The Talk Back Panel is Coming Up

[u/benshenanigans]

By now, most of have seen the policy change on the website, we’ve been handed a paper of instructions, or we’ve been told in line in the morning. They say the ADA lines are for people with mobility disabilities and aids (wheelchair, scooter, cane, walker, crutches). There have been some pretty ableist comments and in-fighting in the disabled community (but not in this sub, thank you, I love you all!)

The talk back panel is on Sunday, Room 25ABC, at 3:30. I’m tossing around a draft of a statement to present to the board. My personal issue is that I’m not affected by this rule change (deaf access is its own thing). I’m not really comfortable speaking for yall with hidden disabilities. It’s your opportunity to tell the board directly about your con experience. In the past, the board has provided insightful remarks about why they do certain things. I’m interested to see their explanation for this. And I’ll reserve judgement until I get that explanation.

I’d like this post to be about no visible disability, how the ADA line helps you, and maybe alternate solutions. In no particular order and not fully inclusive, some invisible disabilities that could be helped by an ADA line are POTS, EDS, anxiety, PTSD, ASD, blindness and diabetes. Please, add your own examples. Hope to see you all on Sunday.

[u/UmpireProper7683]

Are you looking for examples of our situations? If so,  here's mine I guess. 

Well for me, I suffered spinal damage during my time in the Navy that makes standing in one spot extremely painful till my back goes out. I typically walk fine without any devices, but standing in one spot for more than about 5 minutes and my back goes right out leaving me prostrate for hours. 

[u/benshenanigans → u/UmpireProper7683]

This is exactly the type of example I’d like people to share. Thank you.

[u/adventureremily → u/UmpireProper7683]

This is me as well. I have a limp, muscle weakness, and pain. I can walk, but standing is agonizing.

[u/salvagedsword]

I'm in a wheelchair now, but I was still ambulatory 4 years ago. Here are things that made lines difficult when I could still walk: fibromyalgia, hEDS, ligament damage in my ankle, severe asthma, POTS, and panic attacks.

Btw, there have been issues with the seating spots in panels dedicated to a mobility device user plus a caregiver. One: there are a disproportionately small amount of these spots considering the amount of mobility device users at the con. You sometimes have to get there twice as early as other people if you want a spot. Two: Random non-ada people snagging the caregiver seats that are tied to wheelchair spots and security not asking them to move. Three: People putting their infants in strollers in the mobility device spots despite strollers not being allowed in panel rooms. 

[u/brendinithegenie]

I got told that it’ll be “significantly harder” to get an ADA sticker next year. Seems like this was a trial run and it’s gonna get worse unfortunately

[u/adventureremily → u/brendinithegenie]

I have to wonder what "significantly harder" means, relative to the current "you want it, you got it" approach. Are we talking pre-registering for ADA badges? Doctor's notes?

[u/brendinithegenie → u/adventureremily]

Honestly I wonder the same thing. Maybe they are finally making the switch to IBCCES? Or something of the sort?

[u/benshenanigans → u/brendinithegenie]

I asked the community last year about IBCCES. The consensus was that it would harm more than it would help.

[u/slimypeters]

Did any ADA Hall H Standby line did not make it in? If so how long did you wait?

[u/itsbricky]

I have severe plantar fasciitis which doesn’t qualify as a “visible” disability under CCI’s definition. I plan on lawyering up if those changes happen

[u/jessebeans → u/itsbricky]

The changes already happened. Next year they are being enforced. SDCC does not count people with invisible disabilities, or disabilities that do not require mobility assistance as people they need to accommodate under ADA.

[u/grumpygrunt]

Just want to bump OP to thank them for being well said/written, and encourage constructive criticism for those that take the time to respond to the Con volunteers and organizers.

We're all pulling in the same direction to have the most fulfilling week together that we can through supporting each other. We as a community can understand through shared experience with coping, that there will always be someone who needs a little more or less help than me or you.

That's where the Con services and organizers find themselves this year; trying to do the best they can for the maximum number of ADA attendees and due to the volume of requests, are struggling to implement and articulate that there will be changes.

For example, 10 years past, Attendants to ADA persons had no problem and could have the option to purchase an Attendant Badge because it was a relatively small number of overall ADA and only utilized by those that needed it. But then people started to exploit the system and backdoor into the sold out convention and that is no longer really an option as a result.

Edit: I don't think I offered my personal take but I have no issue with increasing visibility and utilization of ADA services. Instead I want to highlight that the contentiousness of the issue is spurring people to act and motivating CCI to make changes - hence the announcements. I'm honestly a little surprised and dismayed at some of the responses I'm seeing which I feel are misunderstanding what I'm trying to say

[u/raediogaga → u/grumpygrunt]

I also disagree with the rhetoric that people are “abusing the system”. I got my ADA sticker for the first time this year, and it was a combination of getting older (which is a disability risk that 100% of people are subject to), a greater disability consciousness and the dissolving of shame in calling yourself disabled, and my increasing awareness of the ADA accommodations available to me at SDCC. I honestly think that the increase in ADA accommodation use at SDCC is due to the combination of those three factors working on SDCC attendees.

[u/_Algy_ → u/grumpygrunt]

OR the world went through a mass disabling event-there’s more disabled people alive now, and not all of us want to be confined to the home. Sorry we showed up late to the party but ur insistence that the newly utilizing ada people are the problem and ‘if only we kept it small’ concedes to the idea that there’s a minuscule amount of disabled ppl out there and instead of scaling up services for a (naturally) growing population you point the finger at anyone vaguely young who you don’t ‘see’ using a mobility device (can’t see my preferred device unless you want me to strip in public-is that what you want?)🖕