I AM NOT My Body

You and I look at other people every day and vice versa, and we size each other up based on what we see in that slice of time through our own perceptual filter, often clogged with our own stuff:  personal self-image, past experiences, and belief systems developed through social, cultural, religious, gender, and familial influences.  I have learned that anyone, me included, deciding on whom someone is, especially someone with a developmental disability based on the first impression, or deciding what he or she is capable of doing commits a grave mistake.  Did not American Idol’s Simon Cowell deciding upon seeing a frumpy Susan Boyle her audition was going to be a waste of time realize his mistake when she belted her song with a voice that came from out of nowhere?  How often we do this to others in our everyday lives?

 

Many look at the individuals we serve on Campus through our residential and outpatient therapy programs and only see their physical disabilities and what they “can’t” do; however, their bodies do not define who they are!  Each person has a unique story, experiences unlike anything you and I can even imagine.  They also have personal interests, desires, goals, dreams, just like you and me.  The only difference is we see these individuals’ “story” depicted more clearly  through the physiological appearance of their bodies, which tends to make the sub-story of who they really seemingly invisible.  Their physical appearances only tell part of a story:

·         A young man physically abused as a child.

·         A young man suffered a head injury from a skateboard accident.

·         A young man carried during pregnancy by a mother addicted to drugs.

·         A young boy deprived of oxygen for two minutes during an emergency premature birth.

·         A young woman violently shaken as an infant.

·         A young woman abandoned by her parents after learning she had cerebral palsy.

We all have a history that influences us in who and how we present ourselves to the world; but that history does not DEFINE who we are unless we let it.  We cannot possibly see or know the whole person in one quick glance or meeting.  The unique bodies, awkward muscular movements, slumped-over heads, and/or unintelligible verbal communication depicts only a part of the sum of an individual, just as a frumpy overweight and seemingly unkempt physical appearance only depicted a part of the sum of Susan Boyle.  Unfortunately, we as a society still tends to discount individuals with disabilities, dismissing them as inept and/or unable based on a brief encounter and a whole lot of assumption.

I recently spoke to an elderly neighbor who said when he learned I worked with WFC, “That’s a sad place; those are sad people.”  This outdated opinion could not be further from the truth! Denise and Zach actively volunteer within our community!  Gary, Lonnie and Brad work out in local gyms!  Bryant (pictured below) continues his education online, and another Gary keeps his eye on the riverfront work and socializes all over town!  Roger and Shelly advocate for street safety for those in wheelchairs with the city!

Our Campus individuals have more courage and determination to live life than I do some days.  We at Wendell Foster’s Campus work to ensure the empowerment of each individual with developmental disabilities who lives on and off Campus.   We take seriously our mission statement of empowering these individuals in realizing their dreams and their potential, and we reaffirmed our promise to continue ensuring those we serve do not simply “get by” in life but “thrive” by providing them the opportunity to enjoy a quality of life that reflects who they are beneath the physical disabilities.

Over the next several months, Unique Bodies~Determined Souls will share the stories of how Wendell Foster’s Campus is keeping our promises to the amazing individuals we serve.   WFC and its staff are challenging ourselves to broaden our perspective and deepen our understanding of each individual we serve by learning more about what is important to him or her. 

And, it is through this effort we are seeing our residents take ownership to becoming more independent, greater self-advocates, more active members within our community, and living even  more fulfilling lives!

In the Next Blog Entry:  Scrambled or Fried - "The person taking care of you wakes you up at the crack of chickens, hollering in a fake chipper voice, “Rise and shine!” Then you are pulled out of bed and plopped into a chair in front of a TV. . . . .   "

We want to hear from you! Please share your responses and comments by clicking below on “Comment” – you may post them anonymously or using your gmail.com profile name.

“The educated do not share a common body of information, but a common state of mind.” ~Mason Cooley
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Blog content is copyrighted property of Wendell Foster’s Campus for Development Disabilities and Carolyn Smith Ferber and/or other blog authors). Content may be used, duplicated or reprinted only with the expressed authorization of the Wendell Foster’s Campus. Permission for use, duplication or reprints may be made to wfcampus.org@gmail.com.

