After weeks of constantly searching for a blog I came across Alan’s “My Disability Blog”. Interested in his title, I decided to contact him for a potential interview to learn more about himself and his blog. Alan Larson is a 62 year old male with spina bifida. He was diagnosed with his disability at birth, and now uses blogging as a way to change the worlds perspective regarding disabilities and disabled people. Alan explained to me how his primary vision is to live his life without any limitations, discriminations, prejudice or barriers. As a child, he engaged with specialists in orthopedics and physical therapists to learn muscle strengthening techniques to provide himself with independence. When he was younger, he used crutches and braces
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Alan believes he has been discriminated against his whole entire life. Since he was diagnosed at birth, he feels as if that he has always been categorized as an “other”. The most challenging part of his life when he had to deal with his disability was throughout high school. As he was going through adolescence, he was trying to find himself but the constant bullying and laugher from other kids made it nearly impossible. Alan quickly learned that regardless of if you’re disabled or not, people are going to talk negatively about you. If they aren’t laughing at your disability, it will be your skin color, weight or height. After he began learning to love the body he was in, the bullying stopped. He rode around in his wheelchair with pride, confident of his disability. I have taken a lot of information in from this interview with Alan. I’ve learned to appreciate what I have, because there are people who would do anything for that I have been given. Alan’s experiences taught me to never give up regardless of what challenge I am confronted with. As long as I provide motivation and determination I should be able to reach my desires. As a future OT, I will be presented with success and failures, but I will have to think of new strategies and find the best method to successfully accomplish my
Alan believes he has been discriminated against his whole entire life. Since he was diagnosed at birth, he feels as if that he has always been categorized as an “other”. The most challenging part of his life when he had to deal with his disability was throughout high school. As he was going through adolescence, he was trying to find himself but the constant bullying and laugher from other kids made it nearly impossible. Alan quickly learned that regardless of if you’re disabled or not, people are going to talk negatively about you. If they aren’t laughing at your disability, it will be your skin color, weight or height. After he began learning to love the body he was in, the bullying stopped. He rode around in his wheelchair with pride, confident of his disability. I have taken a lot of information in from this interview with Alan. I’ve learned to appreciate what I have, because there are people who would do anything for that I have been given. Alan’s experiences taught me to never give up regardless of what challenge I am confronted with. As long as I provide motivation and determination I should be able to reach my desires. As a future OT, I will be presented with success and failures, but I will have to think of new strategies and find the best method to successfully accomplish my