Long week

This was a busy week. I had a couple meetings out of the office necessitating I drive my van into work a couple of times, which I am finding is becoming quite a stress; more and more I dislike driving. My boss finally got back from Washington on Thursday and we drove up to an 30 year celebration for one of our sister agency, a disability think tank: Center for People with Disabilities(CPD). The CPD is the program which started the office I run. The event was held in Logan, Utah about 80 miles from Salt Lake. My boss rented an accessible van for the event so I did not have to drive my van. It was a long day and I still was not finished when we got back even though it was five o clock. The Russians were having a dinner party and I had quasi promised I would attend. The dinner was at seven and by the time I got home from the train it was time to leave for the dinner. Dianne was ready to go and I loaded up in the van and off we went. Two more hours of smiling, talking and eating. But this not what I have chosen to write about for this posting. I wanted to outline how tired I was by week's end.

Earlier in the week I had been contacted by a women who had cornered me early this past winter and had me come out to her condominium and do an accessibility survey to assist her in removing some speed bumps and to press the need for curb cuts around the condominium. When I first met with her and the condominium association, the weather was frigid, snow covered the ground and I could do little more then encourage the members to look at the need to have their property accessible to all the members of the community. I agreed that I would return in the Spring when the property was visible and and an accessibility survey would make much more sense. In the ensuing months the women who called initially, fell ill and I forgot about the promise made until earlier this week. When Annie called and wanted to know when I could come and finish the project. I have to have things like the project hanging over my head and I wanted to get the survey done and out of the way. I told Annie I would do the survey this morning at nine a.m.

I met with Annie and the Condominium Owners association and we did roll though. Curb cuts need to be made or ramps installed and I sensed hostilities at the beginning of the survey. Clearly the Association had no intentions of spending any money—in fact there was a rumor spreading round the community that they were going to throw Annie out due to her commitment to access. We discussed this issue and others. I gave some suggestions and we all began to communicate. I am always amazed at how just a little communication can produce great things. Now, I have to write up my findings and do a little research in trying to find some funding which might help in removing some of these barriers. So more work for me. It just never stops.