Autism Acceptance Month

April is Autism Awareness Month. But it seems that Awareness isn’t enough. I don’t want to just make you guys aware of Autism. I want to encourage you guys to accept people with Autism. Okay, so do you guys even know about Autism, or what it is? Let me give you a link that gives a little summary here:

http://clearingthefogaboutautism.org/autism.html

I didn't know about Autism until my freshman year of high school. That’s when I met my highschool sweetheart. We still keep in touch and he’s like a brother to me. He has Asperger’s Syndrome, which is a mild form of Autism. He’s taught me a lot, whether he knows it or not. His perspective on life is inspiring and I’m proud to call him my friend and brother. 

Not only did I become aware of Autism, I accepted it. Maybe I automatically accept people with disabilities because I have one (a disability, I mean, but not Autism), maybe it’s because I’ve been around people with disabilities when I started going to a private school for people with disabilities since the 6th grade, maybe it’s both. I don’t know. All I know is that everyone that has a disability has a potential to be successful in life and sometimes, they may even surprise you. 

There is a difference between awareness and acceptance. Let’s see, how can I explain this? People who are only aware of Autism would possibly know a few facts and get people to do this or that and say it’s for Autism. Truth is, sometimes they may think they know all about Autism but really, they may just know the basics. Acceptance is acknowledging the person, making time to actually get to know the person, not the disability. It means trying to understand the person. It does not mean trying to change the person.

I don’t claim to know everything about Autism, especially since I do not have Autism in the first place. I’m not around people with Autism 24/7, I’m not a sister of someone with Autism, and I’m not a caregiver (and I’m not a parent), so I’ll admit that maybe I don’t know the inner workings of someone with Autism on a daily basis. All I know is that when I met my brother/friend, I just wanted to accept him for who he is. Whenever I meet someone with a disability, I tend to see the person, not the disability. 

Awareness is easy, but acceptance takes quite a bit of work.

Until next time, God Bless. 
- Chloe

Disability Day of Mourning (part 2)

Warning: Contents of this entry may be triggering, please keep that in mind while reading and clicking on the links below.

Last night, I participated in the virtual vigil to remember the lives of people with disabilities that were lost by the hands of their family members or caregivers. Thank you to Savannah for hosting this. I will post a series of links that we have shared last night.

Here is a list of names of people with disabilities who lost their lives by the very people who they were supposed to trust, dating back from 1993 to December 2012. The list is incomplete, there are many others whose names we do not know, and we mourn for those lives as well. This link also includes how they died, so read with caution.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/1hJ27oRDChuQBZ5ybpmh5HcXD1caE_-lHHASEY7pJrXv5piFePijHns0dyq0Y/edit?usp=sharing

Here are the links to the writings that were shared. Some of these are pretty hard to read, so read with caution.

http://yesthattoo.blogspot.com/2013/03/our-day.html

http://www.wussu.com/poems/whafb.htm

http://www.autistichoya.com/2012/03/not-human-anymore-is-this-what-ally.html

http://disabilityrightnow.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/murder-not-mercy/

http://www.thenthdegree.com/proudpoem.asp

https://docs.google.com/file/d/1Y1IvvUtS_u5tDU9a1y1BVcSoCOSNlYNYSrUjVg8ylzkxQzP2dGSMMkB5b__A/edit?usp=sharing

http://ollibean.com/2012/03/20/lives-not-worth-living-by-amy-sequenzia/

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0EoNfuMGypXTVgxd0dOby1YM0E/edit?usp=sharing&pli=1

http://disabilityrightnow.wordpress.com/2012/04/17/the-death-of-al-bing/

http://nightengalesknd.livejournal.com/85048.html

http://www.inclusiondaily.com/archives/04/03/29.htm#dupree

When is enough going to be enough? We all need to speak up because this needs to stop. It’s just wrong, on so many levels. Honestly, I do not know what else to say.

So, I leave you with this quote:

“Mourn for the dead and fight like hell for the living.” – Mother Jones.

Until next time, God Bless.

- Chloe

Disability Day of Mourning

Today, March 1, 2013, is a day of mourning for people with disabilities who have lost their lives at the hands of their family members or guardians. You may remember me posting about this last year. I’m still saddened that this type of tragedy happens. There are no words for this, but we need to all speak up about this. We need to stop this, but also remember the lives that are already lost. Did you know, when a person with a disability loses their lives at the hand of a family member, it’s the family member that gets the sympathy? Want to know my opinion about this? I am disgusted by those family members who would choose to do this sort of thing. In my eyes, that means they just gave up on the person! They give up! It’s like their lives had no value! Here’s the thing, they do have value. Every single person’s life here has value. Every single person on this Earth has potential. They do have dreams. We, as people with disabilities, have rights, and we will stand up for those rights! We, as people with disabilities, will want justice for those who have lost their lives, especially in the hands of the people that they trusted!

Like last year, I plan to join the virtual vigil. Of course, there are several vigils around. Here is the link to a list of vigils:

http://autisticadvocacy.org/2013/02/disability-day-of-mourning-remember-lives-taken/

If you would like to join me at the virtual vigil, here is a link:

https://www.facebook.com/events/148504241980265/

I plan to be there at around 6pm or 7pm EST. I hope that you guys will join me, not to support me, but to remember the lives that have been lost.

