Initial thoughts/ feelings When I had initially heard I would be assigned this task, I was more excited than anything. I was eager to put myself in this position because I wanted to understand what it feels like for these individuals in particular. For my walking in others’ shoes experience I chose to portray someone who has cerebral palsy. Cerebral Palsy is a disorder by abnormal brain development. The consequences include “exaggerated reflexes, floppy or rigid limbs, and involuntary motions.” (searched google) To portray this role, I walked around various stores with rigid legs. I appeared unbalanced and I looked as though I would face plant at any second. My boyfriend has accompanied me to aid as an extra set of eyes for people's’ reactions. Personal Objectives My primary personal objective for this experience was to put myself in my cousin’s shoes. He has cerebral palsy and I had never thought anything about it. To me he is completely competent and has achieved so much in his lifetime thus far. I don’t see him any different than anyone else, but I wondered if other people viewed him differently. My second personal objective came from my work as an undergrad. I went to Edinboro University which is highly known for its handicap accessibility. As you can imagine, there were diverse people with …show more content…
Often going to therapy is perceived as weak and when someone is already a minority and struggling to fit into this world, they do not want to be perceived as weak. There may also be a language barrier. A majority of counselors in America speak english even though there are a multitude of languages present within our country. Individuals, couples, and families may speak spanish or chinese so an english speaking counselor won’t be beneficial. Also, those cultures may feel more pressured to learn english due to counselors speaking predominantly english, this could cause some increase in
She told her readers that she has a muscle-wasting disease and she could only move three fingers on her right hand. She wrote that the reactions she got from most people were “Decidedly negative” (Johnson p.98) She wrote that she would hear thing such as “I admire you for being out; most people would give up.” And “You don’t let the pain hold you back do you?” (Johnson p.98) There is often talk about how popular culture teaches people to both see and not see the people with disabilities. Comments such as these are an example of such blindness. When a child sees a disabled person a parent’s first reaction would be to tell them not to stare. We teach children that it is impolite to be curious about people who live life differently than others. We carry the “its-not-polite-to-stare” idea into adult hood therefore when we come across a disabled we try not to make eye contact not as if we are being rude but because we are taught that it would offend them. All curiosity and attempts to understand are shut down at a young age for fear of offending someone. Therefore, any attempt to encourage is met with a deep misunderstanding of how the life of someone with disabilities truly works. Just because a person has a disability does not mean they are incapable of enjoying
Most people feel relatively uncomfortable when they meet someone with an obvious physical disability. Usually, the disability seems to stand out in ones mind so much that they often forget the person is still a person. In turn, their discomfort is likely to betray their actions, making the other person uncomfortable too. People with disabilities have goals, dreams, wants and desires similar to people without disabilities. Andre Dubus points out very clearly in his article, "Why the Able-bodied Still Don't Get It," how people's attitudes toward "cripples" effect them. It's is evident that although our society has come a long way with excepting those with physical disabilities, people do not understand that those with physical disabilities are as much human as the next person
The experience changed her life, she learned to rethink her own attitude and self determination. I learned that people with mental retardation are not to be separated from society or even treated with less respect because of their disability. “Riding the Bus with My Sister” taught me to never neglect people with mental disabilities. Readers learned that people with mental retardation, just like everyone else, have families, desires, and determination. They cry, they laugh, they have emotions just like the rest of us. We can learn new things from those suffering from mental retardation. ‘Riding the Bus with My Sister” taught me that civil rights apply to
What comes into one’s mind when they are asked to consider physical disabilities? Pity and embarrassment, or hope and encouragement? Perhaps a mix between the two contrasting emotions? The average, able-bodied person must have a different perspective than a handicapped person, on the quality of life of a physically disabled person. Nancy Mairs, Andre Dubus, and Harriet McBryde Johnson are three authors who shared their experiences as physically handicapped adults. Although the three authors wrote different pieces, all three essays demonstrate the frustrations, struggles, contemplations, and triumphs from a disabled person’s point of view and are aimed at a reader with no physical disability.
