In the United States, Texas, Denton County, and on the campus of the University of North Texas, your "Rights" as a disabled person are a poor joke, or rather a joke upon the poor. Because Rights aren't a thing you are given, freely without payment. Actual Rights are earned and secured daily by groups of people, and well funded individuals, for themselves. If you are not part of a well funded group and or you are otherwise poor, you have NO Rights.
I received my disability at the hands of a drunk driver in 1994, and at the same time lost my basketball scholarship, so the State of Texas helped pay to educate me, and gave me a blue parking pass, which is supposed provide me access to parking 'near' buildings.
As a grad student, I was visiting UNT's Library, but all of the blue-spots were occupied, so I parked in the one next to it. I returned to find my car had been ticketed. My attempt to resolve the issue with the UNT Parking Authority in-person was unsuccessful, and the appeal I filed was misplaced. A FOIA request found my appeal information, but it couldn't be provided to me, not because I had failed to properly submit or file it, or it had been lost, but because a UNT Parking Authority Manager's home/personal information was included on it now. So, I got a ticket I didn't deserve, filed an appeal that was trashed by someone from their house, and then I had to pay $150, even though Federal Law states I am to be exempt from fees or penalties. One might think bringing these things to the attention of UNT's Legal Department would bring swift remedy to this minuscule oversight... Nah, they told me in no uncertain terms, "If you don't like it, TRY to find an attorney that'll sue us!" I did, they are $5000 to start this case...I make $825 a month, so, yeah. I tried to get a job.
With my B.S. in Criminal Justice and Legal Studies, I tried to apply for a position at the Denton County Law Library. Wherein, Denton County Human Relations told me that the position was being held for an internal hire. *Oh, that's hilarious, I thought I had Rights established by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 gave me the Right to be considered for any public position, and that Texas Code- "Sec. 656.001. STATE AGENCY EMPLOYMENT OPENING. Any agency, board, bureau, commission, committee, council, court, department, institution, or office in the executive or judicial branch of state government that has an employment opening for which persons from outside the agency will be considered shall list the opening with the Texas Workforce Commission." meant they couldn't do that??
Even Denton County's own Hiring Policy states in its manual- "CHAPTER 3, SECTION 3.1 Denton County County Sheriff’s hiring process is centralized and managed by the Denton County Human Resources Department. The Human Resources Department shall publicly announce all vacancies to be filled in the County service, and shall maintain a list of announced vacancies on the GovernmentJobs.com. website." So, the Law is on my side right? It is wrong/illegal and even Unconstitutional to deny a disabled citizen consideration for a public position... I contact the Texas Workforce Commission, and asked for legal aid to press my so-called Right to consideration. They don't have the resources to help me, they said. The other government agency the Disability Rights of Texas also turned me down, but admittedly they have not litigated a single case in two years. I even wrote to Governor Greg Abbott, who's disability support counsel told me, "Sorry, we don't actually have resources to help anyone like you."
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ONLY makes appointments 30 days in advance, and not once in over two months has a single opening occurred. So there are NO places, people, or organization that offer actual legal services/representation to poor people who have been denied Civil Rights. That is pure myth.
Two days ago, my twenty-three year old wheelchair shoulders hit a brick wall. Some time ago, I took a fall, tried to catch myself, and sprained both shoulders quite badly. My Doctor prescribed steroid injections, which offered some relief, but the pain never went away. Nine months later I need another injection, which again offered relief, but no cure. My last injection was about three months ago, and it has ultimately disabled me completely. I've been inching along with daily ice and heat packs, constant doses of Motrin and Tylenol, but day before yesterday, both shoulders told me, "No." I couldn't lift myself out of the tub, I had to slither out, and I only just made it back into my chair.
At this point I considered calling for an ambulance, but I mustered myself into my car, and headed to the nearest ER. They gave me an injection and script for more anti-inflammatories, and told me to leave without further assistance. I asked the attending Doctor, if someone with two sprained ankles would be asked to walk out of the hospital, causing them more harm, or would they be issued a wheelchair or crutches, perhaps? It hurts to push my chair, and it brings me to tears to lift myself into bed or into the toilet.
There's an old joke, "I went to the Doctor, and I said, 'It hurts when I do this.' and the Doctor said, 'Well, don't do that.'" I went to Denton Medical City and told the attending ER Dr. Gupta that it hurt to even attempt daily activities, and that I needed rest, hospitalization, and or a short stay at a rehab facility. She told me to return home, and wait. That they'd send home health out, soon, to offer me PT and OT services. What I need is help in an out of bed, on and off the toilet, into and out of the shower, and an electric chair.
How am I supposed to get out of my car, and into my house, I asked? "Call the fire department.", they responded.
WHAT???
Can you imagine someone getting home from the hospital, after a double ankle injury treatment, and crawling into their home (which is what I did), or calling people who's job it is to put out fires, to carry them inside?
So, the Right to park and access buildings? NOPE.
The Right to seek employment? NOT A CHANCE.
The Right to medical service or treatment? lol..."NO."
"Disability Rights," the worst joke ever, and it does in every way pain me to say that.
