ANST-Announce - The SCA and Disabilities

[Richard Culver]

Wesan ge hal!

   Be the folk of Ansteorra and the Seneschals of Known World all well on 
this First Day of Spring!

    This is a call for personal testimonies, articles, advice, and whatever 
else about addressing and overcoming disabilities to live this Glorious 
Dream.
    The tentative title is "The Book of the Enabled" as I want this 
collection to be about what folk have enabled themselves to do in light of 
any difficulties.  For right now I am dividing it into these categories: 
Fighting (encompassing both chivalric and rapier), Service, Arts & Sciences, 
Heraldry, Chirurgeon, and Youth.  However anything will be most welcome.
    Until I improve my computer capability, I would prefer hardcopies and 
scannable art be sent by snail as to at least get the organizing started.  
Hopefully in due time, either with an increase in my luck or with the help 
of volunteers, I can then accept computer files on-line.
    I would ask any  and all submissions, with appropriate release forms of 
course, be sent to me by 13.Sept.2000.  If this is not enough time, please 
let me know and we will work something out.  My hope is to have it completed 
as early as Yule of this year and no later than a year from know.
    Please forward this to those whom you might think would have an interest 
in this endeavor.

    In the mundane year of 1990 I was diagnosed with severe ulner neuropathy 
in my right hand.  This disorder atrophied the muscle in my hand to the 
point of not being able to write for about a year and a half much less 
pursue my dreams of professional musicianship.  When I first took interest 
in Living the Dream in 1992, I, being only 19, took to Chivalric fighting 
and realized my loss of strength in my dominate right hand was barely 
sufficient to wield a sword for much more than a strike or two.
    At the encouragement of others and playing on a natural ambidextrous 
ability I switched to left handed fighting.  Still I was saddened at the 
thought I may not be able to attain my fighting aspirations of the time and 
took to feeling sorry for myself.  Then, at one event, I saw an amazing 
fighter who inspired me to do what I could and _that_ was what was 
important.  This fighter was Ansteorra's own one legged knight, Sir Kief.  
Since rejoining the Society this past year, I was also inspired by a man who 
fights from  a wheel chair and is a master bowman.  His name is Lord 
Fearghus MacKenna of the Barony Of Elfsea.   Seeing these folk living the 
Dream with such joy touched me and made me think perhaps there are people 
out there who would pursue the Dream if only they had the same ability to 
see, or at least read of, the deeds of people in Our World.
    This is why I have sought to do this.  I feel there must be a way to 
inspire those who may not realize how much they can offer to The Dream.  
Also the pride is there in seeing what our friends can accomplish and how it 
shows us how much we can accomplish together.


May the Heavens shine on our Endeavors,

Cyniric Cyniwarding
acting herald - Canton of Glaslyn,
Barony of the Steppes,
Kingdom of Ansteorra

Richard Bruce Culver
804 Eagle Drive, # 18
Denton, TX  76201
940.243.9912 (no calls after 9 p.m. Central)
rbculver at hotmail.com

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