An Important Transmission from the Federation Starship Adapt

I am Captain of the Federation Starship Adapt (NCC-6773), a Constellation class cruiser launched for the sole purpose of serving as an envoy to protect the civil rights of those citizens who are somehow disabled and have no one else to speak out in their behalf.

I have been involved at the local and national levels with the deaf and disabled communities for more than twenty years. I have worked in various paid and volunteer positions as an ASL ADAPT interpretor, attendant, artist, writer, and activist from 1978 to the present.

I have committed myself to the deaf and disabled communities through ADAPT (American Disabled for Accessible public transit/attendant Programs Today) at the local and national levels. I believe that all citizens, no matter what kind of deafness, hearing impairment, or disability they have, should have equal access under the law. This has not always been so in the practice of public and private services or in the thinking of modern individuals. Barriers exist in many forms and are acknowledged according to one's attitude, hence the passage of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), specifically Section 504 of said document, as well as a few other public laws that preserve civil rights. In my quest and beliefs, I have had some outstanding examples to follow: Elizabeth Caddie Stanton, Harriet Tubman, Susan B. Anthony, Mahatma Mohandes Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Reverend Wade Blank, Reverend Willie Smith, Jeanie Joyce, Ed Roberts, Diane Coleman, Bonnie Good, Bob Kafka, Stephanie Thomas, Bryn and Andrew McCorcle, Dennis J. Schrieber, and Jordan King to name a few both past and present.

In having been involved in the aforementioned areas for so long, I can personally relate on several levels to what these often unacknowledged members of American society go through. I am a single, physically disabled, hard of hearing parent of two young sons, Mark and Keven. I am a member of other minority areas, both as a woman and having a part Lakota Native American background, and this gives me an added depth of life experience. The last and much more recent personal event has placed a unique light upon the spectrum of my life. For more than a year, I have managed to survive cervical cancer.

I have been a complete fan of Star Trek from thirteen years old onward. I had a teenage crush on Leonard Nimoy, the actor who portrayed the character Spock in the original series. However, although one outgrows youthful perceptions and infatuations, I picked up and focused on the ideals of a television show that has kept so many people loyal to it that it has not perished in all of its incarnations. I am dedicated to the same hopes, beliefs, and visions of a brighter and better humanity that pretty much everyone involved with the Star Trek phenomenon can attest to holding within themselves as well. I do not know about the owners of the media franchise per se, but I feel that starting with Gene and Majel Roddenberry and working down to the actors, writers, producers, directors, musicians, and other often unacknowledged staff members that the ideals behind Star Trek translate over into all hearts in some way. These ideals can especially be found in the diverse, deeply caring "critters of a different stripe", the fans, who perpetuate all of the ideas, books, stories, art, events, activities, charities, and general happenings that keep Star Trek alive. And, of course, I think that conventions are extremely important because it is in public forums like these where much of all of it comes together . . . usually for the greater good and benefit of all people in some way.

Myself and a few other folks who are currently active in the Disabled and Deaf Civil Rights Movement recently formed the group: Starship Adapt/Disability Interface: Disabled Star Trek Fandom's Voice. We are radical and die-hard ADAPT-activists, as well as radically committed Star Trek fans who formed the group in order to reach out to other disabled and deaf Trek fans who want a fan club based upon our viewpoints and automatically acknowledges our needs within a fandom context. Non-disabled and non-deaf individuals are always welcome to get involved. They do not have to be into defending ADAPT or disabled and/or deaf rights, but they do have to be open-minded as most Trek fans tend to be. They should not be uptight about the group working with disabled and/or deaf Trek fans and related issues.

So, phaser me on sight because I will be the first one out of the "spaced out" closet to admit it: I am a Trekker. I live to continue enjoying fandom, conventions, and meeting other open-minded individuals through these activities. Most importantly, I am here to be of service as an ADAPT volunteer to any and all who may need a hand with no strings attached. Thank you for reading this. Live long and prosper, always! And, remember, access is a state of mind and a civil right!

Anyone reading this who is interested in becoming involved with ADAPT and/or disabled and/or deaf civil rights can contact me by sending E-mail to my private communications terminal:

Comm Channel 27 Gamma Echo, USS Adapt (NCC-6773)