Disabled communities on Flickr

I have not been writing much here because I have been busy uploading photos into my Flickr account and found a few disability commnities there. Flick is mostly visual so it is a virtual  representation of disability. The discussions and groups were started by  people with disabilities such as Rolling Rains - in fact it was S. Rains who invited me.

It is a great resource for it is often difficult to find positive images of people with disabilities although quite a few of thse photos are of wheelchairs, cutches or other aids. As usual, there is a diversity of people to be found and they do not all always agree.

Today, I remarked on someone  elses  comment :

@The fifth element. Okay you asked for it:-) I still think its my personal view but this is the right time. The sort of stuff which makes me cross is just like the comments that John Coxon made in the previous posting. "When I see the hands some of my pupils were dealt with medical conditions and so fourth I still marvel at their mental attitude, their courage and them being such exemplary people."
I speak only for myself but I take umbrage at comments like that, people with disabilities are just like everybody else, we are not heroes, nor angels just by having a disability. We can be normal, some of us can be liars, smokers, foul mouthed, alcoholics just like the next person. And they are just as valid and have a right to be whomever they chose to be - not just those who are athletes or achievers. some of us spent a lot of time in hospital waiting rooms, in rehab..and I am sure that John does, I am not discounting the good work I am sure he does with the people he worked with but what he says is tantamount to wheeling them on stage and saying..look at them, see what they did -arent they marvelous? That is fine if they choose to be in the limelight themselves but please do not chose to put us on a pedestal..not unless we choose to put ourselves up there. I will not say I speak for all people with disabilities, we are such a diverse group but I would fight and I would urge you to fight for the right to independent living - the right of choice - to be just like the next Jane, Dick or Mohammad.. Yes, legislation of curbcuts the DDA, ADA and Section 508 (web accessibility) - that is important but do not say "Someone's difficulty is our opportunity in my view if it is OK with them and someothing can be offered.".

Its not okay with me. This is not the kind of ranting I would welcome. I do not want somebody to take advantage of anybody's disability. If you dont see that there is something inherently wrong with that..theres nothing else I can say. 

The full context can be found at at rockthatdisability discussion