Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Advocacy

"“I have MS -- MS doesn’t have me."

I have heard this since I was first diagnosed, and I heard it again yesterday. Good words -- Don’t give up.

But what happens when I cannot find a curb cut, when the door is not wide enough for my chair, when my prescription costs more than my disability income can afford, when I don’t get that promotion because the boss thinks I can't travel anymore. Does MS have me then?

No! It's not MS. What can I do?

Obstacles can be removed or reduced by changes in public policy. Anyone with a chronic disease can tell stories about challenges that make life difficult, degrade the quality of life, or just are not fair, but how do we speak out effectively?

The National MS Society web site has an Action Network that focuses on federal funding for issues relevant to MS and provides information about advocacy -- why and how.

The Lone Star chapter is providing a February workshop to help us learn to convert negative experiences into positive changes.

Find a chapter near you, learn what your state or city is doing, and get involved. Tell your story and support others who have told theirs.

technorati tags: , ,

No comments: