Conference Chicken

Today I participated in a panel discussion for a local airline, a one hour cog of a larger wheel and on Saturday I participate in another panel for the same group but with different folks. Today we presented to about seventy 'above wing” staff who might have reason to interface with folk with disabilities; tickets sales, boarding crews and baggage folk. Today's efforts was culmination of a couple of weeks work. My boss pulled me aside and asked me to put together these panels which I was able to do fairly simply. I know the folk and I made the calls and got the commitments straight away. One blind gut, two pretty involve people with CP, two spinal cord injuries and a little person and each one is gregarious as hell. I really did not think of that when I got their agreement. I just wanted the panel populated as soon as possible

There were four of us on today's panel, my boss, me, Andrew and Everette. Andrew is thirty something and has a good case of athetoid CP, he uses a power chair for mobility and gets round the city and county very well. He is also highly verbal and very bright and works as a legal advocate. He travels a lot for someone who is as involved with CP as he is, Everette is an Assistive technologist for the state center for the blind, me = Mr I&R for disability questions and my boss who is director of the local DD council and she also travels a great deal with fold who are DD. We spoke for an hour to a packed room. We each gave a small bio and then opened the panel up questions. One of the participants sort of monopolized the microphone but I think no one cared, this was easy duty and a free hot lunch.

The lunch was hot and tasty: grilled chicken breast over a rice pilaf with lemonade or ice tea, hard rolls with butter balls but no desert( which I thought kinda of strange ) but not a big deal. When I set up the panel I specifically asked if a meal was included for the panel participants which they were happy to provide. Some times for people with disabilities , a hot meal is the best one can hope for. The airline lady had to get back to me but in the end the caved and we got out chicken on rice. I did not think much of it but two of the panel participants went out of there way to thanks me for lunch which kind of shocked me. I just thought the event was fun and got me out of the office and a hot meal even if it was Conference Chicken.

We do it again in Saturday, my boss and me and with the other disabilities mentioned. She be good weather, Spring weather with temps I the low 60's. Again, it should be fun—I think I'll take the train—Hum I wonder what kind of Chicken will be served.