A Mentoring Experience: The Value of Positivity With a Disability

The following story is from a class project, about an interview I held years ago, while in graduate school for a recreation degree. We were required to interview and mentor an individual at the school with a disability . . .

The individual that I chose to interview and participate in an activity with is Crissy. I met Crissy at the Student Office of Disability Accommodations in the Student Union. When she learned about the type of project I was doing, she volunteered to participate.

            Crissy has a relatively mild form of cerebral palsy. This illness causes involuntary movements in some of her muscles, including her legs. She warned me, for instance, that if I stood in front of her, she might involuntarily kick me. She can get around with crutches, but she uses a motorized wheelchair to more easily move longer distances around campus.  

            Crissy grew up in a small town in the southern part of Texas. When she was growing up, her family did their best not to place any limitations on her in spite of her having cerebral palsy. She learned to have the attitude that she could do anything. In fact her motto seems to be, “I can do anything you can do.”  For example, before her senior prom in high school, she did not know how to dance, so she got lessons and learned how to dance so she would be able to have a good time. Even though they are supportive of her, her family was hesitant at first about her attending a school away from them. She was able, however, to convince them that she was independent enough to handle it, and she is now attending our school.

            Regarding activities, Crissy is involved in all sorts of them, including many activities at her dorm. She also goes to the football games and went to the bonfire that was held.  As far as recreation activities are concerned, she does not consider herself to be too active, although she participates in many types of activities and is willing to try new things. Some of the activities she participates in are soccer, swimming, and running. She also plays the violin, which she says helps to loosen her fingers.

            Crissy prefers to take part in inclusive, rather than segregated, recreational activities. She makes clear that she does not want to be treated like she is handicapped. She does not like to be left out of what is going on, whether it is a recreational, or any other, type of activity.

            Regarding accessibility issues, Crissy states that they do exist in many places.  One major problem that she has noticed is that, although many buildings have buttons outside their main doors for individuals with wheelchairs, they often do not have buttons for the bathrooms. As far as recreation is concerned, she had not been to the recreation center on campus, so she could not give an opinion on it one way or the other.

            For our activity together, I suggested that we go to the Physical Education Building and participate in a sports activity. We met at her dormitory in the afternoon and decided to go over to the Recreation Center, especially since she had not been there yet. Once inside, we took a look at the facilities. Crissy was most impressed with the tall climbing wall and the large pool. She had said earlier that she had never played basketball, but was willing to try, so I checked out a women’s basketball, and we went outside to play on the basketball court. Crissy was in her wheelchair, and, despite a strong effort, she was not able to shoot the basketball high enough to the basket. I suggested that we pass the basketball back and forth to each other, with which she seemed fine. We passed the ball around while we talked about sports – Crissy is a very knowledgeable sports fan, and she especially loves baseball and the New York Yankees. To add some variety, I asked her if she could dribble, and she said she could try. She did an admirable job, although she was hindered by her wheelchair, which prevented her from keeping the ball close to her. We mainly passed the ball back and forth and chatted for some time. When we were finished, I walked back with her to her dorm and thanked her for her participation. 

            Doing the mentor project with Crissy was a valuable learning experience. First of all, I was not aware that there were varying degrees of cerebral palsy, and had never met anyone who could function so well with it. I was surprised and impressed with her great attitude toward being involved in all sorts of activities, as well as with her aspirations. Crissy is definitely not holding herself back - as a freshman, she is taking sixteen hours of classes while majoring in biology, and her long term goal is to go into medicine in the field of genetic research.

            I also learned that although someone can have the healthy attitude that he or she can do anything, sometimes it works fine to do an activity that you can accomplish well consistently. Even though she could not shoot the ball high enough at the basket, Crissy could still pass the basketball well, so we concentrated on that aspect of the sport. I enjoyed the experience of playing basketball with Crissy, and I believe she did too. She seemed oblivious to any limitations she might have in being in a wheelchair, and displayed a willingness to try any aspect of the sport: shooting, dribbling, and passing.                        

Participating in the project with Crissy was definitely educational. Her enthusiasm was contagious, and interviewing her and playing basketball with her was a fun and worthwhile experience. It shows that having a positive attitude and perseverance can help anyone overcome any obstacles that may come in the way of success.