Yellow Seniors--Tech Lab Work--It's About Dignity
"Maybe I couldn't play first string, but I could of folded towels, couldn't I? I could of done something. That nurse on my ward, she keeps telling me I'm not ready."The Lifeguard at the pool, a "punchy" ex-football player who is committed for being picked up drunk and disorderly, can't get dismissed from the hospital. Is he a menace to society? Not completely. Once in a while he'll get in a three-point stance like he's ready to open a hole for a running back, but aside from that, he's able to hold a conversation, and he's willing to perform the most menial of tasks, like folding towels in the football team locker room, if it means getting out of the hospital.
Certainly back in the early 60s, people with physical and intellectual disabilities were treated with less understanding, less compassion, than they are today. Thankfully, national groups like Special Olympics and Best Buddies and local groups like DFRC (you know, the Blue-Gold people) have spread the news that "challenged" people are only "handicapped" when we treat them that way or when we whisper or snicker about them as if they didn't exist. Organizations like the OCI (Opportunity Center, Inc. --website is http://www.ourpeoplework.org/) train and employ people with disabilities to make them proud members of the work force. There is a local branch in Wilmington, by the way.
Watch this Special Olympics video ad on youtube (click on link). The video contains an unexpected ending that emphasizes the potential for greatness in everyone.
Your assignment today (complete and post before class on Tuesday, March 23) is to find on the Web an example of a living, breathing, physically or intellectually disabled person who has achieved success far beyond what society would expect from him or her.
Or find someone who has been convicted as a "criminal" or labeled a "psychopath" who has overcome his stigma, worked to amend his life, and has become a positive contributing member of society.
In 200 or 25 blog lines, tell me his or her story.
Provide the link, also, where you found this information.
posted by JTF @ 8:59 AM
22 comments
22 Comments:
Everyone knows about the famous track star Wilma Rudolph, and most people know her story. She was diagnosed with a crippling disease called polio when she was four, and was told she would never walk again. Nonetheless she still went to physical therapy to improve her condition. From those sessions she became so determined to walk again that she taught her siblings the therapeutic techniques and had them perform them on her several times a day. She was able to walk with a leg brace by the time she was 8 years old, and had acquired special shoes to help support her feet. Her mom one day found her playing basketball without her shoes, and she was doing well. At her high school, the track coach encouraged her to start running, and by her senior year she qualified for the 1956 Olympics. She won the bronze metal for the 400-meter relay. Four years later, she qualified for the 1960 Olympics and won two gold metals and set the world record in the 200-meter race. That same year she won a third gold metal after spraining her ankle. Wilma Rudolph inspires all sorts of polio victims and runners that you can definitely overcome anything to achieve your dreams, and even surpass them.
http://gardenofpraise.com/ibdwilma.htm
Cerebral palsy is a condition that is sometimes thought of as a group of disorders involving brain and nervous system functions such as movement, learning, hearing, seeing, and thinking. My cousin Gregory has had cerebral palsy his whole life. His whole life has been affected by this illness. He cannot talk, walk or really make any movement. He always needs to have somebody with him to take care of him. He needs to be fed and to be pushed around. He has a hard time just sitting up and constantly needs to be helped back up when sitting on a couch. Gregory has been through many treatments in various places of the world, and none have made that big of an impact on his cerebral palsy. Although he has the most difficult life out of everyone I know, he still has an amazing personality that shines through. He loves sports and he can sit there on the couch for hours as long as there is a sports game on t.v. He has met a huge number of professional and college teams and has been to more games than anyone I know. Gregory is smarter than most people, even though doing schoolwork is a very hard task for him since it must be done through computers with the help of other people. It takes him a long time to complete tests, but his scores are always excellent. He cannot talk, but he sure can laugh. When he thinks something is funny, everyone knows. He has a laugh that can brighten up a whole room and make everyone around him happy. Gregory is a hero to me, and definitely qualifies as someone who is disabled and has achieved success.
