Adapted Dining

     Last week's class was my favorite so far:  a group adapted dining experience!  It was very creatively done in that the members at each dining table took turns experiencing what it would be like to have different disabilities and responsibilities in that setting (i.e. visual impairment, cerebral palsy, behavior disorder, schizophrenia, using a wheelchair, and being a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist).  There were instructions for limitations and responsibilities that each individual must abide by during their time experiencing that particular disability.  For example, if one was trying to experience what it would be like to have a visual impairment, a blindfold was worn.  If one was trying to experience what it would be like to have cerebral palsy, both hands were taped so that fine motor ability was limited and only the use of the non-dominant hand was allowed.  Wheelchairs were available for people to experience what it would be like having to transfer to and from restaurant chairs and also how some tables are not wheelchair accessible.  Participants were also encouraged to try to understand what it would be like to have schizophrenia by wearing their iPods during the dinner and realizing how hard it was to focus.  I think the biggest things that I learned from this experience were from the time I spent with the blindfold on.  I started noticing little things that I had never noticed before!  First, I realized how disconnected I felt from the rest of the class because I was not able to join them in observing and discussing what was going on during the class experience.  I feel that as a professional, it will be important to remember to put extra effort into making sure participants with visual impairments feel included in all activities.  Second, I noticed that with a blind fold on, it was very hard to tell when people were talking to me because there was no eye contact to rely on!  I feel that even a simple hand on the shoulder could go a long way in effective communication with people with visual impairments.
     In thinking about how I strove for excellence during this class and about what I learned about myself, I came up with a list of things that I take for granted!  I decided to push myself out of my comfort zone to strive for excellence for this class by making myself try some of the pureed bananas that the group was serving as an example of the only food that some people can manage to eat.  I never would have thought of taking for granted the texture of my food until that night!  Something else that I learned about myself during this adapted dining experience is that I also take my health for granted too often!  I found myself thinking, "I just can't wait until I can take this blindfold off!" or "I can't wait until this classmate no longer 'has a behavioral disorder' because then they will stop making a mess and throwing food at me!"  I realized that many of the issues I experienced for only a short period of time are a fact of life for many others.  This really encouraged me to stop and count my blessings!  Another thing the presenters did a great job of was depicting the kind of treatment that people with disabilities sometimes get out in the community.  I realized that I have even taken the courtesy of the community for granted as a person without a disability!