Keeping Our Promises

Wendell Foster’s Campus (WFC) hosted its Annual Auction and Benefit Dinner in September, a fundraising event we have held for the past nine years.  This event, and its theme of “Keeping Promises,” is a huge undertaking for our staff that begins several months before it happens.  I am continuously amazed and touched by the support our Owensboro community gives to this effort.  In addition to several businesses that sponsor the event, well over two-hundred businesses and individuals donate incredible items valued from $15 to $1500 to our silent and live auctions.  Over 420 people attend the benefit held at the Owensboro Sportscenter that transforms into a beautiful setting supporting our theme.  Countless hours go into finalizing details during the few weeks and days before the event; and the payoff is worth it.  Everyone, staff included has a good time, and the generosity that flows during the auctions bring tears of pride to one’s eyes.  The enthusiastic support for WFC and keeping our promises to the individuals we serve is overwhelming to the heart.

WFC’s “Keeping Promises” continues long after the event.   In an advertising campaign launched in September, we share how WFC and this community are keeping our promises to those with developmental disabilities through advertisements, radio and TV spots, and billboards.  You may have already seen the faces of people who benefit from our efforts to support and empower them to reach their potential.   WFC has fulfilled this mission since 1947, and within the past year is increasing its efforts to a new meaningful level through a concept of “person-centered” service.  The truth is Wendell Foster’s Campus and its staff have consistently committed themselves to empowering individuals with developmental disabilities (DD) for decades.  In fact, it has been the best-kept secret in town; but not anymore!  The Owensboro community will meet the people we serve, men and women such as Denise, Josh and Gary.

Owensboro will meet Denise who had no voice, but loves to talk and now can, thanks to the generosity of donors attending the 2010 Auction and Benefit Dinner.  When Denise arrived in 2008, she communicated with only her eyes, but made the request of WFC to help her find a better way to “talk” with and to people.  WFC and our speech therapy department kept that promise.  Today, Denise communicates what is on her mind through a computer communication device that utilizes her eyes to select what she wants to say.  She shares her witty sense of humor, and volunteers to read to elementary and preschool children in town.

Josh is a young man with a vibrant personality, and as a social butterfly, he loves meeting people.  Josh also loves photography, capturing a point of view from his wheelchair that gives others a fresh new perspective through his lens.  After Josh graduated from high school, WFC renewed its promise to support him in becoming an active and contributing adult in our community.  Josh volunteers at our front reception desk, and helps manage our on-Campus recycling program.  He is also the caretaker of his Cottage’s raised-garden box, and recently started a new job with Hugh E. Sandefur Industries.

Gary’s history with Wendell Foster’s Campus began when he was seven years old, arriving into the care of Mr. and Mrs. Foster in 1953. His goal?  Independence.  In 1982, Gary moved into his own home for many years before returning to WFC in 2008.  He moves around town in his wheelchair, from the south end for lunch at Show Me’s restaurant to the north end to check out the riverfront reconstruction.  Gary (seen above in photo by Gary Emord-Netzley of Messenger-Inquirer) knows everyone in town, and everyone knows Gary because WFC kept its promise to empower him in his mobility and ability to remain an active member of our community.

Wendell Foster’s Campus is not just keeping our promises to those we serve with developmental disabilities.  We are also keeping our promises to a community who supports and generously donates to our efforts for over the last six decades.  More importantly, we the staff and board members are keeping our promise to Wendell and Edith Foster to continue their life’s legacy: the commitment to their vision and dream of supporting individuals with developmental disabilities.

While our Campus has greatly changed over the years, our staff and board stay the course in fulfilling our mission to empower individuals with developmental disabilities in reaching their dreams and their potential.  Today, we renew our commitment and promise to focus our efforts more on each individual, and his and her uniqueness in order to bring forth even more their potential.  In doing so, we open up even more possibilities for them  to create an even greater quality of life.

In the Next Blog Entry:  I AM Not My Body - ". . . we see these individuals’ “story” depicted more clearly through the physiological appearance of their bodies . . . . Their physical appearances only tell part of a story:  . . . . . physically abused as a child. . . . . suffered a head injury . . .  carried in pregnancy by a mother addicted to drugs. . . . "

We want to hear from you! Please share your responses and comments by clicking below on “Comment” – you may post them anonymously or using your gmail.com profile name.

“The educated do not share a common body of information, but a common state of mind.” ~Mason Cooley
Please share our blog with others via Facebook, Twitter, or email! Follow our blog! Click on “Join our Site” below.

Blog content is copyrighted property of Wendell Foster’s Campus for Development Disabilities and Carolyn Smith Ferber and/or other blog authors). Content may be used, duplicated or reprinted only with the expressed authorization of the Wendell Foster’s Campus. Permission for use, duplication or reprints may be made to wfcampus.org@gmail.com.

Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.

