Do It Myself Blog – Glenda Watson Hyatt

Sally had been dreading today’s meeting with her new client Mr. Poe for weeks. She was meeting him in his home. He was a recluse; a rich recluse. She couldn’t pinpoint it, but something about the address made her feel extremely uneasy.If she wanted this lucrative contract, then she had to meet him on his terms.

Sally arranged with her boyfriend, who would be writing in a nearby a cafe around the corner, to text message OK every fifteen minutes. If he didn’t receive a message, he’d come running.

Having been assured by Mr. Poe that his place was, indeed, accessible – his mother was in a wheelchair when she lived with him for a few years before passing away – Sally put final touches on her presentation and got ready to leave her home office. Of course, being the end of October, the weather was rainy and windy, which didn’t help to motivate Sally to head out to her van. The thought of being paid handsomely when the project was done was the only thing that pushed her out the front door.

She found a parking space right in front of Mr. Poe’s home. She wouldn’t get too soaked wheeling from her van to the home. Thank good for small mercies! Before exiting her van, she text message her boyfriend to let him she had made it that far and to begin the clock on the first fifteen minutes.

Wheeling up the decrepit wooden ramp, Sally hoped her front wheels didn’t find any holes that she missed seeing. Is the money really worth it, she wondered. Reaching the porch, the door automatically opened. Sally cautiously wheeled into the darkened foyer; her cell phone at the ready on her lap.

Out of nowhere a ghost-like aberration appeared at Sally’s eye level, scaring Sally right out of her skin. With her body trembling and her heart beating loudly in her throat, she wanted to run! Her hand was shaking too much to grab for her phone.

Welcome, we have been expecting you, the aberration voiced. There is no need to be frightened, my dear. Follow me. It then became a guiding light down an amazingly wide hallway.

Hesitantly Sally followed…

What happens next is up to you! Add to the story by leaving a comment below or by finishing the story on your blog.

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Late breaking news!

TechCrunch has announced the upcoming launch of the Blogger & Podcaster Media Network, giving small-time bloggers and podcasters the opportunity to earn a big-time income!

The Blogger & Podcaster Media Network (BPMN) is organizing  thousands of small- and medium-sized bloggers into a single entity with critical mass and providing a uniquely powerful promotional solution to marketers. Putting power and money into the hands of the smaller blogger who comprise the blogosphere’s majority is the BPMN’s goal.

The BPMN aggregates blogs and podcasts into one directory, making it easy for the non-blogging-type to quickly find relevant content, and then sells space to advertisers. Unlike Google’s AdSense that does not publish what percentage of revenue they share, the BPMN projects to return 70% of net revenues back to its members. And no ads need appear on the blogs themselves!

The revenue sharing is in the form of an affiliate program. According to BPMN CEO Larry Genkin, "Beyond what they generate directly, members will also share in the revenue generated by bloggers and podcasters they’ve referred into the BPMN. On average, each member referred in to the BPMN will yield the referring member $500-$1,000 annually. With over 100 million bloggers worldwide and more than
170,000 being added daily, a six-figure income is truly within reach."

And, this is not an American-only opportunity. Bloggers worldwide have the same opportunity to earn a decent income from the BPMN’s affiliate program! Any active blogger or podcaster who creates content at least on a monthly basis and does not post spam, pornographic, distasteful or hateful material is eligible.

The only two obligations are that each member agrees to link to The Blogger & Podcaster Guide and the the first $5 of earned commissions each month will go to The Blogger & Podcaster Network to help offset operating costs. Other than that, there are no costs to join and no exclusivity or cancellation requirements. Members may join any other network that serves their needs and may cancel membership in the BPMN at any time.

Other benefits include:

• All members signing up by December 31, 2008 receive stock should the BPMN have a successful IPO or is acquired for large sum of money.
• Members will receive exclusive deals and promotions provided by BPMN partners. At launch this will include $2,000 in services from PR Newswire, a powerful promotional service.
• Members will have access to healthcare coverage, enabling them to focus on their blogs/podcasts full-time while still protecting their families. (The specifics are still being worked out.)

