My dog Shadow raced toward what sounded like water to me and as (1) a blind college student at Texas State University this could only mean one thing and that was the San Marcos River that flowed through the campus! I know naming a service dog Shadow when I was using him due to my blindness was ironic yet it was precisely what he was my constant companion and shadow. The sounds of people in the water playing and other dogs in the area only drove Shadow faster toward the fun. As a blind student I had complete trust and faith in my guide dog but the unknown of the water much less the stairs and hills between us were more than unsettling it was frightening. (1) I am an eighteen year old freshman that had complete vision until an auto accident …show more content…
The effort it takes to get from my bed to the bathroom has gotten easier as I have memorized the route that I take and the furniture and other obstacles are placed exactly where they have been for my use. My closet is color coordinated along with clothing style via the use of the type of hanger used and by touch can generally get that accomplished without a fight. I do live in an apartment on the bottom floor and have a residence helper to get me to the right building for breakfast and to the right classroom. I use a cane for some of the classes as they are on a familiar and flat route versus the many hills we have at Texas State. Again my guide dog Shadow is my constant companion and a great asset. (3) I do not work at this time since college is a full time challenge and career for me. (4) Things are difficult for me on a daily basis since my loss of sight from walking to eating to tying my shoes. Taking notes in a class is a big challenge and I have an individual that takes notes for me and can put them on a program that has the notes read to me and also translated into Braille. There are many accommodations that the professors and the university will make and they want to be your biggest
Malcolm Gladwell’s Usage of the Straw Man Method of Persuasion in What the Dog Saw
One of my most difficult experiences has been going through school with an invisible disability. I was born with Bladder Exstrophy, a rare birth defect where the bladder and associated structures are improperly formed. I have endured fourteen surgeries to make my life as “normal” as possible. Despite this, as a young child, I decided to not let this condition define me or keep me from doing anything I wanted. Since first grade, I have had to catheterize every two hours, even during school. I’ve been responsible for making sure my supplies are stocked, remembering to go to the nurse’s office to cath myself every two hours, irrigating my bladder nightly and taking medication on time when prescribed.
“You can either allow the obstacles in your life to be the excuse for your failure or make them the reason behind your success.” Although the quote’s author is unknown, anyone can connect to this quote in some way about how you can let obstacles stop you from doing what you want to do or you can use them as a reason for success. This holds true for Christopher, the main protagonist in the novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon. Christopher is a 15-year-old in the autism spectrum, and although gifted in mathematics, he struggles with communicating and has extreme likes and dislikes. These obstacles definitely make it seem as if his goals are far from reach and as secrets come out his success seems almost unattainable, but because of these hardships he learns many lessons about human nature and himself, including that deciphering facial expressions to find the emotions connected to them and that he is capable of doing anything regardless of the obstacles thrown at him.
It is hard to keep a white coat clean! Whether it is the dirt from the yard or a food mustache or tear stains, it shows up on a light colored dog. Tear staining is noticeable on dogs with light coats. Breeds like the Maltese, Bichon Frise, Lhasa Apso and Shih Tzu are commonly affected by cosmetic tear stains. Other breeds, including Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Greyhounds and Old English Sheepdogs also experience tear stains, but their darker coats camouflage the reddish brown stains.
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.
Marshall, C. A., Kendall, E., Banks, M. E., & Gover, R. S. (2009). Disabilities Vol. 2. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
“It was 7 minutes after midnight. The dog was lying on the grass in the middle of the lawn in front of Mrs.Shears's house.” The way an author narrates their book is a very important factor in the reader’s understanding. The book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon is narrated in first person by a 15 year old autistic boy named Christopher Boone. Having the book narrated by an autistic boy is not a good idea because readers can understand some situations better than Christopher could, he has trouble determining how others feel and he’s always explaining things he doesn’t understand, but most readers do. Christopher is an inadequate narrator which frustrates the readers.
