WORKING HAND IN HAND. Independence often means interdependence, writes columnist Katherine Schneider.

On this day, when the second Continental Congress passed the Declaration of Independence, and Henry David Thoreau started his life at Walden Pond, I think a lot about freedom and independence. I’m deeply grateful for the freedoms I have, including freedom from want, fear, and disease. Then there are the freedoms to vote, to worship, to associate with those I choose to, to work for the common good, and to “pursue happiness,” among others. To me, independence more often means interdependence. Even Thoreau had to get his groceries somewhere! 

A program on National Public Radio asked what song typified the American Dream. “This Land Is Your Land,” by Woody Guthrie, occurred to me. As I volunteer and work for justice in various ways, it feels more and more like “my land.”

“We Shall Overcome” also quickly came to mind. Frequently when I advocate for increased access and get nowhere, I realize again the necessity of a “we” to overcome. I need the backing of a disability group, the ACLU, or some other big group to get even tiny changes to happen.

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A program on National Public Radio asked what song typified the American Dream. “This Land Is Your Land,” by Woody Guthrie, occurred to me. As I volunteer and work for justice in various ways, it feels more and more like “my land.”

KATHERINE SCHNEIDER

But since this is a holiday, I’m just going to kick back and celebrate that I have the freedom to try advocating. Celebrating will include a walk with my guide dog (free to travel independently as a blind person), listening to stirring American music on National Public Radio, and diving into a good book in accessible format (freedom to read for those of us with print disabilities).

On July 26, I’ll celebrate the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This is a far-reaching piece of civil rights legislation for equal access for the 19% of Americans who have disabilities. For those of us with disabilities, the ADA anniversary is sort of like Independence Day again. So celebrating is a good thing to do. There are many kinds of accessibility to celebrate in addition to curb cuts and wide doors, such as service animals, hearing loops, and accessible websites.

I’ll probably celebrate this second Independence/Interdependence Day in much the same way as the Fourth, but add some pushing for more access. A Smithsonian traveling exhibit on “The Bias Inside Us” is coming to Eau Claire in a few months. It’s totally inaccessible to blind people, so I’ve started working on that. Maybe I’ll nudge them on the 26th! 

Feel free to enjoy celebrating ADA Day, even if you’re temporarily able-bodied. Caption your next Facebook pic you post with “look at the red rose I grew” instead of “Look at this!” I’ll imagine how good it smells even though I can’t see the pic. We can all savor independence and interdependence this month.

Katherine Schneider is a retired clinical psychologist and serves on the Eau Claire County Board. She is author of several books, including Hope of the Crow and Occupying Aging: Delights, Disabilities and Daily Life. She blogs at kathiecomments.wordpress.com and can be reached at schneiks@uwec.edu.