Unique Perspective

I have been thinking a lot about what disabled people can bring to politics. A few examples:

We make good test cases for existing or proposed new systems. If an otherwise perfect government program or system is going to fail, chances are it’s going to fail for a disabled person first. The best-designed programs and procedures fall to pieces for us all the time. We can help spot problems before they happen.

We are nit picky. We have to be. Our lives, independence, and livelihoods regularly hang on differences of mere inches, a few dollars, or a couple of minor, preventable roadblocks.

We are skeptical of government’s effectiveness, but we don’t have the luxury of being simply anti-government. That ends up being a pretty sensible position somewhere between socialism and libertarianism.