Joyce Wagner
In Motion Staff Writer
Photo By: Lisa Silversmith/ In Motion
People of all ability levels gathered recently on campus to share information and insight into what it’s like to live with a disability.
During, Daytona State College 23rd annual Abilities Awareness Day on Oct. 16, everyone walked away with a better insight into people who live with that reality daily.
Occupational Therapy students from DSC had several areas set up in which people could try their skills at every day activities with some kind of impairment.
The wheelchair rally took participants through an obstacle course, including ramps, cones and benches. Learning to maneuver through an area while in a wheelchair proved more daunting than expected. “Some people are just not cognizant of the difficulties of being in a wheelchair,” said Leon Jackson, an OTA student, adding that, “Many participants say that after doing the obstacle course, they have a better understanding.”
Another section had devices meant to replicate the difficulty people with disabilities experience. Try using one hand, and the least dominant one at that, to tie a shoe, zip a zipper or button a shirt. It can be done, but it’s a lot of work. Expecting to hit your target, much less a bulls-eye, becomes a challenge when vision is hampered using glasses intended to imitate glaucoma, macular degeneration or cataracts.
Imagine walking around campus, your neighborhood or even your own home with little or no sight. To put that in perspective, volunteers were blind-folded, given a red-tipped white cane and assisted in navigating the crowds along the sidewalks. Wendy Wilson, who was manning the Lion’s Club table said, “I joined the Lion’s club when I lost my sight. Volunteering is a way of giving back for all the help they gave me.”
Entertainment by the Outta Site Band and the Deaf Dance Troupe from the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind kept the afternoon lively. Performers sang and danced to the oldies. The dance team members even went out into the crowd to invite others to join in their dance. Those in attendance responded to the performances with applause and “jazz hands.”
Dozens of groups were present at the event to offer a positive approach to disabilities. Many handed out educational brochures to help those with disabilities and their friends and family members become better informed.
Adaptive devices can be used to overcome sight, hearing or mobility loss. Braille writers and slates enable the blind to read and write. White-tipped canes or guide dogs help them move through the sighted world with relative ease. Hearing aids and sign language enable the hard-of-hearing to communicate. Wheelchairs, long-handled grabbers and other items make life easier for those with mobility issues.
Among groups represented were the Lion’s Club, Handicapped Adults of Volusia County, Epilepsy Foundation of Florida, Guide Dog Users of Florida and Agency for Persons with Disabilities.
Additionally, several DSC groups were on hand including the American Sign Language Club, the Learning Commons, the Office of Early Inclusion, Student Disability Services and the Fitness and Aquatic Center.
For information and resources, call the office of Student Disability Services at ext. 3238. There is an office on each DSC campus, Daytona Campus’s located at Building 100 Room 108.