It’s funny how problems can occur to you in dreams, or in REM-like, half asleep states. Last night I was struck with a moment of paranoia: it’s unlikely ever to happen, but what if I am ever arrested by the police and do not have access to my lightwriter? Now, I haven’t done anything that the police would want me for (to my knowledge anyway) but this raises quite a serious issue. How would I communicate with them? How do I tell them who I am? How do I tell them I do not have learning difficulties? Do I tap out the primes on the table or what.

Joking aside, this is of quite some importance to me. To my knowledge, the right to a communication aid is not guaranteed by law; hence those who do not get communication aids are virtually defenceless. Presumably, policemen, upon arrest, would deprive someone of their VOCA, not knowing what it was. In such a position, such a person would be defenceless.

Given that we crips are no less capable of criminality than anyone else, I think police should be trained about VOCAs. Moreover, it should be illegal to deprive anyone of such a device, and that access to this equipment should be guaranteed by law. This would maintain everyone’s basic human right to speech.