Array
(
    [0] => Array
        (
            [id] => 9
            [date] => 2022-10-19
            [status] => Active
            [new] => 
            [title] => Want to offer help? Ask first (and keep asking)
            [author] => Jacob Lesner-Buxton
            [article] => 
For those who don’t know, an ally means someone who takes particular action to support a person or a group or both. For instance, if an able-bodied person complains about a building inaccessible to those with disabilities, a person might be considered an ally. No two people with disabilities agree on all the traits that make someone a good ally, but most of us agree that listening to us is an essential part.

 

Unfortunately, some people with good intentions forget to listen to our needs before trying to help us. This often results in awkward and unsafe situations. Recently, my fiance, who is legally blind, asked a movie theater employee, “where can I get the popcorn?” The employee answered by grabbing her cane and pulling her toward the concession stand, him on one end of the cane and her on the other. The experience led her to feel disoriented, and frustrated.

 

Checking in with a person before offering help is important. Asking how you can best be of help is also imperative to assure that the help is actually helpful. 

 

Remember, if a person doesn’t require assistance at the moment, they might appreciate your help at a later date. While walking with my friend one Halloween night, I tripped and fell. When I asked my friend why he didn’t offer to guide me through the darkness, he replied, “you said that you didn’t need assistance six months ago when I offered.”

 

Besides knowing that a person's need for assistance may vary from day to day. I suggest not offering assistance out of guilt. I have been assisted by people who are impatient with the task we are doing. What they saw as helping me was really them helping themselves save time. For someone already a bit ashamed about asking for so much assistance, having someone complaining about the errands we are running makes me feel guilty for asking in the first place.

 

However, I do believe it’s appropriate to be honest with the person asking for help before the task. Asking the person for things like gas money for a ride or telling them about your bad shoulder that prevents you from assisting them with moving is extremely helpful to me. Like I said before, most people want to feel like they are not being a burden on others. Honest communication is essential to creating a helping relationship in which one person doesn’t feel like a burden and the other doesn’t feel like a savior.

 

        )

    [1] => Array
        (
            [id] => 26
            [date] => 2021-03-18
            [status] => Active
            [new] => 
            [title] => Consumer Testimonial
            [author] => Anonymous
            [article] => 
My name is Ann and I am writing to tell you how deeply grateful I am to the Access Central Coast, Inc for first their loan of a Samsung Chromebook and now the gift of the same. Their generous loan and trust in me literally saved my life. It allowed me to reach out and stay connected with people and my long time Recovery 12 step meetings during the horrible loneliness and isolation of self quarantine for over a year. I am at high risk as a 72 and a half year old Lesbian with chronic PTSD  Survivor of multiple sexual assaults and a hate crime and still suffering from life long ramifications of the abuse along with blocked airway disease from being evacuated in the Woolsey Malibu fires in 2018. Having this Chromebook has empowered me to apply for emergency covid grants of food, help with dental bills, gas and drs bills. It also helped me to keep learning by attending zoom meetings in film theatre art and television. The ACC puts their efforts where their organization’s vision and goals are...helping persons with disabilities. They helped me stay alive and gave me hope.

God Bless Jaydon Gaines and her Associates.

I will forever be grateful for their kindness, support and generosity.

 

        )

    [2] => Array
        (
            [id] => 20
            [date] => 2021-02-11
            [status] => Active
            [new] => 
            [title] => ACC staff and consumers talks about ACC services and successes
            [author] => Anonymous
            [article] => 


        )

)
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