I invite you to consider what your handicap is in this life.  “What?” you respond?  “I don’t have a handicap!”  Maybe.  Maybe not.  We all have something that blocks our being all that we can be (which is not just for the Marines!), and doing what we want to do, achieving what we desire the most in life.  Handicaps do not only come in physical form.  A negative attitude handicaps one’s efforts to succeed in or even enjoy one’s job.  Conflicted thinking and actions handicap one’s efforts to lose weight.  “I can’t” handicaps someone who wants to do something really out of their comfort zone, something wild and out there.

As the father of Mike Berkson says, “We all have a wheelchair.”

Wendell Foster’s Campus for Developmental Disabilities recently enjoyed the honor and pleasure of meeting and hosting Handicap This!, and its crew Mike Berkson, Tim Wambach, Dennis Berkson, and Chris Bachmann.  Handicap This! offers a provocative stage performance that tells an incredible story of how two men, Mike and Tim, become friends.  It stirs the senses, challenges your thinking and awakens your attitude while motivating and inspiring by example to live your life as a better you.  Mike was born with cerebral palsy (CP) and defied a doctor’s “prognosis” that he would be unable to do much, much less be able to speak.  By age three, Mike’s expansive vocabulary prompted a visit to the doctor at which time, with a little urging from his mom, Mike told the medical professional, “Quit your day job.”  Mike’s sharp wit, intelligence, and sense of humor detract one’s attention from the physical challenges CP creates within his body.  Mike and Tim develop a friendship over “spilt Taco Bell” which is the beginning of their wild adventure together.  In the show, they personally share their ups and their downs over the last ten years and the lesson learned that no matter the physical, mental or emotional handicap, living life happens through improvisation and adaptation in order to overcome any challenge.  Consider it a less sappy version of Julie Andrews’ Climb Every Mountain.

Over 1100 middle and high school students from mainstream classes and those with special needs attended a school performance of Handicap This! at the RiverPark Center in Owensboro, KY.  WFC’s goal was to educate young people to see past physical appearances and understand the person within the unique body.  Think it is a crazy idea getting this many adolescents together in a room to watch a guy in a wheelchair get his friend to play dead and do somersaults?  After the show, one teacher confided her dread of bringing her students to this performance; yet, she marveled at how teenaged restlessness morphed into a quiet and engaged audience as they intently watched and listened to Mike and Tim share their stories.

Another teacher of students with special needs shared this amazing story that leaves anyone on a mission to change lives (and the world) with goose bumps filled with hopeful possibility:  “. . . ironically, right before the show started, several 8^th grade students sitting behind us made a derogatory comment about my students who were sitting in wheelchairs. After the performance was over, the four of them apologized to my students and me. I could tell their apology was heartfelt and the performance made an impact on them.”

During a Q & A following the public performance, Mike shared his point of view and personal preference for the word “handicap” over the word “disabled.”  For Mike, “disabled” sounded permanent in its limitations.  Merriam-Webster defines “disabled” as being incapacitated in such a way that limits activity.  On the other hand, the word “handicap” reflects room for possibility.  For example, horseracing “handicaps” successfully winning horses with additional weight to their saddles to “even the field” so horses with lesser success (or ability) have a chance to win, thus varying the odds.   The handicap places the successful horse at a disadvantage designed to making its achievement at winning a race unusually difficult; however, its possibility of winning still remains.  Mike states emphatically, “I never dwell on my limitations.  Instead, I ponder unlimited possibilities.”

Mike and Tim master their handicaps by living and teaching their motto, “Improvise.  Adapt. Overcome.”  One teacher witnessed the possibility of teens overcoming their handicap of ignorance to realizing those in wheelchairs are people with feelings just as fragile as their own.  Handicap This! gently dispels barriers as Tim and Mike poignantly share their own unique flavor of personal handicaps in life.  When we strip away the physical aspect of the human body, we reveal the human spirit and realize that no matter the handicap, the potential within each one of us is the same.

So get over your handicap.  Improvise!  Adapt!  Overcome!  If Mike, and countless others living life from a wheelchair can do it, so can you and I walking tall on our own two legs.

In the Next Blog Entry:  Keeping Our Promises - ". . . meet Denise who had no voice . . . . . Josh graduated from high school, WFC renewed its promise to support him in becoming an active and contributing adult in our community. . . . . . Gary’s history with Wendell Foster’s Campus began when he was seven years old . . . . arriving into the care of Mr. and Mrs. Foster in 1953. . . . ."

