Litigation

Frustrations of a Brain Injury Survivor

By Michael Kaplen

Victims of brain trauma face constant frustration with the accommodations that are made available to them. Frustration abounds because assistance for brain injured individuals is not supplying a wheel chair, crutches or other means of physical assistance.

Dan Windheim, a brain injury survivor has written a poem describing the frustration that he has faced in the many years since suffering a traumatic brain injury.  It is a forceful message for all to read:

IS THE ADA FOR ME?  by Dan Windheim

It works for many, but not me.
Anger, frustration,disillusionment, more anger
Misunderstanding? My understanding-
Assist me in attaining employment; level the playing field so to speak.
A reasonable accommodation they say; but who is they, and can I be accommodated?
A ramp, an elevator, an accessible bathroom, helpful to many;
but not me.
Disinhibition, short term memory loss, poor reasoning skills.
Burden to many; to me too.
A long 20 years; many opportunities, many interviews, many rejections.
Misunderstood,cheated, misjudged,; a firestorm of emotion
Searched here, searched there, just searching. Only searching.
A void in my life; an emptiness, a nothingness (a feeling not a word)
Where do I go, what do I do? Does anyone have the answer;
is there an answer?
So I continue to move, go on with my life; talking and writing,
and waiting.

Full post as published by Brain Injury News and Information on May 05, 2008 (boomark / email).