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First off , Very best wishes for the Festive Season to ALL that visit my Blogs ! Those of you that have will have seen that I am an Advocate for “ Physically Challenged / Para / Adaptive /Behinderten / Disabili Sport "! Which country you live in may determine the description of those that have lost the use of limbs through accident or illness . Of course some are born without the full set of limbs the greater portion of humanity take so much for granted . Most of these people lead their life in a way that is to be admired and there are many who would envy their achievements . I know some of these folks that even Olympians hold in high esteem !

This is the time to decide “ New Year Resolutions ” and one of mine will be set out below :

I PERSONALLY WILL DO ALL I CAN TO ERADICATE DESCRIMINATION OF DISABILITY !

No doubt there are many that feel the same way and you can ask your “ Facebook Friends ” to assist by posting this blog address and link on your “ Facebook Wall ” !

There are some who will not agree with the next thing I ask and that is for YOU the reader to decide :

If you do not decide to do more for “ Disability ” in 2012 Please use the “ Unfriending ” facility that is available . I will be happy if I lose 2000+ in this process since I will know that most of those remaining will be if they are TRUE friends making a better world for those that I am trying to assist .

Last week a typical Discrimination incident was brought to my attention . You may think that I am making too much of what some would consider a triviality .

A skier is with friends and the group decides to eat lunch inside and so they solve the problem by going into this particular self service restaurant . On arriving at the table the skier is spotted by the manager and told to “ GET OUT OF MY RESTAURANT ”! This apparently healthy person is so blinded with prejudice that he will in the fulness of time be looking for another career opportunity .

Weather determines the choices of eating venue for those in a “ Sitski ( Chariot )” . Usually they will eat outside but like you and me they also like hot food . The solution on this occasion was to ski up to the door and then the “ Sitski “ was lifted and carried to the table and chairs removed so that the skier was alongside the table . Of course the floor was Industrial Carpet that gets trampled by ski boots five months of the year so what harm if the skier had skied to the table ?

In this case the Skier has served his country in their armed forces and then again as a “ Paralympian ” but looking at him he is just “ Joe Blow ” . Here is the interesting part though . This guy is held in such high regard that in the evening it was decided that eating facility was “ Off Limits ” to ALL of the 250-300 in the party of which he was a member . Several days of “ Positive Discrimination ” perhaps not noticed by the restaurant staff BUT next year will that Tour Group return ? The thinking is “ One for all , and All for one” ! No doubt there will be other repercussions and I will let you know what is the result in coming months .

NOT all those Suffering discrimination because of their disability are fortunate to have the support of their friends or family and be able to act as positively as this case BUT we all have “ a duty of care ” and can contribute where we can !

Those of you not willing to post this to your WALL , GO AWAY and cancel the Friend Link !

THOSE OF YOU STICKING AROUND I WISH THE BEST FOR THE NEW YEAR !

SOCIALLY UNACCEPTABLE ?

HERE IS A COMMENT I MADE TO " CYCLINGNEWS FORUM " tonight ! Recently they have been debating the right of a Guy needing " Blades " to compete !Who are they to debate anyone's rights when their only exercise is with a finger on the keyboard , of course their imagination leaps around somewhat during the search for something to add to the thread .

Today i was at a cycling event in Schwaz , Tirol where there were sections of the racing to include all ! Men , Women , juniors and even youngsters . there was even an australian , Liam Poole , competing in a team from Graz .

Everyone included ? No way , there was NOT ONE "Adaptive/ Physically Challenged person" there either as a spectator but more especially as a competitor ! The journalist i spoke to told me " THERE IS NO MEDIA INTEREST !"

What year are we living in ? Austria has about the best " Behinderten Ski Team " and the "Vorarlberg Behinderten Ski Team " has completed the "Race across America " some years ago !

SO ANYONE OF YOU DUMPING ON " Pistorius " for making the effort to remind the world there are those less fortunate than us LOOK IN THE MIRROR and ask yourself if you could endure even a portion of the demands made of him by those that would wish that he did not make the efforts for himself and those like himself .

Next year in London we will see many our " Politicians " sent in "Harms Way " serving their community and country once again on the sport field ! Some of those will not measure up to YOUR LOFTY standards but then they were given little choice about the way they did their duty and the consequences that resulted !

WE ALL OWE " OSCAR PISTORIUS " a debt of gratitude for his opening a door and encouraging more to try to reach an " Olympic or Paralympic Standard " and there are some aspiring to London that will not be able to go becaue of the " Rules & Regulations " that currently exist AND also the lack of funding and support from those whose only exercise is with the finger on a keyboard !

My blogs only seem to reach a few people BUT those reading them should take the time to ask their network of contacts to carry the story further .