Until next time, God Bless.

- Chloe

American Girl Dolls embrace disabilities and differences

We all know about the American Girl franchise, right, the dolls, the books, etc.? I grew up on those. I collected the books. I think I still have at least some of them. I even had a bitty baby (pictured below).

Recently, I’ve learned some news about the American Girl franchise. They are putting the spotlight on disabilities and differences. This makes me very happy.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2012/11/29/american-girl-dolls-embrace-differences-and-disabilities/

In a way, I guess I’m still a child at heart, how else can you explain that I’m 22 years old and I still want a doll? But I am very excited about the news. For me, I think that one of the best presents I could ever receive in the future would be an American Girl Doll, blonde hair, blue eyes, and wears a hearing aid:

Why a hearing aid? Because I am hearing impaired and I have been since birth. And like the American Girl Dolls, I like to embrace my disabilities because it is a part of who I am.

Until next time, God Bless.
- Chloe

Happy New Year! 2013!

Hi everyone! I feel I should apologize for not posting very often lately. I’ve been going through different issues. All I ask is for your patience while I’m dealing with everything.

Well, Happy 2013! Every New Year’s Eve, I look back on my life. Usually it’s mostly painful. This time, I can safely say that 2012 was probably my best year yet. Technically, it all started in December of 2011.

Let me start from the very beginning. I’ve mentioned my internet family a few times. I met them in 2005, my teen years weren’t the best and it was nice to have somewhere to escape. I did not know then how much they would mean to me in the future. It was my first time venturing out into the internet forums, and that place was my first internet home, the CW forums. Well, I went away to college and was mostly away from the CW forums for two years, then I came back, but it felt different. This was during the summer of 2011, right after I graduated from college. I wasn’t sure if they remembered me, and I was probably at my lowest at that point. One day, I got a private message on that site from a friend. We barely knew each other at that point, and yet, he sent me an invitation to a Facebook group. I eventually made my secondary Facebook page, NiChloe Sullivan, and joined that group.

Soon after, the CW forums suffered a boardfall. It was soon after that, December 19, 2011, when we made The Evicted. So, this past year, 2012, have been full of wonderful moments for me. I made new friends and the friendships I already had only grew stronger. They are like a second family to me, and I like to think that I am a better person because of them. They mean the world to me. We recently celebrated our one year anniversary and I’m sure we’ll all be together for many years to come.

It was right after Christmas that we heard that the NBC forums suffered a boardfall as well. Our offer still stands and will always stand for any displaced members of the NBC forums, we are more than willing to invite you in as our brothers and sisters, our family members. We hope to see you guys soon. Also, we are still looking for our lost family members from the WB and CW forums.

You'll find us here:

http://displacedcwloungefan.proboards.com/index.cgi 


As a favorite character of mine once said, “There will always be adventures for another day.” (Chloe Sullivan - series finale pt. 2).

Until next time, God Bless.

- MissNiChloe

NBC Forums down? Come to The Evicted!

I just recently found out that the NBC forums went down. I want to say that we, at The Evicted, know how that feels. We felt that one year ago when the CW forums went down. We did not want to lose the connections we’ve made over the years. So, within minutes of hearing the news, we jumped into action. We are inviting all of you who were members of the NBC forums to join our family and make The Evicted your home. We have a place for all the shows (and if we don’t have it already, we will certainly make it). We want you guys to be able to keep the connections you've made over the years. 


So, feel free to make yourself at home here at The Evicted. We would love to welcome you in as our brothers and sisters.

Here is the link to our home: 

http://displacedcwloungefan.proboards.com/index.cgi

I hope to see you all there soon!

- MissNiChloe

Remembering 9/11

I had another post planned for today, but after realizing what day it was, I felt this was more appropriate. It’s been 11 years. I still remember the day, 11 years ago. I don’t think any of us will ever forget.

Like I said, I remember exactly what happened on that day. I was in school, struggling as usual to hear and understand the teacher. Then, we overhear an announcement saying that the school was on lockdown and for the teachers to turn on the television. I think my classroom was the only one who did not do as told, and I think it had something to do with the fact that my teacher knew there was someone with major anxiety issues in the classroom. It happened to be me, but my anxiety is only heightened when I don’t know what is going on at the moment, so by trying to protect me, they scared the ever living crap out of me. So, even when the school lifted the lockdown, I was afraid to do anything because I didn’t know what went on. So, when I saw kids crying, it made me even more scared. I was just glad that a friend of mine explained things a little, told me not to worry, and to just ask my parents for details. After school, I was picked up by dad. I immediately asked what happened. Dad explained in detail what had happened. I was saddened. They even let me stay up just that once to watch the late news that night. It was that day that I learned how evil the world was. Over the years, I've heard details about people’s experiences that day, and I don’t think any of us will ever forget. Today, I bowed my head in silence for victims that have lost their lives on that day.

I know this post is short, but I don't think there are any words to say. I want to ask this, where were you 11 years ago, when this happened?

Until next time, God Bless. God Bless America.

- MissNiChloe