Baboon Pirates

Scribbles and Scrawls from an unrepentant swashbuckling primate.

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Location: Texas, United States

Monday, September 24, 2007

Wanted: 40 Winks. Dreams Optional.

Yawn, I say! Yawn!

I could kill for a nap right now. Point me towards the nearest queen-size or larger mattress, and I will gladly do mortal damage to the occupant in order to take possession of the bed.

This is the week of early mornings, late nights, and frazzled nerves. It started last week, and will continue until Thursday evening sometime. Actually, I can't really collapse until next Saturday afternoon, but rest assured, I'll do just that and not budge again until the following Monday morning.

The funny part is, the big project is already over & done with. The Expo was this past Saturday, but all the little bits & pieces that go along with it still need to be dealt with. Debrief sessions, evaluation review, etc.

I'd like to think the event was a success, given the inevitable 1st year bobbles and hiccups. There were many more participants than I expected to see, and for the most part things seemed to go smoothly.

Although the event was encouraging, and I'm glad I volunteered for the day, it had a depressing side as well. For all the people that came seeking employment, I know a goodly portion of them will probably not find it. Employers who are willing to set aside prejudice and bias against the disabled are all too rare, and among those who will hire the disabled, even fewer have the deep pockets to accommodate the severely disabled.

It's one thing for an employer to provide text-to-speech software, or a wheelchair ramp, or an LCD screen enlarger. It's another thing entirely to be able to pay a salary that will allow for a full-time tactile sign-language interpreter, or for personal assistants, or for allergen-free workspaces.

Most of the people I spoke with want to be free of reliance on Social Security benefits, but at this point in time, prevailing attitudes and technology levels just aren't at a level that will support that goal.