One person who comes to mind when I think of people who have overcome their mental disabilities is Forrie Brown. He is one of our Blue/ Gold buddies here at St. Mark’s and he has come so far since he started the program years ago. When he first started the program, he was very shy and did not want to talk to or communicate with people because he was so nervous. Everybody who knows Forrie would say that this is not possible. He is now the life of the party wherever he goes and he is one of the leading starts in the St. Mark’s Blue/ Gold Fashion Show. Forrie has become an extremely confident and crucial part of the Blue/ Gold program. Now, Forrie is one the football coaches for the freshman at our high school. They know him as “Coach Brown.” It is amazing to see how much he has grown and how confident he has become over the years. Forrie has gone from being a shy buddy, to a person who is not afraid of anything and loves to be the center of attention. Because of how he refuses to let his intellectual disabilities tie him down, his has achieved so much for himself and for the community around him.
Before becoming a member of the Blue/Gold Organization I never knew how wonderful people with mental handicaps were or what bright personalities they have. Most of them have more exciting and warm personalities than people without mental handicaps. I have a Blue/Gold Buddy as well as being in the prom scene for the Blue/Gold Fashion Show. Spending time with our buddy Laura was a wonderful experience. I witnessed her wonderful personality through many Blue/Gold events including the kickoff party, the Halloween Party and the Thanksgiving dinner. Watching Laura sing in front of everyone with the help of a live band was adorable and seeing how excited she was at the Halloween party felt really good. She is an amazing person with a fun personality. Our buddy group took her out to Mcdonald’s and the movies and it was really fun to spend time with her. In the movie we saw they said the “r” word (in a non offensive way). When our buddy group leader told Laura that they use the “r” word in the movie, Laura responded by saying, “It will be okay”. That really had an affect on me that she was so comfortable with being herself that it didn’t bother her. She and her really good friend Tina were in prom scene together and they were always enjoying themselves and making everyone laugh. Before being involved in Blue/Gold I myself would not have thought twice about using the “r” word because I knew that I wasn’t intentionally using it to be offensive. However, now that I have experienced firsthand the wonderful people that Laura and other people with mental handicaps are I could never imagine using that term again. Working with Laura and the other buddies and seeing everything that they are capable of achieving really had an impact on me.
Since freshman year, I have been involved with the Blue/Gold program which helps raise money for mentally challenged young people. I have met some amazing people over the last four years, one of them being Michelle Ogden. Michelle is my Blue/Gold buddy, and has made me understand that there really are no limits to what someone with a mental handicap can achieve. She is one of the happiest people I have ever met. The simplest things make her overjoyed; Going to a movie, taking a ride in the car blaring “Hannah Montana” on the stereo, or just simply spending time together, is what makes her day. She isn’t letting her disability hold her back in the least. This past year, Michelle worked with a program that helped her begin to live more independently. She learned how to do laundry, cook meals, and wash dishes. She loved the program and is now applying those skills in her own home, hoping to someday soon be able to live on her own. Another thing Michelle loves to do is bowl. She took the whole buddy group out bowling one night and smoked all of us. I mean we didn’t even come close. She’s involved in so many bowling leagues and is competing somewhere out west in a national competition this summer. Michelle never ceases to amaze me. She is a wonderful, warm, and caring person, whom I hope to stay friends with for the rest of my life.
my buddy Olivia inspires me every time we hang out. its crazy to think of my own problems and being "problems", when i know what she goes through everyday. she has the heart bigger than the world and appetite to match. you cant help but smile when your around her, she is always so happy and upbeat. nothing slows her down. i mean nothing. she plays soccer for her school and has been in two fashion shows including this past Blue/Gold one.
she has seizures. multiple ones in a hour sometimes. its rough to hear her mom say "its been pretty bad today, so i would keep a close eye on her. she's had a lot of seizures". olivia loves to dance and sing and jump in with the rest of us. most of all she loves boys! whenever she arrives the first thing she says is "where are all the boooys?" I laugh every time. knowing that her problem is chronic and that is will never go away saddens me. olivia deserves the best and even though she does not know any different, i do and so does everyone else. being with olivia opens my eyes. its a reality check that i should not complain about my small insignificant problems. that there are worse things in life than failing a quiz or whatever...and Olivia taught me that.
