Читать книгу Multicultural Psychology - Jennifer T. Pedrotti - Страница 62

I just got my class schedule for my junior year at college, and this is the first time I haven’t been thrown off by a bunch of new classrooms and buildings. My campus is pretty large, and it’s not too wheelchair friendly in some parts, and because I am a paraplegic, I have to plan my day out pretty carefully. My first year this meant I had to visit all of the buildings ahead of time to find out where the elevator was and where the ramps I could use were. Some of the older buildings have stairs in the front, but the ramp has been added to the back or somewhere else when the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements were put into place—you can’t always see it unless you know where that entrance is. One year, I thought I had the whole thing mapped out, but then my class was moved to another building at the last minute. I was really stressed out because I knew I’d be late. Most teachers are pretty nice about that, but I know that I might have some other illnesses or issues associated with my health at a different time in the quarter, so I don’t like to ask for very much in the beginning to save a little good faith for later. Anyway, it’s surprising to others sometimes how many times a day I have to think about my disability to just make everyday plans.

—Luisa, age 22

As is made clear here, disability and one’s interaction and status with this particular identity facet can impact daily life rather strongly. In the example here, Luisa has many different pieces to consider each day that surround her experience with her identity. These impact her choices, her ability to succeed in college, and the types of communication and navigation skills she has had to develop in order to cope with these daily experiences. Though Luisa has a physical disability, there might be a similar impact for those who are dealing with a mental disability, such as learning disability or mental illness, as well. Regardless, the world may look very different to someone who is coming from the worldview of an individual dealing with a disability.