The Blogger & Podcaster Media Network is being rolled out in phases. The first phase is getting members quickly signed up en masse so advertisers look to the BPMN when deciding their 2009 budgets.

When does registration for the Blogger & Podcaster Network start? Today! You can register to join right now!

When registering, please kindly enter my name Glenda Watson Hyatt in the "Referred By" field. Then begin inviting your friends and colleagues to register. From my understanding, further details will be emailed to you when they become available.

This opportunity could put me well on my way to becoming the Six-Figure Left Thumb Blogger! Will you join me?

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Last week I had the pleasure of being the guest speaker at the Surrey – Delta Chapter of the Valley Women’s Network. Networking is much more than exchanging the obligatory business card; although that is often the first step.  

As a business woman with a physical disability and a significant speech impairment, I have had to find ways to network that work for me. In my presentation, offered below as a 15-minute video, I share what is in my networking toolbox.

Special thanks go to S. R. Emerson of Accrete Web Solutions for the hook up and to Bimy Dobson for the chauffeur service to the luncheon.

What’s in your networking toolbox? Which tools are effective for you? Are there any taking up valuable space that need to be discarded? Are there any tools you would like to try?

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Today is Blog Action Day 2008 – a day when bloggers from around the world join their voice to bring attention to a specific issue. This year’s issue is poverty. Living with a significant, lifetime physical disability, poverty is an issue with which I’m well-acquainted.

Here are a few sobering facts from the Council of Canadians with Disabilities: 

• Persons with disabilities face levels of poverty almost twice that of persons without disabilities
• Two-thirds of Canadian adults with disabilities lack one or more of the educational, workplace, aids, home modification or other supports they need
• Almost 60% of working age adults with disabilities are currently unemployed or out of the labour market
• For women with disabilities, almost 75% are unemployed/out of the labour market
• According to the International Labour Organization, the annual loss of global GDP due to the exclusion of persons with disabilities from the labour market is between US$1.37 trillion and US$1.94 trillion (emphasis added)

I am one of the 75% of working age women with disabilities currently unemployed/underemployed; albeit, not by choice. I did have a part-time job for one year, shortly before I was married – a job I loved and was totally passionate about. I felt good and proud of myself to be of off social assistance, finally. But, it was a government-funded make work project and, at the end of the year, there was no more funding.

I did try to find another job and went few a few interviews, the ones I could physically get to. But then my significant speech impairment and typing speed were barriers. Many entry-level office jobs include answering the telephone and typing at a ridiculous speed. At that point, the value of the left thumb wasn’t appreciated.

Left with no viable choice, I decided to go the self-employment route. Not that I wanted to be without a regular paycheque, paid holidays, a pension plan and the other benefits that go along with a job, but, I figured, by working from home, I could accommodate my disability by not needing to deal with inaccessible buildings and I could work on a schedule that worked with my energy levels, as long as the work was done on time.

And, I have landed several interesting contracts through the years; oftentimes, the client was not aware of the extent of my cerebral palsy. My ability was measured by the worked I produced, not by how I produced it.

But, paying contracts were sporadic. So, when my husband was laid off due to the federally government’s decision to no longer fund computer training programs for people with disabilities – Darrell is a computer instructor, and a damn good one! – we ended up back on social assistance yet again.

Last week I received the Good and Services Tax Credit/BC Low Income Action Tax Credit Notice, along with fellow British Columbians. There in black and white is our 2007 family net income, which is well below the average income of working people with disabilities, ages 35 to 44, according to the Statistics Canada’s Participation and Activity Limitation Survey 2006 released yesterday. Our net income even falls below the Low Income Cut Off (also known as the poverty line) for communities with a population between 100,000-499,999.

That stings! After working off my butt in high school and then seven years at university, getting good grades, I never imagined being here at nearly age 42. And, when my able-bodied friends and colleagues make three or four times or more than I do, that hurts. I’d like to think I work as hard as they do, yet I am living below the poverty line. Why did I bother trying so hard all through school? What was the point?

But, I try to focus on the bright side. We eat two or three meals a day, which is much more than millions around the world eat. We have a beautiful home and, at the moment, we can afford the mortgage payment, making us more fortunate than many others. Our other basic needs and the occasional wants are met. We are in negligible credit card debt compared to others with four or five times the income. We could probably show the Suze Orman types a few ways to save money!