As human beings, we like to make sure never to offend or judge anyone. We even have sayings like “never judge a book by its cover”. A metaphor that is often said whenever trying not to judge someone based on their outward appearance; however, it is not often that people practice what they preach. We judge people based on external factors within seconds. Even though we know what people see on the outside is not a defining factor or who we are as people. Nancy Mairs, author of On Being a Cripple, has to live through this every day. She knows this truth very well, and lives proudly with the fact that as she is disabled. Mairs is admirable for choosing to call herself a “cripple” and not be ashamed of it. Though the word is derogatory and a word that is avoided by society, Mairs identifies herself as a cripple because that is what she is. In explaining her disability, she says, “I haven’t always been crippled, ... to be whole of limb is ... infinitely more pleasant and useful. and if that knowledge leaves me open to bitterness … the physical soundness I once enjoyed is well worth the occasional stab of regret” (Mairs 186). What really
Dan and Betsy go through their emotions on hearing about Samuel condition of cerebral palsy. The roll coaster of emotion they felt. As a parent I could relate to their emotion of having a child with disabilities. I would love my child regards of condition but the emotion I would feel would be fear. Dan and Betsy both went through fear; asking themselves what about his education, and interaction with others. I would have those same question; as
I have accomplished many things that people would always doubt of especially attending college which requires a higher academic standard. But, I’m here to inspire others with autism that God is in control and our faith is what unites us.” He has dedicated his life to spreading his message through churches and on social media informing others that there is hope. Everyone can relate to the question since we all face challenges throughout life that others wouldn’t understand. In the eyes of God, Rudy is an average person who is a disable person, but it didn’t stop him from attending college. Also, Rudy explains that “Autism defines me and he understands others who have experience and related to them.” On numerous occasions, I asked my brother if he would wish wasn’t born with a disability but always replied with no. Personally, I would have never wanted my brother to be born with autism since he has experienced many difficulties in
I find occupational therapy to pique my drive to teach people valuable life skills as well as learn from those people and their experiences. Being an occupational therapist would allow me to have one-on-one interactions with patients and establish meaningful relationships over the course of time. It would also give me the dutiful privilege and responsibility of instilling confidence in others and helping them realize their full potential in self-suffiency. All of my personal experiences, challenges, educational backgrounds, and professional interactions have guided me toward pursuing my goals of gaining experience working in all populations, enabling patients to thrive in their daily lifestyle, and spread public awareness of what OT has
Have you ever been in a situation where you were confronted by a child who has Down Syndrome and were unsure of how to act around that child? I'm sure many of us have experienced the awkwardness that accompanies such a situation. Many people feel guilt or pity for these children, I believe these reactions result from a lack of knowledge about the condition. Which is why I have chosen this topic.
This project will discuss the need for quality healthcare for people with intellectual disabilities. People with intellectual disabilities are not experiencing the quality health care that that are worthy of from health care professionals when they are hospitalized (reference). Those living with intellectual disabilities are a significant part of the American population. Individuals with intellectual disabilities often times struggle with complications such as, asthma, gastrointestinal symptoms, skin allergies, migraines, headaches, and consequently seek help from healthcare professionals on a regular basis and often experience discrepancies in the care they receive (reference). The reason for the lack of quality health care for those who
The disability that I would the least comfortable socially interacting with would be a physical disability. Our current society is one that values physical appearances. At a young age, family and friends tell children they have to act and look a certain way in order for others to like them. The media shows young boys and girls what a “hot” person looks like, and what they can do in order to look more like them. A physical disability would affect the image one is to present to society, and that can be emotional scarring. “When physical appearance is altered as a result of disability, the body falls further away from the expectations of society and body image, and the attitude one has toward the physical self may decline and affect self-image”
Now, children with intellectual disabilities are respected, and cared for just like anyone else. This was not true prior to the mid 19th century. People and doctors feared them and they were often ignored. As time continued throughout history things changed for the better. Some people may have believed that someone either had an intellectual disability or not, but this is not true. There are different levels to it. Children with an intellectual disability can and do attend regular schools with a little extra help, but they do experience emotional and behavior problem along the way. Not all causes for intellectual disabilities can be found, but there are a few known ones. With all of this said, there are ways to prevent intellectual dishabilles and ways to treat it as well.
In middle school I was diagnosed with a disability with the way I expressed myself through writing. Ever since, I have gained multiple values and learned several lessons about self confidence. I was taught to push past my limits, in order to be successful in reaching my goals along with my dreams. Today I am a senior in high school who was once thought to struggle, but was able to succeed beyond expectations. To some, a disability may seem like a setback from achieving goals, but to me I used it as a challenge for myself. I accepted myself for who I was and looked at my disability as a unique trait of mine. I was able to provide a message to others that anything you set your mind to is possible with dedication and hard work. It might take
I have always grown up in a more ‘normal’ setting and seeing people with disabilities was something that was rare to me. When I was younger, my thoughts on people with disabilities were that they could only be physically seen, nothing else (mentally, intellectually, etc.). As I reached middle school, I realized how broad the world is and how many ways people were affected by disabilities. Some of them led a more normal life and some have a harder time adjusting. Just seeing and reading how so many are affected and how harder it is for them really opened up my mind and allowed me to have a wider perception of how broad things are in the world.