Throughout life all of us will encounter or know a person with a disability, whether it be our neighbours, family members, teachers or friends (Bullock, Mahon, & Killingsworth, 2010). Disabilities span over a wide range of conditions, often impacting a person in many different areas of life (Bullock et al., 2010). This could range from varying degrees of severity, such as vision loss, psychological and emotional difficulties, physical limitations, cognitive limitations, or significant hearing loss (Bullock et al., 2010). For my chosen disability I decided to experience the sensation of significant hearing loss, with the goal of gaining an understanding of how it feels to be completely toned out from a world that relies heavily on communication.
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Using the 4D approach I first looked at the detecting aspect of my hearing impairment. I did not stand out with my impairment, very few people didn’t even realise until approaching me or having a conversation with me. Most notable was the way people I interacted with throughout my local community dumbed down conversations, or pitied me due to not fully understanding that I was capable of completing any task. Most people’s first reaction was recognizing something was unfamiliar, along with the unexpected of how to go about the situation. This made me feel unsettled and excluded, seeing as I was expecting the treatment that I would normally receive. Acknowledging these feelings were the first steps in facing these differences, allowing me to relax and accept what had taken place. Focusing next on the deciding factor of the 4D approach I looked to how others viewed me, and how I viewed myself. How would I go about everyday life, or for in this case the hour proving that I was still a capable member of society? Figuring out what was relevant to the current situation and labelling the differences I found was the first step. The biggest realization was finding roles and activities that would lead to a successful interaction. I had to be true to myself and not let the disability define who I was, this …show more content…
My partner decided to experience having a physical disability, confining herself to a wheelchair for an hour around the Dalhousie campus. Using the 4D approach I first broke down the detecting aspect of what occurred. Most people were quick to move out of the way, or apologize for getting in the way. I also found that people were either extremely polite or avoided contact with my partner all together. Curiosity I believe was the biggest factor in why most people would stare, attempting to acknowledge or come to terms with their feelings of the unfamiliar. Deciding was the next step of the 4D approach. How to react to the difference of treatment was the biggest challenge. Not letting the chair define my partner was the biggest challenge, along with accepting the pity and sympathy given to a person fully capable of their own actions and roles. Being mobile proved to be the biggest issue around Dalhousie, and in some instances it was necessary for others help to get through different doors and buildings around the campus. This ties in with the “doing” part of the 4D approach. My partner and I both found Dalhousie to be extremely inaccessible for those who have a physical disability. The majority of Dalhousie does not have functional accessible doors and ramps, the worst being the Life Science Center and the best being the Killiam library. Again letting people ask questions and
Using the 4D approach I first looked at the detecting aspect of my hearing impairment. I did not stand out with my impairment, very few people didn’t even realise until approaching me or having a conversation with me. Most notable was the way people I interacted with throughout my local community dumbed down conversations, or pitied me due to not fully understanding that I was capable of completing any task. Most people’s first reaction was recognizing something was unfamiliar, along with the unexpected of how to go about the situation. This made me feel unsettled and excluded, seeing as I was expecting the treatment that I would normally receive. Acknowledging these feelings were the first steps in facing these differences, allowing me to relax and accept what had taken place. Focusing next on the deciding factor of the 4D approach I looked to how others viewed me, and how I viewed myself. How would I go about everyday life, or for in this case the hour proving that I was still a capable member of society? Figuring out what was relevant to the current situation and labelling the differences I found was the first step. The biggest realization was finding roles and activities that would lead to a successful interaction. I had to be true to myself and not let the disability define who I was, this …show more content…
My partner decided to experience having a physical disability, confining herself to a wheelchair for an hour around the Dalhousie campus. Using the 4D approach I first broke down the detecting aspect of what occurred. Most people were quick to move out of the way, or apologize for getting in the way. I also found that people were either extremely polite or avoided contact with my partner all together. Curiosity I believe was the biggest factor in why most people would stare, attempting to acknowledge or come to terms with their feelings of the unfamiliar. Deciding was the next step of the 4D approach. How to react to the difference of treatment was the biggest challenge. Not letting the chair define my partner was the biggest challenge, along with accepting the pity and sympathy given to a person fully capable of their own actions and roles. Being mobile proved to be the biggest issue around Dalhousie, and in some instances it was necessary for others help to get through different doors and buildings around the campus. This ties in with the “doing” part of the 4D approach. My partner and I both found Dalhousie to be extremely inaccessible for those who have a physical disability. The majority of Dalhousie does not have functional accessible doors and ramps, the worst being the Life Science Center and the best being the Killiam library. Again letting people ask questions and