Epilepsy is a brain disorder involving repeated, spontaneous seizures of any type. Seizures are episodes of disturbed brain function that cause changes in attention or behavior. They are caused by abnormally excited electrical signals in the brain. The severity of symptoms can vary greatly, from simple staring spells to loss of consciousness. Now, imagine dealing with all of this while attempting to be a famous Hollywood actor. It almost seems impossible, but to Danny Glover, his epilepsy did not hold him back. Although it did stand in the way as an obstacle, he over came it. Danny Glover is an African American actor that is always on the move. He has appeared in several Hollywood films such as The Color Purple, Predator 2, and Lethal Weapon. He is even producing his own movie financed by Venezuelean Congress! Despite how in-demand Glover is, it came with a struggle. At 15 he developed epilepsy while also suffering with dyslexia in school. He experienced his first seizure at age 15 while delivering papers. He even had six seizures in a row on a family vacation. However, Glover learned how to control his ‘disease’ by using a form of self-hynosis. He stated that he has yet to have another seizure. His last one was at the age of 35. Today, he is a political activist that recently just led 375 union works to a Hugo Boss manufacturing company to stand up for what is right. He is also a speaker for the Epilepsy Foundation. This just goes to show that you can’t always let every obstacle stand in the way of the future. “I want people with epilepsy to know that there are ways in which they can play a role in their own recovery. It’s all in how they approach what is happening and how they can use that as a catalyst for their own growth. If there’s one thing that I’ve learned, it’s that people are willing to embrace you if you share your story.” – D.G.
Freshman year, i had a three month long experience that changed the way i see people. I was a member of the Newark Lightning Special Olympics Basketball team. I was assigned as a unified partner. My role was the help and teach the buddies the fundamentals of basketball. I spent two hours a week with them for three months, and i feel i learned more from them then they learned from me. I would watch their faces light up when they made a basket. I've never seen someone get so excited about making a two-point basket. To these kids, it meant the world. They would cheer extremely loud for each of their teammates and even congratulate friends on the other team. The buddies are probably the happiest people i know. they never hold grudges, and never judge anyone. As soon as i would arrive for practice they would run up and give me a hug. After the two months of hard work, the buddies and i would play together in the Special Olympic Games. After we played numerous games they have a ceremony and honor each player in on the Special Olympic teams. These kids have taught me that life is too short to not be happy, and to not enjoy ever moment.
Throughout my life there have been many people that have affected my life greatly and who I have thought of as "heroes". But in the past 6 years working with Blue Gold and Special Olympics I have never met a buddy or a member of Special Olympics who I dont consider a hero. I found online a story about a Special Olympics swimmer from Saudia Arabia named Abdel Rauman. His athletic ability did not come naturally considering he is intellectually disabled and partially paralzed. But even with those setbacks he rose above everyone’s expectations by winning gold in the 50 and 100 freestyle races at the 2007 Summer Olympics. Rauman's father said that Raumans hard work and great attitude that made him the winner he is today. It took him 3 months to learn how to hold his breath underwater but after that he was persistent and worked everyday toward his goal. Rauman is just one of the many special olympics athletes who are beyond dedicated to their sports and put so much time and effort toward them. About 3 years ago I helped coach the Thunder Bears, a Special Olympic swim team and it didnt take very long for me to realize that these people were some of the most kind, loving, caring, hard working people I have every met. They appreciate all the time and advice you can give them and they work nonstop toward their goals. They rise above people’s expectations everyday and thrive as an athlete as well as an individual.
http://www.specialolympics.org/athletes.aspx
Benjamin Demers is a 22 year old high school graduate from Pelham High School in 2008 and suffers from down syndrome. His mother said it was very hard for him to make friends and to have a normal social life. She saw how this made her son upset so she called Special Olympics Nashua and signed Benjamin up to play. Benjamin golfs, swims, skis, bowls and plays basketball in the Special Olympics program. Not only did Benjamin gain confidence in his physical skills in sports but he also blossomed socially making all kinds of new friends. He feels that he has a place and is needed by other people, his mother states. Benjamin talked about how easy it is to make new friends at Special Olympics events. Five years ago he made his first best friend, Isaac Hartigan. Benjamin also goes on a date every Thursday night with his girlfriend, Meghan Dinsimore. Benjamin loves the Special Olympics program and inspired his entire family to get involved. His mother now helps coach basketball, his father is the treasurer of the Nashua program and his brother is on a unified team that are for family members of a special needs athlete. Benjamin helped promote the Pelham 5K race and walk at Old Home Day as a fundraiser for Nashua Special Olympics. Benjamin also works two part time jobs, volunteers as a global messenger for Special Olympics in public speaking and plays guitar and paints watercolors. Benjamin is living proof that having a mental disability can’t hold you back.
