lesson learned at the school for the blind

Winter of my senior year of college I did field exprience at the state school for the blind. Sevrel things about that exprience stand out in my mind about that exprinece. The biggest is Luke (not his real name) who had CP as well as being blind. Luke was also fighting a mental illness that caused him to injury him himself. He had already injuried his face to the point of disfigurement. They put braces on his hands to prevent him from doing anymore damage. Luke's mom worked at the school and in what must of been hard time for both of them they came everyday. They kept on truckin as the Greatful Dead song. I remember Luke use come down to the lunchroom and sit with the same table everyday listen other kids while his one on one fed him lunch. He was hoping for better days and better days. Over time Luke was able go without the hand braces, even thought he needed a note reminding him keep hands on armrests of his wheelchair. He graduated from school now he on the road to a great furture. Luke taught about hanging in there when times are rough are necessary to get to better times. A lesson that sevred me well when my health went to pot. I'm still in touch with Luke and his mom there good people, that desevre the good time there getting.


I wish I could tell that self-injury among disabled people was rare, or it only that's it only happens among low-functioning disabled people, but that would be a lie. Luke is very smart. Many of my disabled friends have engaged in self-injurious behavior in some point in there lifes. I have short spell when I use to cut myself. So what is causing disabled people to take knifes and lighters to themshelfves. I don't really know for sure. I think part of it is everbofy puts such a emaphasis on being normal. And instead of our schools and parents saying the world is wrong, they try to change us to meet the world expectations. Inexcesstion they are saying we are wrong. I admit treating the disability snd making a disabilible is easier then lobbing and doing what takes do really change things, but is it really the right thing to do? Why dont er decide the same energy being used to cure the disabled to change laws and views so being disable are not a bad thing. The parents of disabled children instead of looking for werid new age treatment/cures, they should work side by side with disabled adult do fight for oppunity for there children that id real. They should be helping to build the disabilied communities there children will one day live in. Just my two cents take it for what it's worth.