Monday, November 30, 2009

Ask Me!

Okay, so this is a different sort of post (and hopefully I'm not opening myself up for too much drama). This post is about having you guys ask me stuff. And when I don't have a video or story I will answer a few. You can ask me anything...and I mean anything. From what I like to do to how I drive my chair to whatever. I am not shy at all but if there's a question that makes me uncomfortable (highly unlikely) I just won't answer. So ask away.

P.S. If you don't want to post your question, you can email me at thirty2flavors01@gmail.com

37 comments:

  1. Okay, I have a few questions. What part of the country do you live in? What are your favorite TV shows/movies? What kind of photos do you like to take?

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  2. Hi Eva! I have a question for you.
    You've mentioned a couple times that you're a college graduate. What did you study in school, and why?

    -Kata

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  3. How did you become a dog walker?

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  4. Hey Eva, I'm really enjoying your blog!

    I have a question about sexuality. It seems to me that society often views people with disabilities as "asexual," or otherwise without capacity or desire for sex. I would assume that you find that assumption in the queer community as well. What's it like to be constantly coming out? Are people reluctant to give you space to express your gender identity?

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  5. Hi Eva! I've been reading your blogs for a while and I really enjoy it. I have a similar question as the pervious poster. Do you ever feel the need to feel or appear more womanly or attractive? Do you have any dating experience? Would you like more opportunity to date? Have you ever approached someone you're attracted to?

    I'm a 22-year-old female graduate student who's too nosy of other people's love life. :D

    Thanks!! Keep up the great work!

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  6. Hi Eva, mine is a bit of a different question. I have a 3 year old with severe CP - he has very little control of his body. I feel like he's a bit "locked in" as I haven't been able to figure out how to teach him communication methods. Do you have any advice for ways of teaching him to communicate? How did you learn to communicate when you were younger? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

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  7. Hi Eva! Your blog is really cool and I enjoy reading it a lot.

    I'm wondering about your assistants! How do you find them? Do you have any kind of interview process? Do you always use the same person, for like months at a time, or do you switch them around regularly? Is it something that they have to get along with you really well to do, or is it just kind of like "meh, whatever"?

    I imagine that it would suck to get stuck with someone who is kind of a jerk.

    Also, my sister-in-law was telling me about the time a homeless guy gave her a bunch of money when she was very pregnant, so I had to tell her your soap bar story.

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  8. Hi, Eva -

    Thanks so much for your blog. I'd like to think it's changed the way I think about and act around people with disabilities (and if it hasn't yet, I'll just keep reading!).
    My question may not have an answer...like probably a lot of people who don't personally know someone with a disability, I tend to "react" that people with a speech impediment aren't as bright. Horribly wrong, I know, and embarassing to admit, but nevertheless true. What cues can I look for when I can't communicate with someone to make sure that we're understanding each other?

    Keep up the writing!

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  9. Hey Eva, I am an elementary school teacher. I am also an avid reader. Do you enjoy reading? What do you read? Keep writing!!!
    Karen

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  10. looks like you opened the door to a lot of questions! I hope that's a good thing.

    My question is related to my daughter, who I call Queen Teen. She's 14 and is in the middle of dealing with the fact she's different and can't do things like other kids. She's miserable. Did you go through something like this? If so, did anything help, or did it just take time?

    thanks so much. love you blog.

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  11. I second Melinda's question about assistants!

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  12. Heya! Your blog continues to be freaking awesome. So back when I was a personal care attendant for a woman who used a letter board, sometimes I would make guesses about the word she was spelling before she finished it, and sometimes she would look at me to indicate that I was wrong and should keep spelling, but sometimes she'd look at me in a way that meant "Well, that's not really the word I was going for, but good enough. Move on to the next one." Like, if the sentence was supposed to be "Please ascertain whether he'll be there" and instead I guessed "Please ask whether he'll be there", from context after she spelled out A-S, she wouldn't necessarily correct me. How often do you find yourself changing your mind about the way you phrase things as a result of inaccurate guesses by your assistants? If it happens a lot, does it frustrate you, or do you just roll with it? Do you pick assistants who have a similar writing style to your own? Or do you make sure that every time they guess inaccurately they back up and try again until they guess the right word?

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  13. I am looking forward to reading your answers... some of these are the same questions I would have.

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  14. Hi Eva,

    I know you've talked about using a word board, but what kinds of adaptive technology do you use to write your blog, browse the web, etc.?

    jen

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  15. Eva,

    I love your blog! My questions are:

    1. I know that the "special wave" is something you particularly dislike, but I find myself with the urge to say hello to disabled people (but not in a "I'm treating you like a 2 year old!" kind of way). I am usually torn. On the one hand, I want to treat people equally, and I don't say hello to most people I pass on the street. On the other hand, is it so bad to want to be friendly? What's your position?

    2. I had a friend (who passed away) who also had the "Well-Behaved Women Rarely Make History" bumper sticker on her chair. She also had one that said "Towanda!" on her cane. What other tags do you have on your chair, buttons on your backpack, etc.?

    Thanks for all your time and effort!

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  16. This is a wuestion that you may not have an answer to. I know i am 34 almost and have alot of fetigue and was wondering how you kept up your energy to complete your daily tasks along with your college classes.
    Also did you notice a time wehn your energy started to kind of dwindle and fetigue set in easier? If so what age was this and how did you deal with it?
    thanks so much

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  17. Eva,

    I found your blog over the weekend and ended up reading it from the beginning. I am a library student (graduating in 2 weeks). I'm especially interested in working with children and teens, customers with disabilities, and the portrayal of disabilities in fiction. I'm the Kids Corner chairperson for a local DisAbilities Expo. I forwarded the link to your blog to my cochair.