An example of a living physically or intellectually disabled person who has achieved success far beyond what society would expect from her is Temple Grandin. She was diagnosed with autism and didn't speak until she was four years old. Her middle school and high school years were the toughest years of her life. She was constantly made fun of for sounding like a "tape recorder" because she would repeat the same things over and over. Although Temple was inept socially, she was extremely gifted at science. She's a visual learner, and she can see something once and will remember it forever. Despite her tough early years, Temple graduated from a boarding school for gifted children. She also earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from Franklin Pierce College, her master's degree in animal science at Arizona State University, and her PhD in animal science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is known for designing curved slaughter plants that help reduce stress for cattle and make them more efficient. She has written several articles and essays about cattle, and is still working to improve standards in livestock farms. I think it's amazing that she was able to overcome her autism and get past the bullying and teasing, and achieve all of these things for herself.
Josh Blue is a standup comedian with cerebral palsy. Most of his jokes are centered around his disability, and audiences seem to have a great reaction to this. Many people have a hard time talking about their disability, but Josh Blue not only talks about it, but jokes about it. He developed his sense of humor as a child as a preemptive strike against the teasing he'd get from other kids. He figured that if he made a joke before they got the chance, they would only look dumb if they tried to make the joke afterwards. Even though he has a disability, he preformed, and won, on the television show Last Comic Standing. He is now a very well-known comedian, appearing on shows such as the Ellen Degeneres show.
Stephen Wiltshire was diagnosed with Severe Autism at the young age of three. He was already mute by the time he was diagnosed. His first means of communicating was through art and drawing. He started drawing when he was sent to the Queensmill school in London. This school is where after having previously been strictly communicating through his art, he was gradually taught how to speak. This is also where his extreme artistic talent was first recognized after a school field trip when he drew a building they had visited perfectly from memory with absolutely no aid from a photograph. He can draw and paint huge cityscapes and landscapes completely from memory. He can look at the subject of his drawings and reproduce them down to the most direct and minute architectural details. He flies one single quick trip in a helicopter around a city taking it all in then goes back to the ground and can draw either small scenes or huge panoramas purely from that trip. The cities he has tackled drawing are Tokyo, Rome, Hong Kong, New York City, London, Frankfurt, Madrid, Dubai and Jerusalem. He has overcome his disability and accomplished feats that are truly amazing.
Justin Spears, an impressive 22 year old, 6 foot, 205 lb. young man who has a mild form of Autism. This man has accomplished many goals due to his courage and putting all of his heart into whatever he pursues. Justin became a part of the Special Olympics, and participated in bowling, basketball and track. He was also a member of a team called the Pflugerville Olympians. The results of his Olympic career were astonishing. He had won 10 gold medals. Seven of the medals were in bowling, one was in basketball and two for track. He also earned three silver medals and two bronze medals. Justin loves traveling to different places, such as Houston, for events and has made alot of friends in the process. When he was interviewed if he thought it was hard work, he replied, "Yes, but it was also very rewarding."
He recommends everybody participate or from a volunteer standpoint because helping with Special Olympics has benefits and is very rewarding. I think Justin Spears really made somebody of himself and stands out among others for his dedication and hard work. More and more everday people are contributing to the Special Olympics in all different ways. It's important to be involved, to make you feel good and the participants. Even just a smile can make their day.
