Social and Traditional Models of Disability.

Over the years, I have heard many, many times from my parents, my coaches and my

teachers to never take anything for granted. And even though I heard them, I 'm not quite

sure that I was actually listening to the true meaning of these words. Not until you 've actually

experienced 'walking in someone else 's shoes ' can you truly begin to

understand what taking things for granted means. And not necessarily the most obvious

things in one 's life...like athletic ability or intelligence or opportunities...but the simplest things

such as reaching for a book, opening a door, climbing stairs, brushing one 's teeth. The list is

endless really. This assignment made me realize just how difficult some of these simple tasks

are for many people in our society.

The first task of this assignment was to visit the library and sign out some books related to

disability. For most people this doesn 't present any problems. But for a wheelchair bound

person or one with limited mobility, there are huge obstacles to overcome. Personally I had

little trouble maneuvering from place to place. In a matter of

minutes, I was able to walk to the third floor, quickly look around

then return to the main floor where I asked for some assistance

locating the materials I needed. However for someone in a wheelchair,

this sequence of events would take much longer.

First of all, he/she would have to locate the key to the elevator

from someone. Upon arriving at the third floor, he/she would then have

to move through extremely narrow aisle ways that is barely wide enough

for the able bodied to walk through. Once their materials are located,

they will require the assistance of someone to actually get the books

from the shelves. This simple task took me approximately 20 minutes.

One can only begin to imagine how long this task would take someone

with a physical disability.

So what does the term disability actually mean? Disability can be

defined as a condition that prevents an