|
Introduction
Wheelchair Days 2006
Office of
Servant-Leadership
A.E.l.
—
Architectural Engineers with a vision
The
purpose of our Wheelchair Days is to focus your attention on the day-
by-day, hour-by-hour challenges faced by disabled Americans. During the
next several hours you will be amazed, frustrated, and (perhaps) even a
little angered by the often unnoticed barriers to access and convenience
that are ordinary, constant experiences to our fellow citizens confined
to medically necessary transportation devices.
Servant-Leadership rests upon the skill of seeing life and its
tremendous possibilities through the eyes of others. Leaders that place
themselves in the shoes (or chairs) of those whom they serve can effect
tremendous change in the workplace, the community, and the world.
Please use this experience to its fullest use and to its deepest impact
on your growth as a professional and a leader. Resist the urge to “give
up” when the day becomes really frustrating. Stick with it. Throughout
the
day
constantly ask yourself “as an architect, engineer, or medical
professional, how can I alleviate the frustrations that I am
experiencing in such a microscopic way today?” Particularly, ask
yourself these questions: In this (fill-in the situation) could the
design be more efficient? What barriers am I
experiencing
that haven’t been addressed in building or facility design? How could
these be addressed? What is my biggest challenge in this experience? How
could this challenge be adequately addressed?
From MSOE Servant
leadership Handout, "MSOE Cares", received 10-26-06.
Disability Awareness Month
Click To View
Photos
From the Experience
Journal of My
Experience 10-26-06
Before picking up the chair I realized that I live
in a house that is not handicap accessible so I had to bring all of my
books and supplies for the day and stay in the CC building on campus
because returning home once in the chair will not be possible.
8:00 AM - The elevator door does not stay open
enough time for me to push the button get in position and wheel my self
into the elevator. Many other participants have the same experience.
8:05 AM - The handles and code sections on MSOE
office doors are very high requiring me to roll right up to the door to
get it to unlock. When I am rolled very close to the door I can not
pull it open because the chair gets in the way and I have to make some
awkward maneuvers.
8:35 AM - While getting breakfast I noticed that
even shelves that are low when I am standing are still out of reach when
sitting in the chair.
11:00 AM - The bathrooms are a challenge for many
reasons. First I have a hard time knowing how to properly transfer
myself from the chair to the toilet so in an effort not to hurt myself I
stand to use the bathroom. It is a small surrender but I rationalize it
with the thought that if properly instructed no how to execute this move
I would be able and more then willing to do it. Second the sinks are
mounted to high to comfortably wash my hands and the paper towel
dispenser is barely with in reach if a stretch to the max. Lastly on
the way out of the bathroom I realize there is no way to exit rolling
forward and have to turn around a back out of the bathroom because there
is not enough clearance between the doorway that wall in front of it.
1:00 PM - I have notice that there is a lot of
carpet in the cc building and this is very had to propel myself on, I
find that just moving from one side of the building to another is very
taxing.
1:30 PM - Restrooms on campus are not well marked
as to whether they are handicapped accessible or not. I was directed to
a restroom at the far side of the CC I had used it before so I rolled
through the door and once inside I realized that not only was the room
not handicapped accessible there was hardly enough room to turn around.
I managed to use the restroom and get the chair turned around then
struggled to get the door open and exited the restroom.
Conclusion
I feel that this is a most valuable experience and I
would recommend that everyone seek out the opportunity to spend a little
time looking at the world from the perspective of someone with a
physical disability. I feel that this experience will have a
profound effect on my social, professional, and private life. I
have learned a lot from the short time that I what in a wheelchair and
have gained perspective that will allow me to continue learning from
this experience. It amazes me how different the world is from the
two perspectives, standing and walking to sitting and rolling. My
observations may cast a harsh light on my university but I believe that
there are obstacles and challenges to be found everywhere and that the
only way to begin to eliminate those obstacles is for the professional
people who are responsible for designing products and buildings take
some time a "roll a mile on the wheels of someone else's chair". A
responsible and mature society will not see this activity as a joke or
as an insult but as a heartfelt attempt to better consider many angles
and many types of peoples needs in our daily lives. We all have
our challenges and our own personal disabilities but only when we share
them with others, only when we allow someone to come close to us and see
the word form our prospective, see the world with our eyes will others
begin little by little to understand.
|