This has always been sort of a touchy subject for me because one of my cousins has mental disabilities. But i remember doing a project on this guy Leslie Lemke in 8th grade because were told to do a project on someone important or who has made a difference, so im going to share what i learned. Leslie Lemke was prematurely born in 1952 and was diagnosed with glaucome, cerebal palsy, and brain damage. The glaucoma was so bad the doctors had to remove his eyes. His biological mother put him up for adoption and a nurse named May Lemke adopted him. It took him seven years to make any movements, noises, or show emoitions. He was 12 when he learned to stand, and 15 when he learned to walk. Then at 16 his mother experienced something unusual, he was playing the family piano. He wasnt just playing any song though Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto no. 1 in the middle of the night. He had hear the piece on the television earlier that day and played the entire piece from memory. His mother was amazed and wanted him to pursue his talent for playing the piano, and next thing you know, he was touring around the United States, Japan, and Scandinavia giving free concerts. Eventually he developed Alzheimers disease, and died on November 6, 1993.
My sister Meredith has a moderate case of Down syndrome, which has affected my family in a positive way. Because of her mental handicap, she had shown me how to live every day to the fullest. Meredith lives in the moment, not allowing anyone to bring her down or cause her to become flustered by any comment. I used to be stubborn all the time and become upset when people would point out my flaws, but after joining Special Olympics with my sister and becoming a unified player on her bowling team, The Mighty Ducks, I have made friends with others who have mental handicaps and they will forever be my friends. None of them judge me for who I am and every time I see them, they always have a smile on their faces as they approach me and ask me how I've been. Meredith always greets me when I walk into the house with a big smile and a friendly, “Hi, Adrienne, how was school?” Every time I come home and see that smile on her face, it always reminds me of the competition at the Special Olympics and how she and I were on the same team and we placed silver and even though I was kind of disappointed in myself for not placing us in gold, she was so excited to receive the silver medal that my disappointment melted and I was happy. My life would be so much different without my sister and the friends I've made through Special Olympics and even my Blue Gold buddy, Laura. I guess because of my love for all of them, I feel so obligated to protect them when people use such harsh words against them, even though they have no idea that they're being insulted in the first place. I truly wish that someday those who use such a degrading word towards these people could somehow see my friends in the same light that I do and they could possibly change their vocabularies to suit us all. I would be glad to introduce them to my sister, Meredith.
Olivia, a buddy in the Blue-Gold program, has many seizures. She can have up to a couple hundred a day. This year Olivia joined the St Marks Fashion show. We all got a letter talking about her condition with her seizures. I was really worried because loud music and flashing lights can set off the seizures. Olivia was very shy with us at first. She barely danced and was very quiet. We try to make her comfortable by talking with her and trying to dance with her. A couple of practices in she started to dance with us more often and laugh all the time. As the show continue she would be the first one on stage and as soon as the music started even though we were not dancing yet she would already be dancing around. Olivia was a joy to work with. The night of the performance Olivia glowed. She looked so happy and loved her dress. She stood in center stage twisting back and forth because she enjoyed watching her dress sparkle under the lights. When we did our dance she performed it perfectly and we could not be more proud of her she really shined up on stage!
One person who has overcome having a physical disability and made tremendous strides is Jim Abbott. Jim Abbott is said to have been one of the best pitchers in the American league, despite having only one hand. In 1988 he won the championship and the gold medal for the U.S Olympic baseball team. Jim won 12 games for the California Angels in his rookie year and threw a fast-pitch at an amazing 95 miles an hour. Growing up he played many sports: football, basketball and baseball. He did not let his physical disability hinder him in any way. Not only did he participate in these sports but he excelled in them. He found ways to compensate for what he lacked and became excellent leading each of his teams to championships. In one of his interviews he stated that he did not feel different than the other kids and just looked at it as he was born with a great left hand and a not so great right. No one would of expected that a boy born with only one hand would turn out to be such a great ball player. When Abbott was chosen to play for Team USA in the Pan-American Games, the coach Ron Fraser was worried about Jim and his baseball skills. Jim proved him wrong and became the first pitcher in 25 years to defeat the Cuban national team. Because of Abbott the American team won silver that year. As a result of his success many handicapped children look up to him as a hero. He now is a motivational speaker reaching out to those with impairments similar to his. He promotes the message that anything can be achieved no matter the challenges you face.
