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Quarantine is a new normal for many but is not strange to those with disabilities

Life in quarantine as person with a disability is nothing new it's often our reality in some cases. Before this current situation I feel like I once lived in aspect of quarantine in high school for 4 years.

It never really hit me to make such connection to the new reality until today.  In 2009 the beginning of my high school journey

On the first day of school when the school bus came to pick me up the diver inform my mom  that the school i was in route to go to was not wheelchair accessible.. I never really talk out this experiences in my speeches but a few weeks ago I was ask to share my journey with college students majoring in education ask me if I had the opportunity of going to same schools as  my peers and neighbors if wanted too and that was when the light went of in my head to share this experience.

very few of my neighborhood schools are wheelchair accessible so again my parents and I didn't have many choices on placement of school.

Once I got the okay to attend the high school. Mom and I went to register to start school there.  A ramp was there and my perception from myself years back that's all I needed was access to be included.

What really open my eyes was when the administration said they never had a student who has mobility needs and requires other supports as well .
those therapy sessions in a location of a bathroom.
the students who had learning needs and needed extra support like myself only had classes on the 1st floor away from my other peers
from being forgot to attend school trips, award ceremony events they will forget to call my name.. it was even to the point where i ask would you call my name for graduation

The classroom I spent most of my day in was the size of a closet with no windows..most of my days was just about going to school and coming home, being with my family and attending my little recreation programs from time to time that was all i knew for a very long time. I was lost of what the world had to over for people like me until i graduated high school i said they are no more turning back.

in the lunch room my wheelchair couldn't fit under all the tables so i only had access to only one table..

In my 4 years of high school I dealt with isolation at lot


What about those winter months when it snowing and can't go out for a week or so
what about the places you go to and you realize it's not wheelchair accessible.. the friends and family member house that's not accessible so you become limited to the events you can attend

 


from the unreliable transportation like access a ride, working around my personal care attend schedule..

so be kind to those around you we are in this together

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