plane, in the same way as any other Australian. 

Unequal access to air travel limits the ability of people with disabilities to participate fully in work and leisure activities. With these practices occurring its no wonder that workplace participation rates of people with disability are lower than most other OECD countries.

Indeed, Australia is alone in allowing its airlines to limit the number of passengers with disability.

via David and Goliath battle over disability discrimination

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I know people who have struggled to have a child, and your heart aches for them, you know what amazing wonderful parents they would be.

Then there is this utter douchebag – a judge beating the hell out of his disabled daughter with a belt – then coming back to do it a second time. With the collusion of the mother. Damn.

He is bitching now that the daughter, who secretly videoed the ongoing abuse, has ’caused trouble for him’. There are no words i can use in public for the depth of my loathing for people like him. Let us just say i lose my normal live and let live approach and turn old testament about it all.

Those who abuse the powerless, especially their own family, are evil, vile monsters. i can sort of understand snapping once (just) and living with the regret of that, trying to be a better person, but this sick b*st*rd really got into this. Sick doesn’t cover it, actually.  And she has a younger sister still living at home, so i can understand her releasing it.

Watching this video breaks my heart. It should break everyone’s heart. And i bet this evil man gets away with it – after all, a Texan judge?

The Internet is blowing up with a video allegedly posted by the daughter of an Aransas County judge that she says shows him beating her.

Someone who says she is the daughter of Judge William Adams posted the 2004 video only recently. The hard-to-take clip shows a man whipping her with a belt because she was downloading music from the net.

“Bend over the fucking bed!!” he screams as he belts her while she tries to squirm away. At another point he threatens to hit her “in your fucking face.”

At another point a woman, who the poster says is her mother, comes in and tells her to bend over “like a 16-year-old and take it.”

via Texas Judge William Adams Allegedly Beating Daughter: Horrifying Video (UPDATED) – Houston News – Hair Balls.

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• Video Allegedly Depicts Texas Family Court Judge Beating Disabled Daughter (abovethelaw.com)
• Video purports to show Texas judge beating daughter (cnn.com)
• Disturbing Video Allegedly Shows Texas Judge Beating Daughter; Internet Springs Into Action (mediaite.com)
• After Police Investigation Opens, Texas Judge Responds To Beating Video: ‘It’s Not As Bad As It Looks On Tape’ (mediaite.com)

The reality is, the car accident that gave me spinal injury took many things. The hardest one to lose was my avid bike riding ways. So as much as i adore these people, and have a blast – i am sad in some ways for what i felt i couldn’t participate in.

But my beloved, wonderful, unselfish, magic bloke, being master of mayhem and brilliance, has decided i SHALL go to the ball. He is converting a number of old electric wheelchair into a frankenbike for me, a recumbent of motorised bliss and bikeness:)

Tonight, he put together two of these wheelchairs

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and gave me – one working one! Now, while i wait for frankenbike, i have much more mobility than i had dreamt of. We just went for a ride down to the beach – three kids and himself on bikes, and me – me on pooter the scooter (he just poots along). Wonderful thing. So much freedom. Independence. Just fang down to the shop, yeah…to the beach, no probs…go for long walk with kids and larry the terrier – i am mobile woman!

So, everyday will be standard Kermit the wonder wheelchair, but for just local stuff, i can now join in:)

For the last four years, scientists from around the world have been participating in Science’s Dance Your PhD contest. The rules of the competition are simple: convey your graduate work in the form of interpretive dance. Creativity will win you points, as will scientific merit; but only by combining the two do you stand to win a spot in the annals of Dance Your PhD history.

via Check out the winners of this year’s Dance Your PhD Competition!.