I realize that it is ironic that I, of all people, am taking classes in American Sign Language and am a CSD major. Devoting my future to working with people who have communication and hearing disorders is more than likely going to present a unique challenge to myself due to my low vision, but I have
As discussed in Magasi et al. (2015) “social and physical environment also has consequences” for a person who needs to cope with a disability. It is very important to collaborate with all role players in the community; in this case the department of housing was the problem. Peter's problems he experiences due to lack of accessibility at home, can be discussed and possible solutions can help to make his surroundings accessible by applying ramps and bars in the
My life would have to change drastically if I had any kind of disability. I live in a house with my parents and siblings, and I commute to university by driving my car. Even though I live with people, I am used to being independent throughout my day. For example, I wake up on my own usually around 10 am and get ready for my day the same way on the weekdays. First, I go to the restroom and wash my face and brush my teeth and then I pick out the outfit I want to wear that day and then put on a tiny bit of makeup. Finally, I go downstairs to the kitchen, since my house is three levels with my room being on the top level, and prepare myself a bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee. I do all this with little to no interaction with my mom, who is usually
Assistive technology is often used by individuals with a learning disability. A learning disability “describes a neurobiological disorder in which a person’s brain works or is structured differently” (Lee1). A person’s abilities can be severely affected from a learning disability. They may listen differently, talk differently, write, spell, organize, and work with school subjects in a different way. Learning disabilities also affect people’s individual and personal lives to a great extent. According to the National Institutes of Health, one in seven children has a learning disability. The disability manifests itself when the child shows difficulty in reading, writing, spelling, and conversing with others. The added time they need to process information may make them seem less intelligent then others around them, but this is not the case. Individuals with learning disabilities are just as smart as anyone else; they just need to learn in a different way. The earlier a learning disability is noticed and detected, the earlier a child may be able to learn how to deal with or compensate for it (Lee 1). This is where assistive technology comes into play.
After thinking on these things and reflecting on the denomination of this essay, I realize the best way for me to fine-tune my concerns and situations and it additionally being a contribution to my fellow students here at San Diego State University (SDSU), I would endeavor and volunteer more of my time for certain events and activities. Not just as a frolicsome thing to do, but as a way to interact more with others, assist those who may attend the functions, comix and mingle with those around me, lend a helping hand, study and assist with others who may need help with understanding the homework or the information provided by the professors which may already come easily for me, and much more. By doing this I will learn to have a servitude type posture, learn and understand others personalities and realize they are their own, learn and recognize others for their strengths as well as for their disabilities and then learn together how we can transmute the perception of their incapacitation to a positive, understand others wants and needs and possibly assist them in achieving either or, and maybe both, but mainly to learn to understand people on their own mental level and accept them that they are doing the best they can at being who they are at their categorical level. level whether it is an A, B, C, or D level. I speak and write about these things because this is a big step for me to take.
I was born with a disability. Although I have done intensive physical therapy since I was small and have made significant improvements over the years, I find it difficult to do some things which most people take for granted. Until I was eleven, I needed a aide at school. I could not go shopping by myself, or stay at home alone for more than a few minutes.
Ever since I can remember I’ve wanted a dog. Never did I think that dogs would end up being by biggest fear. I was just a little kid around 6 years old when it happened. I was walking home from my friend’s house when I saw a stray dog, it was in the middle of the street blocking my way, I decided to walk past it, while I was walking it started growling at me, I hesitated but still kept trying to walk then suddenly it got up and started barking empathically towards me. I was terrified, my first initial reaction being a 6 year old kid was to scare it away, I was ignorant. I picked up a rock and threw it at the dog thinking it’ll get scared and run away. I was wrong. The dog had enough it made a whimpering noise then started barking even louder
My instructor had informed us about people with hearing impairments and disorders, but I never thought much about it. After this assignment, I realized how hard it is to have your hearing impaired. I had the luxury of being able to take out my plugs and fix my impairment if I became to overwhelmed or stressed. Those who are impaired do not have such luxury. I did not expect as much of a psychological element to this assignment as there was. There were times where I felt anxiety stirring inside of me. I became anxious if I missed something. The first day back with un-impaired hearing was memorable. I kept thinking to myself how hard short conversations would be if I was impaired. Moving forward, I have a better grasp of what hearing impairment really is and how hard it is to live with. I will be more conscious of my hearing because I never want to experience fulltime