    You seem like someone I'd be friends with. Unfortunately, how many people see you on the street and can't see past the wheelchair or your looks?

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  18. I always wonder when I see folks with motorized wheelchairs...isn't it tempting to trick it out? I mean how cool would it be to be able to zip around and do a wheely? :) I'm actually vaguely serious...it seems the chair is a way to express, I'm surprised I don't see more variety. Be proud of it and people will respect.

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  19. This may seem kind of silly, but it's what always pops into my head- can you describe how you walk dogs? I'm assuming you have enough control so that they can't pull you as fast as they want in your chair (although I think I'd probably let them do so every now and then for the fun of it- sort of a dog chariot). I ask because when I walk them, I have a certain way of doing things because of my own disability, and I was curious about your technique.

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  20. I'm a questioner, sorry. As a librarian, I'm interested in your experiences at the library. What accommodations do you use to read? Does someone turn the pages for you? Do you listen to books on tape? Or do you use adaptive technology? Have you ever documented your treatment at the library?

    Also, in your first post, you demonstrated your board. Do you use the laser pointer, or was that just for the demo on the blog? How does that work?

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  21. Hi Eva,

    Your blog is awesome and really informative! You're such a cool person that I figure you must have some cool people who inspired you, so my question is: who are your role models or people you admire?

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  22. My husband's boss has osteogenesis imperfecta and dwarfism.

    He uses a motorized wheelchair and in his words he is a "wheelchair junkie". I'm not quite sure how many he has. I was wondering if you use more than one. How tempting is it to upgrade to the newer models?

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  23. Hi, Ava. I love your blog. I have a 2 year old who is deaf with moderate to severe CP. We are starting to look for schools for next year. She does not talk, but can hear with a cochlear implant and she may start talking now that she can hear. She is very bright, but limited mostly by her physical motor skills.

    I'm wondering about your experiences in school. Did you attend mainstream classes or were you in any special education classes? Any advice for us parents trying to give our children the best opportunities possible?

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  24. Eva,

    I was wondering what your experiences were in the queer community. Are people cool or not?

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  25. Hey Eva,

    My question is along the same lines as NC's. Have you ever approached someone you thought you might want to date? I have been single for the past three years and am nervous about getting back out there being a (self-labeled) chick in a chair.

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  26. Hi Eva,
    I know this is going to sound a little voyeuristic, and in all honesty it probably is... :-X But I know you do talks to the disabled community on sexuality when disabled, including self love, adaption, etc. and I'm really curious about this. What kind of advice do you give those who are chair-bound or largely dependant on assistants for every day tasks without feeling as though your privacy is comprimised?

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  27. I know you have opened the flood gates to people's curiousity to ask questions, but are there any questions people ask that feel too personal? If this occurs how do you handle it?

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  28. OK, these are all awesome questions. I'm excited to see your answers! The only other ones I'd add are what kinds of goals do you have for yourself in the next 5 years? 10? Or, if you're not a goal-ey, list-ey person, what big picture things do you want to put your efforts towards in the long term?

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  29. I can't wait to read the answers to these questions. I am also a very open person who will answer almost anything or post anything on my blog, so it's nice to find someone else who is equally open.

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  30. hey, i have spastic pc and i like this forum, i am not so alone! also, are there links on this site to other sites relating? i can't find them but was hoping there would be.

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  31. Hey, I love this! I have a similar question to the-shortcake: are there some really good blogs and/or forums that are related to disability that you would endorse (perhaps, if it matters, to an able-bodied person like me)? Are there really good books about disability that you find particularly insightful? I ask because I like to be referred to things by people who know first-hand which places are useful/productive/engaging as opposed to ones that didn't seem that way.

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  32. I second the question above about how you write your blog and use the web. Do you ever use screen readers or other technologies? Do you like them? What is the most frustrating part of browsing the web for you?

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  33. I was wondering how the medical profession treats you. Do most physician's offices have accomodations for your motorized chair? Do doctors address you, your aide, a parent? Any humorous/ bad patient care stories?

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  34. I couldn't really see your letter board in detail in your first post. I saw a bunch of letters, digits, and some mathematical symbols. What else is on it? Are there convenient spots for common words or word fragments? Why are the letters arranged in alphabetical order?

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  35. What is the etiquette for communicating with someone using a letter board? For instance, if you were at a restaurant and started spelling h-a-m-b, would it be okay for the wait staff to guess "hamburger," or would that be rude? Should people wait until you completely spell something out, even when it's obvious what you're spelling?

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  36. Hi Eva,

    My question is about your career choice.

    I know that you have a college degree. So why did you choose to be a dog walker?

    Thanks,
    Olga

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  37. I've got another question. I know that sometimes CP only affects the body but sometimes it affects cognitive development as well. Have your parents ever told you at what point they realized that your cognition wasn't just normal, but above average? I was born with my umbilical cord wrapped around my neck, so my parents suspected that I might have been brain damaged up until the point that I started talking. Since you had communication issues to contend with, did your parents just assume that your cognition was just fine and treat you accordingly, or did you have to prove it to them by demonstrating your brilliance in some way early in your childhood?

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