Exhausted. Back cranky but what’s news? Swollen legs down, especially the very bad RH one (stupid spinal problems affecting circulation). Kids home and happy with our return and gifts – oddly in that order!! Little dog very happy, cat umm catish about it;)

Adele’ 21 album got me through the last tired hurting leg of the flight, with the Zen2 iPad game. I love all the songs (her version of The Cure’s Love Song’ is now up there as my favourite romantic song ever, well, tied with the Tori Amos version). But this one has captured something in me : Set Fire To The Rain

Hated leaving Okinawa, what a fascinating place, al the quirky Japanese charm, with so much less population that you expect, and such an odd combination of buildings – small ramshackle houses next door to massive office buildings and mansions and empty blocks and car yards and factories and supermarkets – all higgledy piggledy, made of interesting forms and concrete. An incredibly warm and friendly place. More tourist places than you could pike a stick at, gorgeous country and beaches. but we had little time to even begin exploring. I would jump (if I physically could) at going back there:)

But now, oh now, I am missing my kids, and my home, and my bed, my dog, my everything. So is the ever patient and sweet himself, who has been my rock during this. Onehour to go, then winging home to be there mid morning. AT least i can say we had a success beyond our expectations, being invited to join the IEEE and work on the 802.11 standard on Adhoc! Fingers crossed for Serval getting the funding for me (or anyone else, but probably me at this initial stage) to go! It means heaps of travel, but this experience has eased many fears for me BUt business class would be critical for back recovery, if doing this on own…so many lessons learnt about disability travel, I will blog in upcoming days:)

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• hong kong airport – Hong Kong, China (travelpod.com)

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So, yesterday afternoon, after an hour and a half delay at Hong Kong airport (they broke the first plane, fortunately before boarding!), we flew to Okinawa. Then himself and I were stuck on the plane, until they managed to get a device attached to the long mobile stairs thing – sort of like an angled platform thing. Then off to the small building that is the airport – so much regional than I was expecting! Customs had never seen the forms I carry for my medication beofr (the ones issued by their government!), ans spoke little English, but all was smiles and fun and such lovely manners. Everyone in Japan, from the airport to the taxis and hotel, has been so friendly and kind, so polite and wanting to help. You would think they had personally damaged my spine at the hotel, the way thy all want to help me with the smallest of tasks. Actually, everyone on this trip has been delightful.

The hotel is very very grand, the staff so darling, all with hugely limited English. But, tragic disaster!!! The wonderful glamorous resort does not have wireless Internet! It only has ethernet – the cabled sort – I mean, who would think it!!!  I have a Macbook AIr – lovely, light 13″ gorgeous speedy device. I have an iPad. An iPhone. Lyn has his Samsung Galaxy Tab, and his Samsung Galaxy 2S phone. No ethernet ports. But the hotel ONLY has ethernet. Anyone know where in Okinawa I can get a MBA ethernet plug, or a small Access Point like the one on our dresser at home, before tomorrow afternoon? No, I didn’t think so…not end of world, but I couldn’t contact kids to let them know I was okay. I felt pretty isolated, though we could have used long distance etc. I am just too connected to Internet to feel good without it now. I can live without it at home, when up at our beloved Wistow, but first time overseas..that is different. But conference has wifi, ahh, blessed wifi *drain*

My presentation was at 8am. I seem to have done sufficiently well to gain Serval an invitation to join the IEEE and drive the process to determine  what we can do to make Mesh Networking easier and better, from a standards pov, working with the already excellent working groups looking into it. I felt very proud to represent our project, and everyone back in the lab had worked long hours helping me prepare for it, so a group kudos. I had wonderful, intelligent, and very detailed questions, support and encouragement from audience. The project always engages people whenever we talk about it.

Lunch soon, and then back to hotel for much needed rest (I was up at 430, fretting so much about getting it right I started rehearsing at 5am!) Lyn has been utterly amazing as a travel companion, and representing Serval as well. (He is also a jolly nice spouse:)  ) Tonight, cocktails and meeting the Governor of Okinawa, and eeing traditional dances and drummers from the region, which is super exciting. Tomorrow will be another huge day, of flying to HK later afternoon, waiting there for 6 hours until about 11.30pm, then finally, direct flight home.

Oh, fr those wondering, photos when we get home, and bandwidth more controllable;)

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