Quote: "The Road Less Traveled" by Kit McCallum
Image: rc Images 2011
“The best journeys in life are those that answer questions
you never thought to ask” – Rick Ridgeway
There truly has been Joy in this journey through the Disability Studies program at CUNY, the kind of joy that comes with awareness, with connecting with others, with being inspired. Before embarking on this adventure, I had a limited understanding of disability. This program advanced that understanding by introducing the history of disability, the theories and models that have shaped disability, and disability law which I had no understanding of even though I had worked in the legal field.
Each and every course provided Opportunities to learn, to grow, to meet new people, to broaden my horizons and to share what I have learned with others in the Disability Services Office at UNK so that we can all better serve the students with disabilities whose paths cross ours.
My approach to disability has changed because my awareness of how society creates and contributes to disability has changed. On numerous occasions I have Used the knowledge I have gained from the various courses, as in a working knowledge of disability law in a training at work, bringing awareness of inclusively designed curriculum to faculty at UNK, and applying strategies needed to be an effective caregiver. Those are just a few examples.
DSAB 699, the Capstone course, has allowed me to Reflect on all the courses I have taken, the lessons I have learned and how the courses connect to one another in such a way that looking back on it, I cannot imagine this program, this journey, without each of these classes being a part of this multidisciplinary look at disability.
As is reflected in my Academics Work section, each course offered New concepts and knowledge, connections to new classmates, new challenges that deepened my understanding of disability and society, and new awareness of self, the world and the people in it. The most impactful part of this journey was learning from and alongside my professors and classmates, many of whom chose to disclose and openly discuss their disability and personal experiences. I have always been told that every person who crosses your path and every experience you have can be a teacher and a lesson. The CUNY Disability Studies Program epitomizes this ideology.
It is the Education that I have received in this program that has helped me to identify the physical, cultural, economic, communication, mobility and attitudinal barriers that impede people with disabilities. The work I am most proud of is the Abecedary of Diversity in Disability (link on the left). It is exemplary of not only the vast amount of diversity in disability, but is a culmination of the lessons learned about disability and the connections made through the program as I collaborated with two fellow classmates who graciously indulged me when I had the idea to do this as a final project in DSAB 605, Diversity in Disability.
And to think this journey started with a Yearning - a yearning for knowledge, a yearning for purpose, a yearning to continue to learn and grow. I chose the image above of the tunnel because as I write this, I am coming to the end of this journey and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. As I step out into the sunshine, I am taking with me an awareness of disability that could only have been gained through this course of study. I am taking with me inspiration to share this awareness with others and the desire to continue to invest in people with disabilities. I am taking with me a new-found confidence in myself and my abilities having completed some assignments that challenged me in ways I had never been challenged. I am taking with me new friendships and connections. Now that I have been afforded the opportunity to look back, the view of disability, of society and of self is so much clearer looking and moving forward.
"If a journey doesn't have something to teach you about yourself then what kind of journey is it?" - Kira Salak