Physical & Health Disabilities

Physical & Health Disabilities Definition Causes Classifications Accommodations Barriers & Requirements

Group #4 • Ashley DeYoung • Tyler Easterday • Kathryn Ebeling

Introduction • This presentation will: • Outline the physical and health disability chapter of the textbook • Examine a facility that serves people with physical disabilities • The Paralympics • Review a movie where one of the main characters has a physical disability • The Waterdance • Analyze an interview with a parent whose son has autism • Parent of Corey Duchak

Physical & Health Disabilities Definitions • Physical disabilities:conditions related to a physical impairment or deformity of the skeletal system and associated motor function; physical impairments; orthopedic impairments • Health Disabilities:chronic or acute health problems resulting in limited strength, vitality, or alertness; other health impairments

Causes of Physical and Health disabilities • Allergies and Infections • HIV/AIDS • Heredity • Hemophilia • Injuries and Accidents • Spinal Cord Injury • Multiple Factors • Cerebral Palsy

Classifications and Organizations Physical Disabilities Health Disabilities • Neuromotor Impairments • Epilepsy • Cerebral palsy • Spinal cord disorders • Muscular dystrophy • Polio • Multiple sclerosis • Muscular/Skeletal Conditions • Juvenile arthritis • Limb deficiencies • Skeletal disorders • Chronic Illnesses • Asthma • Blood disorders • Childhood cancer • Congenital heart defects • Cystic fibrosis • Diabetes • Sickle cell anemia • Tuberculosis • Infectious Diseases • Hepatitis B • HIV/AIDS • STORCH infections

Accommodations to the Learning Environment for Students with Physical Disabilities • Modify the physical environment • Apply principles of universal design • Widen aisles • Remove hazards • Change seating arrangements • Create accessible workstations • Provide storage for AT devices • Alter student response demands • Speak instead of write • Use word processing instead of writing • Use a classmate to take notes • Adapt materials and equipment • Allow use of special writing tools • Voice-activated computers • Adapted computer keyboards

Accommodations for Students with Health Disabilities • Modify Instruction • Allow more time to complete assignments; abbreviate assignments; allow for a flexible schedule for completion • Arrange for extra assistance • Tutors; video lectures; use distance delivery systems; set up I-chat or videoconferencing; assign a peer tutor • Adapt Materials • Use handouts with lectures; assign books with e-versions; allow voice options • Seek support from related services • School nurse as case manager for home-school collaboration

Barriers Include: Individuals Require: • Coping with inaccessible environments, where their impaired mobility hinders their participation in mainstream society • Dealing with bias, rejection, and discrimination • Difficulties living independently • Difficulty finding jobs • Social rejection by people without disabilities • Accessible physical and learning environments • Acceptance and understanding • Goals that foster independence • Accommodations for their individual learning, physical, and health needs • Special teaching, scheduling, counseling, therapies, equipment, and technology

Facility Review: The Paralympics

About the Paralympics • The Paralympics is an international competition for physically disabled athletes. • The Paralympics was founded in 1948 by Sir Ludwig Guttmann. • Originally was for WWII veterans with spinal cord injuries in England. • Holland joined the Paralympics in 1952 which started the Paralympic Movement.

History • July 29, 1948 of the London games, Dr. Guttmann organized the first competition for athletes in wheelchairs. • There were 16 service men and women involved who competed in archery. • The first official Paralympic games took place in Rome in 1960. • 400 athletes from 23 countries participated. • The games took place every 4 years since the first games. • 1976 was the year in which the winter Paralympics started.

History Continued… • In 1960 an International Working Group started the study of problems of sport for people with impairments. • This is how the International Sport Organization for the Disabled (ISOD) came to be in 1964. • ISOD started out with 16 countries • In 1976 the athletes included those who are blind or were amputees.

The Paralympics • In 1980, those with cerebral palsy were also affiliated with the ISOD. • The goal was to embrace all impairments • Other disability organizations that were founded during this time were Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association and the International Blind Sports Federation • All of the organizations needed to coordinate the Games so the International Co-coordinating Committee Sports for the Disabled in the World (ICC). • ICC had all presidents of the four organizations, the secretaries, and one general member. • The ICC was later joined by the International Committee of Sport for the Deaf and International Sports Federations for Persons with an Intellectual Disability.

The Paralympics Continued… • The International Paralympic Committee was officially founded on September 22, 1989. • It is a non-profit organization in Dusseldorf, Germany. • It was the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement. • The Paralympics are the parallel Games to the Olympics and illustrates how the two movements exist side by side (http://www.paralympic.org/TheIPC/HWA/HistoryoftheMovement).

Sources http://www.paralympic.org/TheIPC/HWA/HistoryoftheMovement http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/paralympics?s=t

Movie Review The Waterdance

The WaterdanceDirected by: Neal Jimenez and Michael Steinberg This semi-autobiography movie is about a writer named Joel Garcia who becomes paralyzed in a hiking accident in the mountains. He tries to recover at a rehab center with the use of waterdance therapy, as the title depicts. During this time, he has an affair with a married woman named Anna, with whom he was having a relationship with at the time of the accident. The lovers attempt to carry on their affair during his difficult struggle of recovery. The time the movie takes place in is not shown but is assumed to be the early 1990’s in an undisclosed city.

