Oh no, it's not that they aren't doing their homework...it's that they are doing it a little TOO well. Both Princess and Prima Donna signed up for EDU 1400, the Study of Disabilities. Guess what the first assignment was.
You're right! They had to pretend to have a disability...for 48 HOURS!
So I'm thinking they can get some earplugs and be hard of hearing, or maybe they can put a sling on their arms, but silly me, you know dance runs their worlds and they couldn't possibly hear instructions from their dance teachers if they wore earplugs. And don't even THINK about them tying up a limb. How could they dance?It came down to this. They both decided to be mute for 2 days. On the surface that might seem like a good thing, but think of it this way...how would you feel if someone gave you the silent treatment for two solid days? And there are two of them!
They were good about it. Both of them carried around notebooks and pencils. It was also fun to hear them "talk" via the computer to each other. It was much quicker to type things out. Prima Donna even decided she wanted to "read" scriptures for the family tonight so she used the online feature to do that and Princess signed the prayer for us. I have to admit that part was pretty awesome.
The weirdest things that happened were when someone called Prima Donna on the phone and I had to explain what was going on and act as an interpreter so she could participate in the conversation. Then she needed to meet with a teacher at the elementary school to pick up some work for her volunteer hours. I was unavailable so Crafty went with her. When I asked Crafty about it she just said it was "awkward!"
I'm used to dealing with the Dog Walker's disability, in fact I was teasing him about what he would do for 48 hours of a disability...
I have a new respect for those who deal with the hearing impaired every day. I don't like the silent treatment, even when it's not mean-spirited.
2 comments:
Oh man, that's an intense 48 hours!
My sophomore year one of my roommates was taking a class called Accessbile Recreation and for a weekend she had to be in a wheelchair for an assignment. It was really eyeopening as she and I went and did stuff to see how people acted differently with her and her "disability". My favorite was the manager at a Panda Express who wouldn't let her pay for her drink and he pushed me out of the way so he could take her food to a table, the table that is in the farthest corner, near the bathrooms which is designated as the wheelchair accesible table. She wanted to punch him.
I hope the girls enjoy their class this semester and that they don't have more assignments that drive you nuts!
OMG I think that was a great experiment. We have a blind granddaughter so one day for a short while I had a blindfold on to see how it was. It was awful. I have learned so much about disabilities through the years. Of course being a nurse I have been part of helping people with disabilities.
One time I broke my ankle and had to use crutches. It is so hard to get into a fridge with crutches. Then I broke my elbow and had a sling. It is very hard to put on nylons or comb ones hair with just one arm.
We can learn a lot from these experiences. I think your girls were awesome.
Blessings and hugs for all1
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