Most mornings there have been concerns expressed by both broadcasters and listeners who respond to their reports. They talk about the way that young adults who are attending colleges and universities are suffering from the lack of social contact by having to do all their courses on line.
Many young people interviewed other mornings expressed their feelings of depression and isolation engendered by having to attend classes this way. Their concerns are certainly legitimate. However, the COVID reversal that arrested my attention was the assertion by two young people that they have found things better for them since the university provided their courses on line. These folks, a man and a woman are both disabled and they explained that with courses on line they have not had to miss one class.
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The problem for them in normal times is accessibility. Not all classroom can accommodate to those with mobility issues. I was surprized to hear the young lady say that when she tried to explain to the professor that it was difficult for her to come to class because of the challenges of trying to get into the classroom, the professor suggested that she take another course instead. That does not seem fair.
The young man told how that because of accessibility issues he frequently had to miss classes and thus his grades were lower in those courses that he would normally receive. I could not help but be astounded at the difference between the experience of these young people and that of our son, John who three years after he broke his neck and became a quadriplegic was able to return to Harvard Business School to complete his MBA.
The person who was responsible for Student Affairs at the business school took the time before John returned to find out what his schedule would be. Then she went to every one of his classrooms to discover the accessibility and the best place for John to place his wheelchair when he came to class. She had the maintenance people attach a plaque to the designated place indicating that this was reserved for John Shepherd. It was one of many thoughtful measures that were taken to ensure that John was able to function to the best of his ability, given his disability.
Our local universities have unknowingly done a great service for those with disabilities by making the courses available on line. Many other kind things that have been done for others both knowingly and unknowingly during this pandemic. Perhaps we have all become a little more aware of the needs of others as we try to cope with the challenges of the adjustments, we have each been required to make.
Is there a life lesson here for me to learn? Seeing quadriplegia up close has given me a much greater appreciation of how our society functions for the able-bodied. I have discovered so many obstacles for anyone who is disabled. Might this not be relevant beyond the scope of physical limitations? Maybe I need to become aware of the obstacles of those who have limitations imposed by the economic lack they have suffered, or by the opportunities they have been denied by not being part of the privileged majority.
Hopefully the time for reflection about these things, that has been afforded me by the coronavirus, will help me to ask questions. These may help me find ways to be kinder and more understanding of those who do not benefit from all that I have. If so, the pandemic leaves me with a positive takeaway for which I can be grateful.
Here is the link for the interview:
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| Word Guild Award 2018 |
1 comment:
I was touched by your story of what the university did for your son. Thank you for sharing.
Carolyn Wilker
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