Dispoet

In the belief that even an old fart can learn new tricks, I am casting these words into the blogfield to see if anything grows. For the past seven years I have been the facilitator of a group of poets with physical disabilities and, though, in a meagre way we have had some successes, its time for a sea change. Other than me, everyone in the group is in a wheelchair and many have limited use of their hands. Chapbooks have been great, but their reach is limited and it’s a one way conversation. The Internet has opened new territory for those of that can use it, as has adaptive equipment like Johnston switches (aka clickers) that allows one or two members to write poetry on the computer using their head. Still, the group is trying to connect to others. That’s one reason for this post. I personally would like to know how other writers with disabilities feel about their work – the purpose, the process or the product. That’s another reason.