Recently we’ve been shopping at the Quest Food Exchange – a low-cost grocery store for those on social assistance. Quest saves over 480,830 pounds of non-marketable food (i.e. bent cans, dinged packages, slightly out-dated) every month from the landfills and redistributes it those in need. Initially, I was embarrassed to enter the store; after all, we aren’t that in need, leave the food for those who really need. Then I realized it wasn’t about swallowing pride; its about doing what is necessary to get by and, eventually, to get ahead.

I still believe it is possible to get off of social assistance, permanently, and to be on the other side of the poverty line. Until then, I am happy in life and feel blessed with all that I do have.

(I’d like to thank Jill Atkey at SPARC BC (Social Planning and Research Council of British Columbia) for finding these statistics for me today. Thanks, Jill!)

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The dishwasher is on its final cycle before I need to stop it before the dry cycle. Why pay for hydro to dry the dishes? So, now is a good time to share what I am thankful for, before the turkey’s seretoin fully kicks in: 

• I am thankful for spending this afternoon with my Mom and my husband, and sharing a delicious turkey dinner with both of them. After being so far from Mom since I left for university on January 1, 1988, I am enjoying having her living a few miles away. Only time will tell how long she stay in Tswassessen. For now, I am cherishing the time we do spend together
• I am thankful for my wonderfully supportive husband Darrell. I have learned so much and have done so much since marrying him. I enjoy simply being around him.
• With so many people losing their homes, I am even more thankful for our beautiful home.
• I am thankful that our kitchen cupboards are filled. It may not be gourmet food, but we definitely will not go hungry.
• I am thankful for my health and for my body working as well as it does and that I am capable of doing so much. I’m particularly thankful for my amazing left thumb!
• And, I am especially thankful for all of you – my readers, friends and fans throughout the blogosphere and beyond. I truly appreciate your friendship, connection and support. Thank you.

I invite you to join in Canadian Thanksgiving by sharing, in a comment below, what your are most thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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A quick update on the accessibility of Castlegar’s Sandman Inn…resulting from a mis-forwarded email (ooops!) regarding my previous post sent to the hotel manager, the following room improvements were in process, as of Friday:

• New bars (3 in total) have been put into the washroom. Done Oct 7th
• New moveable shower head is being put in today!
• Covering for pipes under sink is being put in today!
• Purchased a tub transfer bench

And, from my understanding, the Sandman is also interested in having SPARC BC (Social Planning and Research Council of British Columbia) conduct an accessibility audit.

I would like to add that I did not request permission to post this update. However, I do feel the Sandman Inn deserves acknowledgement for acting promptly in improving the room’s accessibility once they became aware of the issue. If only other establishments would respond as promptly! 

I would welcome the opportunity to interview the hotel manager so that he can share any lessons learned from the process, and I’d gladly post updated room photos to show what improvements have been made.

For change to occur, there needs to be a will for change. The Sandman Inn’s willingness is encouraging.

Accessibility 100 is a series of 100 easy-to-implement, free and inexpensive tips for improving accessibility for people with disabilities. This is a community project. Feel free to leave your comments, questions and ideas for future Accessibility 100 posts.

Get the entire series by subscribing to this blog by filling in the form in the upper right corner or by subscribing to the RSS feed.

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This past weekend I traveled, in my capacity as Board Director and Treasurer, with SPARC BC (Social Planning and Research Council of British Columbia) to Castlegar, a small town located in southeastern BC. Following the lessons learned from our trip to Victoria a couple of years ago, where I could barely get into the bathroom of my accessible hotel room, the SPARC staff went trough an extensive accessibility checklist when booking the hotel for our group. SPARC was assured by hotel staff that the Sandman Inn was accessible and that the accessible room had the necessary features. Even when checking in on Friday evening, the front desk staff told us there was a grab bar by the toilet.

Because there were a few stairs up to room wing and the elevator, I had to outside and around to another door to get to my room. That wasn’t too bad in the rain, but would have been a real pain with a foot or more of snow! SPARC staff Alla and Emese went with me just in case…

Entering the room…Surprise! No grab bars, no where!

