In my last post, i launched a project. How much can I learn about disabilities studies using Open Educational Resources?
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I get to choose whether or not to be miserable. I can let this thing take over, or I can acknowledge it, and move on. It's important that I not ignore it, but I can take it off the center table.
I really don't want this to become a pain dairy. I have stated some basic principles. Beyond that, I have good days and bad days, but so do many people regardless of whether or not they are disabled. I will return to the basics on an as needed basis, when they jump up and smack me in the face. I am an autodidact, I like to (need to!) learn and share. I'm going to be digging into how much I can learn about disabilities studies, as a case study for what has been called Open Educational Resources. I see two themes that make this subject REALLY important. More lives are being saved (including mine!), and thus more people are out there, working, loving, and parenting, all while functioning with a difference. Also, as the Baby Boom ages, disability catches up with all of us. In aid of those of my readers who are urban librarians, whether "adaptive" or not, I am going to include book reviews here. Since I began here at BMCC, I have been reading about cities.
My most recent foray in this area is P. D. Smith's "City: a guidebook for the urban age" (Bloomsbury, 2012). This is an absolutely gorgeous book, full of amazing pictures of urban landscapes from all over the world. It's a rambling history and modern appreciation of all the ideas, and institutions that make up a city. A brief history of banking, markets, museums, crime, libraries, public parks, mass transit, sewage systems... I think you get the idea. It's very well written, and a very enjoyable read, particularly for someone like myself with a background in history of technology. He does include a bibliography, to help those whose curiosity has been sparked by a particular section. Is it realistic? I certainly have moments when I am aware that the urban environment is tough, particularly when navigating it with mobility issues. I once had a very intelligent Doctor observe "Do you have Fatigue, or are you simply trying to navigate New York City with cerebral palsy?"
What draws me into the City?
I discovered academic librarianship in the Fall of 1992, when I was hired as a Reference Assistant at Alexander Library (Rutgers University, New Brunswick). I had found what I was looking for. There is a straight line connecting that moment, and the Annual Report that I just submitted this afternoon. It took time, but I got there.
I spent about 10 years doing part time work, and full time non tenure track work. At first the part time work was a choice, because my daughter arrived on the heels of my MLS. When we were ready for me to work full time, I was confronted with the lack of a subject Master's. I spent five years doing full time non tenure track work while I worked on my history MA, one course at a time. Determination, and patience are my gifts. Within weeks of graduating for the second time in May of 2009, I was offered my current position. It is an incredible honor to know who I am, and what I am called to do. I actually saw something like this happen I was crossing Greenwich Street this morning. The woman coming toward me stumbled briefly because one of her pumps slipped off. And just for a moment I was grateful for my heavy oxfords, selected to accommodate my brace, securely tied to my feet. I utterly believe that I cannot become the woman I am called to be until I embrace who I am. I learn things from my challenges. This is not exactly about librarianship, but it is about what it's like to be me.
This morning I am thinking about happiness. Over the winter it became absolutely, completely miserable to simply get out bed in the morning. Something very horrible happened to my lower back. When the pain reached a truly scary point, I got help. Help included a series of PT sessions, and strategic deployment of the heating pad. This morning it didn't hurt to get out bed. This is not a unique event. It happens a lot recently. Is happiness being able to get out of bed in the morning without screaming? Just for a moment this morning, my glass is not only more than half full, it's overflowing. I have interesting and worthwhile work. I get to ride the coolest machine on the planet to church this morning. I am a beloved wife. Our daughter is in a good spot right now. I am in good health (I proved that by giving blood on Wednesday). There will always be new projects, but just for today, I choose to look around me and be grateful. I did something really strange last night. I gave away most of my paper books. My footprint shrank by a couple hundred pounds. Nasty, heavy, cumbersome things they are too. My attitude toward paper books has been evolving for a couple of years, under a couple of influences.
I am a Commuter with Disabilities. I live in suburban New Jersey and I work in Tribeca. I can experience an incapacitating level of fatigue. I am very sensitive to the amount of weight that I carry on my daily rounds. I also get a lot of my reading done away from home. Working for BMCC has given me borrowing privileges at New York Public Library, or more specifically http://ebooks.nypl.org (which is one of the busiest branches in the NYPL stystem). My library also has a very strong collection of e-books. I've been spoiled. As long as I'm not hugely specific (there are still a lot of titles that are not available to borrow as e-books), there is always tons to read. I am also a geek, which means that I will carry a tablet anyway, to display digital content (PDFs etc), and keep my journal. Am I not the only one who has found ebooks much easier to deal with? I don't have to prop it open. I don't have to store it, dust it, or find a new home for it. This is a vision that keeps me going. It also demonstrates why I can get so cranky when people start defunding public higher education. All people, regardless of their background, or their challenges, have unlimited potential. Education is about giving them an opportunity to change their lives. We give them an opportunity to grow, and they will return our investment one thousand fold. The community college is about providing an affordable education
What are the implications for students with disabilities? The longer a student is able to stay in school, the wider their choices are for vocation. As they grow, they will find their niche, the thing that they can do that cancels out everything that they can't do. The Yumas quote is from a new book by NYU Press called "22 Ideas to Fix the World." I am grateful to have received a review copy through NetGalley. An employee with a disability will work harder and longer for you. They will be more grateful to have the job. When it takes guts to get out of bed in the morning, I believe that it gives me an extra measure of compassion, and determination.
Hurricane Irene flattened the New York City area in August 2011. My husband and I both rely heavily on New Jersey Transit to get to work. Irene came through over a weekend. Monday arrived and NJ Transit was flooded out. Not going to work never entered into to the picture. We drove around the flooded highways and found the bus depot in East Brunswick, NJ. I took the Wall Street Bus, and arrived to work (as I recall) even a little bit early. My colleagues (who know where I live) stared when I walked in. After all, it was Monday morning, where else would I be? I can no longer say that "this thing" has never cost me sick leave. What I do know is that I don't like giving into it. I am much more likely to count my bruises and go to work anyway, particularly on day when I'm booked. |
Why three wheels?My name is Robin Brown. This is a picture of my "magic carpet." When I'm at work it's probably parked at the commuter rail station about a mile from my house. I get to ride three wheels because my right leg doesn't like to show up for work. I flunked riding two wheels. Archives
April 2018
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