Looking Forward to July 4: Civil Rights for People With Disabilities is Part of the American Way

In thinking back, although my recovery (so far) has been unique I do not believe I would have that chance anywhere else and its important to understand that civil rights for people with disabilites as integrated into the law is part of what America is. The concept started in the late 1940's as part of the rehabilitation movement for returning veterans who had been wounded in World War II although F.D.R. was our first president with a disability even if he publicly did not have his wheelchair visible, he did found rehabilation centers for people with polio at Warm Springs. Fast foward to the 60's and you have the independent living movement which was another extension of the civil rights movement. Each decade saw another civil rights law from the Rehabilitation Act of 1974 to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to the Olmstead Decision of the Supreme Court in 1998 that guaranteed that people with disabilities live in the "least restrictive setting" to the upcoming Community Choice Act giving people with disabilities the right to pick and train their own home attendants and have federal funding be redirected to the community (and save taxpayer's dollars in the process). Many of these laws were signed under a Republican administration (such as Supplemental Security Income, that was signed into law by then president Richard Nixon) though of course some were supported by Democrats but its not an issue that splits up politics in various factions. Anyone could acquire a disability at any time so all people will eventually be a part of this community.
  Now as for me working with the system to identify new treatments for schizophrenia and up until now undefined variants of tardive dyskinesia (tardive psychosis, tardive dysphrenia, tardive dysmentia) that I live with and advocate to have them treated and have these treatments identified could that happen elsewhere? Perhaps. And perhaps not. Google "Mental Disability Rights International" and you'll some countries that clearly have a ways to go as regards treatment for people with psychiatric disabilities. Our country guarantees these rights and as the years pass more freedoms are added and rights guaranteed for people with disabilities. But even in being part of a family barbeque on July 4th could I have done that up until recently? The answer is no because of dysphagic choking spasms. But now with the Vimpat they are being mitigated. I worked with the system to identify this treatment and once the case study on me is published it may very well be studied for other people with tardive dyskinesia and I am clearly one of the first people to benefit from the new antipsychotics in study for schizophrenia (glutamate antagonists). I am thankful for the freedom to speak out, in favor of new treatment modalities and to work with the researchers to help others. I don't know if it could happen anywhere else and yes all of us who are people with disabilities should be thankful our civil rights are preserved and if we see room for improvement the fact that we can speak out is part of our First Amendment freedoms. We should reflect on that a moment tomorrow and then we should remember that those rights evolved as people identified them and worked to have them put into law and be an active effort of that on any level we choose and think of the people elsewhere who don't have that right and hope that someday they will...