[Namron] As a person who happens to have a disability......

[Lisa]

I think that Anya hit the nail on the head when she stated that the whole
issue is "Reasonable Accomodation".  Chass and I are trying to get ourselves
set up so that we do NOT have to rely on others for assistance.  We have
purchased a tent that he can get in and out of and that we can set up with
minimal assistance, which is usually the friends who camp with us.  We have
also purchased a generator (which we will likely get complaints about due to
non period noise) so that he has access to electricity to recharge his power
chair without needing to request setup and access to an electrical outlet
which may or may not even be available depending on the site.  We have
purchased and are in the process of getting roadworthy a van to haul all of
the items that we need to go to an event and enjoy ourselves with minimal
need of assistance from others.  We are in the process of finding remedies
that he can use that do not leave him nonfunctional due to pain, but it is a
long term trial and error process.  Like Isobel, we are both still new to
his being disabled, he only recently ended up in a wheelchair less, than 2
years ago, due to a freak accident at work that should have never happened.

We had hoped that our experience in the SCA would not mirror our experiences
in the "Real world".  Unfortunately, the term "reasonable accomodation"
seems to be open to debate.  I personally don't consider it unreasonable for
an event coordinator to do the research to choose a site that doesn't
destroy vehicles, allows someone in a wheelchair to actually get into and
use the bathroom, and has paths that don't have gullys that endanger the
able bodied and prevent someone in a wheelchair from even leaving their
site.

We joined the SCA as a way to enjoy ourselves and escape from the "real
world" temporarily.  Since his accident it has become less of an enjoyment
and more of a battle similar to what we deal with every day.  When we
request something we see as reasonable accomodation, we are told we are
being militant about his disability, or that we are being aggressive and
demanding special considerations.  In our non-SCA daily life, we have to
deal with harrassment from the insurance company's private investigator, the
insurance company refusing to pay for prescribed medications that he needs,
a powerchair that breaks down on a regular basis, chronic pain that leaves
him grumpy if he doesn't take his painkillers and leaves him drugged out if
he does.  He is currently trying to get what he needs so that he can start
hunting and fishing again, but until he gets everything together and signed,
our only relaxation/enjoyment that we have left is the SCA and it is getting
to where it is not enjoyable because either we cannot get into the chosen
sites, or if we can, we are basically stuck in camp with our only
interaction coming from those who came with us or those who come to our
site.  As for me, there are days that I want to just hide in the bedroom and
cry due to all of the stress, but that isn't even an option because I have
to care for both Chass and our 4 year old.  I could bore you to death with a
lot more that we have to deal with, this is only a small portion of it, but
I won't do so, but I also won't step back and allow the "poor little cripple
who needs to be pitied and should hide in the shadows and keep his mouth
shut" mentality to be applied to my husband or my family.  We were once told
that if he couldn't attend an event without his wheelchair we shouldn't
attend events.  When that incident made it to the lists, there was a major
uproar and a lot of support for us.  Unfortunately, that attitude seems to
disappear when we bring up something that we need to make our attendance at
an event possible, much less enjoyable.  This is not directed at any one
person, and definitely not directed at those who offer their assistance any
time it is needed.  I will now drop this subject and not respond unless it
is privately to any posts regarding this subject with the exception of
forwarding the contact information for the 5 sites that I know of that are
closer to being accessible than any of those currently in use.

Elizabeta of Rundel
mka Lisa Brown