disability project reflection.

    For our latest group presentation we were given a topic that is often avoided in conversation although it shouldn't be. The topic of disabilities should be something that is spoken about more to raise awareness about them. Many people are misinformed or not informed at all when it comes to disabilities, which leads to other problems. In this group presentation we were given three broad categories of disabilities that would be split into sub-categories that a single person would work on. We all would later come together and combine all the information about our sub-categories to make a presentation about multiple disabilities through different perspectives.

    The topics were split between mobility disabilities, brain disabilities, and spinal cord disabilities. These topics would be then related to the subject of the material given in our books; covering chapters 7-14 all in three mass power points. It was a fun way of covering the material necessary in the book while relating it to a topic that is not spoken about often although it is interesting. Me and my group were assigned the topic of spinal cord disabilities. We spoke about several types of spinal cord disabilities and just the importance of the spinal cord in general. The spinal cord is such an important part of the body just injuring one part of it can have an effect on possibly the entire body.

    

    Among those that became disabled due to their spinal cord there are paraplegics and quadriplegics. There are also those who become completely disabled from a specific part of the spinal cord and below, which are called complete spinal injury where no sensation is felt below the site of injury. And there are incomplete spinal cord injuries where some sensation does exist below the site of injury even if it is just barely any sensation at all. I am glad to have been given this topic for the disability project as I can personally relate with the topic. My late grandfather had became paraplegic after fighting in the Vietnam war and he would always ask for my help when he needed.

    Learning about the disability that put my grandfather in the position he was in was truly eye-opening for me, and taught me new things that I could never have learned before. I truly am grateful to have been given the privilege of bringing awareness to such an important topic that should be given more attention, or at least people should know more information about it to be able to empathize with those that may experiencing it. 

    Looking back, in the beginning I was a bit hesitant on where to begin with the mass of information readily available to me. But thanks to my group, I quickly cleared up the confusion and knew exactly how to go about my presentation. I never felt lost along the way and I knew I was not alone in the presentation. Working in groups is comforting and makes the workload much more bearable knowing if I stumble along the way I don't have to be shy to ask my group mates. I'm thankful to have been given the opportunity to make this presentation.