I Do Not Know If I Can Revive This Blog, But It's Worth A Try...

I started this blog five years ago with four regular commenters, three of whom are nowhere to be found, it seems. My aim at its inception was to connect with other disability bloggers, something I did with two very special people, one of whom now is sadly gone. Unlike many bloggers who come
and go, she was a constant and had a profound effect on my life, both personally and in blog land.

 I spent increasing time at my other blog, which began as more or less an online journal. Over months and then years, my non-virtual life and other concerns consumed my days to the point that it became difficult to juggle all, so this faded, not to be accessed again successfully until this morning with help from Blogger since the original log in had become lost. The other has also seen a decline in both writing and readership.

The years have been filled with losses of the most personal kind. While this is often a sad side effect of late middle age, with one exception, all were younger than I, making their losses that much more poignant. Even two of my original four cats have passed away, changing our home and life for the two remaining. My flat has undergone limited renovation as well. The inside affords greater comfort while I continue to battle the outside. Two accidents involving my flipped ultralight chair have made me more cautious. With time, I learned the limitations of my chair and mourned the change to my mobility and the myriad issues that accompany life in a chair. I am now at the point of needing a second chair, and unless I opt for a cheap hospital fold-up, as I had prior to this ultralight, I will once again be without insurance cover to defray the cost.

Life in my locale continues to be problematic for those of us on wheels and others living with disabilities. Changes in public transport, which was poor to begin with, make the cost of getting around nearly impossible for many, especially those reliant on Medicaid, which no longer pays for trips to medical providers here as of March 1.

ADA-mandated paratransit service in this area is no longer a reliable way to get  anywhere on time if one has appointments due to increasing demand. Companies such as Uber are vying to come in but have asked legislators for waivers so that their drivers do not have to provide wheelchair transport, which apparently is being granted. The taxi companies, which are mandated to provide wheelchair transport, would like the same waiver and are fighting Uber's attempts to come here. We have no subways and our regular bus system has always been abysmal. Hardly a pretty picture and something about which those who are not disabled, without the ability to drive or elderly and on fixed incomes rarely consider.

Time will tell and I will be back to make additional changes to this blog. As both Easter and Passover loom, I wish any readers who celebrate either a wonderful holiday.