Humanity Platform

People with disabilities in 2017 still have to advocate strongly to be allowed to participate fully in the community.  I recently was invited to a community inclusion forum which I was unable to attend but this is what I would have said.  All my life I have desperately wanted to be taken seriously. I have wanted to be considered a leader, not just in the disability community but in the world as a whole.  People might see my disability as a detriment and it might be a cliche, I ask people to focus on my ability not my disability. I am street performer, poet, public speaker, political activist, professional actor, and most importantly a husband. All these socially valued roles and more are how I try and give back to the community.  The fact that when it come to people with a disability we still have the necessity for social inclusion forums inspired me to write the following poem: Community Centre I sit looking up, getting a sore neck while everyone else gets to look d