We want to hear from you! Please share your responses and comments by clicking below on “Comment” – you may post them anonymously or using your gmail.com profile name.

“The educated do not share a common body of information, but a common state of mind.” ~Mason Cooley
Please share our blog with others via Facebook, Twitter, or email! Follow our blog! Click on “Join our Site” below.

Blog content is copyrighted property of Wendell Foster’s Campus for Development Disabilities and Carolyn Smith Ferber and/or other blog authors). Content may be used, duplicated or reprinted only with the expressed authorization of the Wendell Foster’s Campus. Permission for use, duplication or reprints may be made to wfcampus.org@gmail.com.

Flash Mobs, Cabbage & Serenades

When you bring together a unique group of individuals that bring their unique personalities, you never know what you can expect.  From the staff to those we serve here on Wendell Foster’s Campus (WFC), we know how to keep life fun and interesting.  One can always find juicy experiences that break up the monotony of work.

One pretty spring day, a little staff birdie pops into my office to alert me to a photo op in front of the building.  I find Josh holding a long yellow plastic pole cover while Ronnie, a maintenance staff member works on the actual pole it covers.  Josh seemed happy as a lark to be helping Ronnie out, grinning from ear to ear.  He also enjoyed the ribbing Mark gave him about supervising Ronnie’s handiwork.  Josh loved the attention and appreciated helping out on Campus when he can.

Occasionally, I will take a break to roam the Campus and see what is going on, always armed with my camera.  One day I wandered into the Green Therapy Pavilion (CORF) where music was blaring from the open work area.  Upon further investigation, I found twenty or more people participating in a Friday Flash Mob!  Therapists, therapy assistants, DSP’s, outpatients, and residents were dancing to a Wii dance video! Evidently, CORF has these dance flash mobs every Friday at 2 p.m. as a way to celebrate the week’s end.  In fact, several residents look forward to them, making sure they are there before it starts.  The following week I returned with video camera in hand to catch the action.  What a fun way to end the week!
 
Then, there was John’s cabbage harvest. Cottage C planted a raised-garden box this summer in which they grew watermelon, tomatoes and cabbage. John, a Cottage C resident, loves coleslaw, so staff earmarked the cabbage “crop” for John. After watching and nurturing its produce to maturity, the time came for harvesting. With a little help, John cut the first cabbage head of the season, then took it from the garden to the kitchen to ensure it transformed into creamy coleslaw, which he did with a little help from Stacy, his Direct Support Professional (DSP). John enjoyed the fruit of his efforts, literally from start (seed) to finish (dining on coleslaw!). 

One morning, I heard someone in the hallway loudly singing out, “An-jay!”  Rather unusual from the usual morning hall noise, I grabbed my cameras and followed the musical sound to investigate.  Upon entering the break area, I find Joey (photographed here with his "muse," Angie) sitting in his wheelchair near a table where three staff members sat, notably one named Angie.  Joey continued his serenade, calling out Angie’s name similar to how Romeo would call out Juliet’s, minus the romantic pining tone.  Evidently, Joey was expressing his fondness for Angie by “pestering” her, much as a little brother would his sister.  It was working, and Joey knew it because Angie was red with embarrassment at the attention and laughing, which only fueled Joey’s serenade more.  When I turned on the video camera to capture the scene, this Adam Sandler fan stopped, looked into the camera and launched into an introduction, announcing who he was, where he was, and what he was doing before relentlessly resuming his loving harassment of Angie.  What a spectacle!  Everyone in the break area was cracking up, and Joey loved it.  When a different staff member moved through the area, Joey switched up his serenade to use their name:  “Angie! Angie!  Richie!  Anna!  Angie!”  This young man beamed with joy and amusement as he won his audience’s favor with his entertaining antics.

These are only but a few of the many gold nuggets found here on WFC.  Amazingly, many still believe this is a gloom and doom kind of place, a “sad place” as one person once said to me.  Wendell Foster’s Campus is anything but sad!  Sometimes upon meeting our folks, people struggle to get past the physical appearances that cerebral palsy causes in their bodies; but with a willingness to look beyond the surface, anyone can come to know their unique and beautiful personalities. Our staff works hard to serve those who live on our Campus.  Just with any job, there are up and down days, but we become an active part of our Campus members’ lives, and vice versa. 
Many say we are a blessing to the individuals we serve with developmental disabilities.  Quite honestly, I believe we the staff are the ones truly blessed by their presence in our lives.