http://www.bookrags.com/biography/jim-abbott-spo/5.html
http://www.jimabbott.info/biography.html
Dyslexia is a learning disorder usually associated with difficulty reading, spelling and in some cases mathematics. We all know the famous movie "Pirates of the Caribbean" and the famous main characters, Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom. Keira and Orlando are two of the many actors/actresses that have the dyslexia disorder. Keira started acting at age 6 but it was very difficult for her to read any of the scripts. Her driving force to act gave her the strength and endurance to overcome her disorder and be able to read scripts without any faults by 11 years old. Orlando Bloom used to struggle a lot with his schoolwork and it was his disability gave him a kick to excel in arts. He had to work twice as hard as people without the disorder and it gave him the drive to pursue his career in acting. Keira Knighley and Orlando Bloom have taken their disorder and turned it into something positive for themselves and others. They currently participate in and donate money to the Global green, UNICEF, and Max Energy Limited foundations, which are organizations that promote beneficial learning and raise money for children suffering from dyslexia. Keira Knighley and Orlando Bloom are two people who are disabled and have achieved success.
I have been a coach of Special Olympics Newark Lightning Swim team for six years. Throughout these years I have had the opportunity to meet and become friends with many wonderful athletes. It's hard for me to choose just one amazing athlete that comes to my mind when I think about overcoming mental and physical disabilities. However, one special athlete I think of is a girl names Rachel Ray. Rachel Ray started Special Olympics swimming last year and she did not know how to swim. It was very much a struggle for us to get her into the water even with her floating belt on because she was so afraid. I usually would sit with her at practice for the first 45 minutes just mentally pushing and encouraging her to go into the pool. Finally she decided to get in. With her floatees I would assist her in the shallow end of the pool. I taught her to kick her legs and wave her arms. She kept getting better and better and at the Special Olympics summer games she swam without her floatees and just us assisting her. Her smile was so big it lit up the room, and she jumped for joy when she won a medal. She's overcome so many struggles throughout her life- yet always seems to get through them with a smile on her face.
At the end of sophomore year, a group of friends of mine decided to form a buddy group for blue/gold for our junior year. The buddy we were assigned didn't work out and we were left without a buddy for our group. It was then that I thought of my neighbor's nephew. My family is very close with our next-door neighbors and their family. We have vacationed together, shared meals, and even shared holidays together. Our neighbor, Laura Wolfe, has a nephew, Scottie, is sixteen years old and battles a disability called Ataxia. He has trouble walking and speaking. However, these disabilities do not keep him from leading the life of a normal teenager. He attends Newark High School and can be found watching every Pittsburgh Steelers game. He loves to go swimming in his Aunt Laura's pool and chow down on some pizza that we all share for dinner. Scottie joined our buddy group for junior year and has stuck with us since then. He enjoys every blue-gold event we hold and has participated in fashion show the past two years. Being around Scottie has greatly improved my experiences with blue/gold. Through blue/gold he has made many friends and is known as our little jokester. I'm so glad I introduced him to the Blue/Gold program at St. Mark's and I hope he continues with it after I graduate.
I have been an active member in the Blue/Gold Program for 2 years now. In these two years I have learnt so much from these people that we think so little of. I used to be one of those people who constantly said the "r" word. I was one of those people who would stare when I saw someone with a disability, but when I joined the program all those bad habits didn't matter anymore. This year I was fortunate enough to meet another buddy, Alyssa. Alyssa is the most down-to-earth person I know. She's always full of such energy and laughter. Although I am not aware of her exact disabiliy, she also has diabetes which doesn't make anything easier for her. Alyssa maintains a pretty normal life, but it involves applying more work to do something we think is so simple. Alyssa attends Dickinson High School where she maintains straight A's. She has played different sports like volleyball and frisbee. She also loves the same things that us regular teens do. Alyssa loves Hannah Montana (though I do not). She loves the color pink and Hello Kitty. She also enjoys swimming in her pool, in which we joined her for her birthday party. She loves getting dressed up and putting on makeup. She recently shared with me that she is finally attending her own prom with (of course) her pink dress! Alyssa has come so far in this year we've spent together, and I hope to say in touch with her over the years ti see how much more she can accomplish!
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