Alla and Emese went back to talk with the front desk lady, who was less than helpful. Then called the hotel manager at home and woke him up. After a brief discussion, he promised to have bars installed the next morning. Meanwhile, I was thankful Mom had taught me to "hang onto the air" when necessary. I managed to do what I had to. 

Looking around the accessible room, I noticed more glaring accessibility issues. The shower head was hung at a standing level. There was no way I could have reached it. The taps were knobs, rather than levers, making it difficult, if not impossible, for those with minimal manual dexterity to turn on the water.

A shower bench was provided. Actually, initially, the bench was beside the toilet. According to the front desk lady, I was suppose to use that to help me get onto the toilet. Huh? I guess I’m not disabled enough to figure out how to do that. Alla placed the shower bench in the tub (go figure!), mainly to get it out of the way. With no grab bar in the shower and after my adventure in Vegas, I didn’t chance having a shower. (Shh, don’t tell anyone!)

The sink had plenty of clear space underneath for an individual in a wheelchair to roll under. The tap had a great lever handle. However, an individual with limited or no sensation in his/her legs can easily be burned by the pipes when running hot water. That is why exposed pipes must be wrapped in insulation.

Unlike the bathroom door that had a door knob, the room door had a nice lever handles – levers are much easier to open by individuals with limited hand function. There was even a second peep hole at seated level. (Personally, the lower peep hole has always baffled me. Looking through it, am I suppose to recognize people by their crotch?Anyway, a nice touch.)

But, do you see where the safety lock is? Yes, near the top of the door! I had to stand up to lock the door.

After some assertive advocating by SPARC staff, on my behalf, Room #124 at the Sandman Inn now has one grab bar! Which is a good thing, considering that was the only accessible washroom available during our day long board meeting, but that’s another story.

Thanks SPARC BC!

Accessibility 100 is a series of 100 easy-to-implement, free and inexpensive tips for improving accessibility for people with disabilities. This is a community project. Feel free to leave your comments, questions and ideas for future Accessibility 100 posts.

Get the entire series by subscribing to this blog by filling in the form in the upper right corner or by subscribing to the RSS feed.

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With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month and with the age of 42 being around the corner (November 4th to be exact), screening mammograms are on my mind. I appreciate the importance of having early mammograms, but having one done terrifies me! Unlike many women with physical disabilities, I am able to stand for a few moments. However, I do falter at times. I can only imagine the excruciating pain if I should lose my balance while my breast is held firmly in the vice-grip.

No doubt there are mammogram machines accessible to women in wheelchairs, but I have yet to see a picture of one. And, how many local screening clinics have such machines? How accessible is breast care (and, sexual health care, for that matter) to women with disabilities?

Come to think about it, I don’t recall seeing a Breast Cancer Awareness campaign photo including women with obvious disabilities. Surely these campaigns are totally inclusive. Yes?

Tomorrow morning I am heading out of town for a weekend Board meeting, but I’d love to explore this issue further upon my return. So, if you have had experience, personal or professional, on this issue, or if you know of a relevant resource, feel free to leave a comment below. Depending upon your interest, this might be a great topic with which to reopen Readers’ Cafe. Yes?  

Have a great weekend!

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Inspire:

• to influence, move, or guide; 
• to breathe or blow into or upon;
• to be in spirit.

During my lifetime, the statement "You’re such an inspiration" has been uttered in my direction too many times to count. Feeling the weight and responsibility of such an honour, I have never known how to respond and often brushed it off with "I’m just me" or "No big deal" because I didn’t want others minimizing their struggles against mine; or, what are assumed to be my struggles.

Recently, and with the wisdom of a good friend, I have come to realize that "You’re an inspiration" isn’t about me, but rather about the giver. By dismissing their compliments, I am discounting something they valued; something they may have needed in that moment to them going, to keep them breathing.

My wise friend has helped me to see that when someone says, "You’re inspiring," he is saying, "You’ve motivated me not feel sorry for myself."

To all of you, I would like to say, "Thank you. I hear you and I appreciate your kind words."

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