In the Next Blog Entry:  Improvise.  Adapt.  Overcome. - "Another teacher of students with special needs shared this amazing story . . . . . "ironically, right before the show started, several 8^th grade students sitting behind us made a derogatory comment about my students who were sitting in wheelchairs. . . . ."

We want to hear from you! Please share your responses and comments by clicking below on “Comment” – you may post them anonymously or using your gmail.com profile name.

“The educated do not share a common body of information, but a common state of mind.” ~Mason Cooley
Please share our blog with others via Facebook, Twitter, or email! Follow our blog! Click on “Join our Site” below.

Blog content is copyrighted property of Wendell Foster’s Campus for Development Disabilities and Carolyn Smith Ferber and/or other blog authors). Content may be used, duplicated or reprinted only with the expressed authorization of the Wendell Foster’s Campus. Permission for use, duplication or reprints may be made to wfcampus.org@gmail.com.

I Count!

Life on Wendell Foster’s Campus (WFC) is anything but dull.  Something interesting is always going on which keeps me busy in my task of keeping up with all that is happening.  Be they birthday celebrations, monumental milestones, Campus-wide activities or individual antics, you can bet I will be there with my camera in hand.

One day I learned a representative from the U.S. Census Bureau (USCB) was on Campus conducting interviews of a cross-section of our Campus members for their American Community Survey.  This survey collects information about the social and economic needs within the overall community, and which is used when assessing the need for new schools or improved emergency services.  With residents’ permission, I observed the interviews in which some of the answers seemed to startle the USCB rep.  Bryant shared to the interviewer’s surprise that he knew several languages.  A couple of staff members put Jeffrey up to no good, telling him that when asked his name to respond “Trouble!”  Always game for a good joke, Jeffrey did just that to his and the staffers’ delight.  Fortunately, the USCB rep had a great sense of humor.  Fun aside, it was wonderful to know that our Campus members were not overlooked when it comes to the Census Bureau’s work.  

Did you know several of our residents vote?  It never occurred to me that some would, but several most certainly did during the Primary this past May. WFC actually hosts a voting poll on site, which brings people in this precinct to our Campus (if they choose to exercise their right to vote).   I received word that Shelly and her Direct Support Provider were checking in to vote if I wanted to get a photo, which I did with permission of the poll workers and Shelly.  I learned voters have a right to assistance when voting with several requirements in place, obviously to ensure no foul play or external influence is taking place in the process.  Many Campus members, such as Shelly, have severe extensor tone in their arms and hands, therefore, limiting their ability to press buttons, work with touch screens, or grasp levers.  Several of our residents exercised their right to vote that day which left me feeling simultaneously in awe and annoyed.  Despite living life amidst the greatest of physical challenges, these men and women took the time, the energy and the effort to have their voice heard through their vote, and to contribute to the future of our country.  My annoyance stems from the fact that many able-bodied individuals do not always care enough to make the effort, especially considering that only less than 12% of our state’s nearly three million voters came out for this May 2012 primary. And in Daviess County?  Only 7,989 voters out of 66,883 voted!  I know Roger, Shelly, Mary, Butch, Eric, Marilyn and Gary to name a few made their vote count!

Our Campus and its constituents tend to be “forgotten” by the general population, and worse, many seem surprised that they exercise their rights as U.S. Citizens.  When I shared with a few people the story of the Census Bureau conducting survey interviews, or that several voted in the Primary, most were surprised.  “Why not?” I said to one person, “They are U.S. Citizens.  Why wouldn’t they have the same rights as you and me?”  After all, they live in our community; and they have needs for healthcare, education, and other community services provided to people without cerebral palsy.  They also have sharp minds and strong opinions about who should run our county, state and federal governments!

Yes, WFC peeps most certainly count!

In the Next Blog Entry:  ". . . Joey continued his serenade, calling out Angie’s name similar to Romeo would call out Juliet’s, minus the romantic pining tone. . . . Angie was laughing while red with embarrassment at the attention . . . . "

We want to hear from you!  Please share your responses and comments by clicking below on “Comment” – you may post them anonymously or using your gmail.com profile name.

“The educated do not share a common body of information, but a common state of mind.” ~Mason Cooley
Please share our blog with others via Facebook, Twitter, or email!  Follow our blog!  Click on “Join our Site” below.

Blog content is copyrighted property of Wendell Foster’s Campus for Development Disabilities and Carolyn Smith Ferber and/or other blog authors).  Content may be used, duplicated or reprinted only with the expressed authorization of the Wendell Foster’s Campus.  Permission for use, duplication or reprints may be made to wfcampus.org@gmail.com.