Paralysis: Paralysis is defined as the loss of muscle function in part of the body. Paralysis can be complete or partial and can occur on one or both sides of the body. It can also occur in just one area of the body or widespread. Joel suffers from paraplegia, or paralysis of the legs. Most paralysis is due to strokes or injuries, such as spinal cord injury which was the accident in the movie. Story: • The story shows Joel’s difficult road of recovery after his accident and dealing with his new disability. • He has to wear a full brace now. • He becomes hopeless of his life and is later convinced that a life of paralysis is not a life worth living. • He is also worried that his relationship with Anna will end. • With the help of his new friends and Anna, he realizes he can continue living his life if he works for the recovery at the rehabilitation center. He receives full-time care at the facility where he performs waterdance therapy. The following is a trailer of The Waterdance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZL7L26F66Q

Relationships: • Joel’s main relationships include his lover Anna and the second with his rehab friends Bloss and Raymond. • It is implied that Joel would not typically choose friends like Bloss or Raymond in other circumstances. • They bond over their shared struggles with their disabilities, specifically their slow progress. • Prior to the accident, Anna was ready to leave her husband to be with Joel. After the accident, she starts to second guess the possibility of a future with Joel in his condition. • She becomes a caregiver for Joel. Facility, IDEA and 504 acts: • Joel’s rehabilitation center is shown to be a nice facility that gives him adequate care and takes no preferential treatment. • Problems: he had repeated trouble with a telephone operator that was putting him on hold for a long amount of time. • The IDEA and 504 acts do not really apply to Joel as he is older than 21 and no longer in any kind of formal education but the Americans with Disabilities Act does relate. This act protects disabled individuals from discrimination which Joel could have faced in his care facility. Because this movie is in the early 90’s and the act was enacted in 1990, Joel’s story is most likely one of the first patients to be given care under the new guidelines. However, the story is a semi-autobiography and the person that the story is about had his accident around 1984. He may not have been under the new part of the guidelines.

Interview With Parent of Corey Duchak

Background Information: • Corey Duchak is 23 years old • Corey was diagnosed with severe Autism at a very young age • Corey is one of three children and is the only one with a disability

Questions: • What types of challenges does Corey face daily? Corey is completely non-verbal and has severe autism. Growing up, the hardest challenges included the fact he couldn’t communicate to my husband and I. If he was hungry or sick, he would just look upset or get angry. He had no way to communicate his needs or feelings and would result in frustration. For example, for a few months in his teens we found out Corey was having major indigestion problems and we couldn’t tell for so long because of the lack of communication. As parents of a child with autism, we had to do a lot of detective work to figure out how Corey was really feeling or if he needed something.

What kind of challenges do you face? How do you cope? My husband and I have infinite love for our children. Corey is one of three and the only one with Autism. Corey was difficult to take care of, and every day brought new challenges. My husband and I have joined Autism parent groups and became very active. My husband, Doug, is the president of Englewood hospital – so we stay very involved in the Autism sector. I felt it was important for me and son that I do everything I can to help those dealing with the same issues my family has been going through. Connecting with other families of children with Autism has affected my life in a great way and I find that was the best way to cope and learn more. • How has Corey’s disability affected your other children? Corey has one older brother and one older sister. Corey, the youngest of the three, got the most attention- which did affect our daughter. Corey’s older brother, Dean, recently graduated Georgetown and played football there. My daughter, Stacey, has had issues of her own mentally when growing up because she felt a lack of attention. Corey took most of our time, but needed it. Dean and Stacey love Corey and will continue to help look after him and stay connected as they continue to grow older. Dean and Stacey helped out around the house as Corey was growing up. Corey’s disability definitely affected our family bond.

As Corey grew older, did it become more or less difficult to take care of him? The most difficult time I had taking care of Corey was when he was in his very early teens, around 13 or 14 years old. Corey became unpredictable. There were times where he would become violent, scratching and hitting. He was constantly getting up at night. He was becoming all around more difficult to take care of. For a while we had someone from the state come watch Corey from 11 pm to 6 am every day to make sure he wouldn’t get up and leave the house or put anyone or himself in danger. I was uncomfortable having a stranger in my house every evening, but it was necessary for Corey’s care that we have someone professional come in to watch him when we couldn’t. Corey had never been violent and has since outgrown that. We later had to put him on medications for about a year but weaned him off once his unpredictable behavior was getting better. • What schools did Corey attend? How did you feel about the education he was receiving? Corey attended the Alpines Learning Group. This school wasn’t meant to teach Corey skills like reading or math, but how to dress, behave, and clean himself. This school taught him daily life skills and manners as well as how to control impulses. Corey always had an issue with being very impulsive. He wanted what he wanted when he wanted it. Corey enjoyed chips, videos, and music and almost always demanded one of the three. We had to use these as motivators for him to do other things or complete other tasks. For example, if he finished his worksheet, then he could listen to some music for an hour. My husband and I loved Alpine Learning Group and got very involved. My husband was on the board and we were very active in fundraising for the school.

Now that Corey is older, what changes are being made in his and your life? Since Corey is now in his twenties, we had no choice but to put him in a home. Corey will never be able to function on his own and my husband and I are not getting any younger. He now lives in a home in Flemington, New Jersey. The separation is probably the toughest part, as well as knowing he is not getting the same care he would if he were home. I have personally visited the home a number of times and can see the quality of care isn’t always the best. Corey visits home every now and then and he is adjusting to life in the group home. I’m still very much active in Autism groups and plan to stay that way. We recently got a beach house as well because of how much Corey loves the beach. When he visits home in the summers we love taking him there.

Response • After interviewing Corey’s mother, I learned more about how his autism affected himself as well as his family. Since Corey is now older and moved on to a separate group home I hope he grows more as an individual. After speaking with Merri Duchak, I came to realize that everyday she still worries about her son and misses him. All she and her family can hope for is that Corey will continue to get the best care possible and live a long life. This interview enlightened me more on how a family copes with a child with a disability and I greatly appreciate Merri being so honest about her and her child.

Overall, we learned how hard it is to live with having a disability as well as how hard it is to take care of someone with a disability. We gained a better understanding of physical and health disabilities and have developed an incredible amount of respect for those who have one.

Physical & Health Disabilities