Describe your reaction to TED talk by Aimee Mullins, specifically how she contextualizes disability as opposed to how others have historically thought of disability.

Question-

Using the Chapter 1 readings for context, describe how coping and adjustment may differ for people with acquired disabilities as opposed to congenital disabilities (occuring at birth), or how adjustment may be different at different stage of human development (such as early childhood, adolescence, adulthood, late adulthood).

Responds: 300 word min.

Brett responded:

The experience of disability is different for everyone and coping and adjustment certainly vary for people who have acquired disabilities vs. individuals with congenital disabilities.  My late mother became deaf when she was 19 or 20 years old and as a result she spoke much more clearly than a lot of people I have come into contact with (including my stepfather) who were born deaf.  My mother had that first period of her life where she could hear herself speak and develop her speaking skills.  My stepfather never had this benefit and while I can understand him quite well now he doesn’t speak nearly as well as my mother did.  My stepfather is well versed and fluent in sign language and while my mother could sign she was not as good whether due to the fact she had to learn it later in life to help cope with her deafness or if language (including sign language) comes more naturally to some people vs. others or that language skills are easier to teach and develop in young people.  I am teaching my 7 1/2 month old son to sign through the use of signs and having him watch videos in the hope that he will be able to sign well as he gets older to more easily communicate with my stepfather.

I think other factors can influence how people cope, adjust and deal with disabilities, whether acquired or congenital, depending on the type of support they get from their families, schools, friends and treatment providers.  A person with a very good support system at home and in school is more likely to cope and adjust to their disability then a person who lacks the same support structure.  A solid support structure can instill confidence, repetition, reassuring behavior and reactions, and provide a safe environment for a person with an acquired or congenital disability to learn, grow, and thrive in life with their disability.  On the flip side the same lack of support can result in someone having a negative view of themselves, thinking they are different from everyone else, and lacking the ability to be independent and confident in their everyday life. 

When a person becomes disabled (if not at birth) will also have a big influence on how they cope and adjust to a major change in their life.  If someone becomes disabled as a child or as an adult, the amount of time they have to learn, gain support, and understand what their disability means will have a large effect on how they view themselves.  As the book points out, everyone experiences disability differently and that does not even factor in the large number of disabilities as no two individuals with the same disability are guaranteed to encounter the same symptoms.

Falvo, D. (2014). Medical and psychosocial aspects of chronic illness and disability (5th edition).  Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Respond to Brett post- 250 word min

• Question-

Describe your reaction to TED talk by Aimee Mullins, specifically how she contextualizes disability as opposed to how others have historically thought of disability.  Please comment on at least one post from your classmates.