What Is Paraplegia

In her essay “On Being a Cripple”, Nancy Mairs presents her audience with an honest inside view of her life and perspective as a cripple, a word she openly uses to define herself. She brings her world to us by discussing a wide variety of things including language, family, and humor, and how these all relate to her life. Through various stories and insights, she allows her readers to gain an understanding and acceptance of people with disabilities. She examines the public’s view of the disabled, as well as the views they have of themselves, and compares them to her own. She makes it clear that she is not to be defined solely by her disability. In discussing honestly her views, as well as

Disability simulation is the process where an able-bodied individual assumes a position of the person with disability to try and understand what really happens in the life of a person with disability. It is offers experience that allows one to learn more about people living with disability and hopefully treat them better; have a change of perception. It gives ‘first hand’ experience on how life of person with disability really is. A day alternating as a person on the wheelchair and as assistant had so much to offer as will be illustrated below.

When undermined by an incurable disease, it’s difficult to think positively. Especially with multiple sclerosis, where life adjustments - including changes to communication, daily routines, even basic bodily functions - are necessary, it’s likely to approach situations hopelessly. However, essayist Nancy Mairs provides her own detailed anecdote on accepting these lifelong impairments. In her essay, “On Being a Cripple,” Mairs develops her attitude toward her condition through multiple accounts of asyndetons, figurative language, and her personal experience.

Many people these days take their health and body for granted. Imagine losing the ability to walk suddenly due to an accident or a disease. This is exactly what had happened to Nancy Mairs, author of the essay “On Being a Cripple.” She herself had lost her ability to walk normally when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis or MS, a chronic disease that attacks the central nervous system. Her essay talks about her life and dealing with MS. The purpose of the essay is to show how being crippled affects your life and how to stay positive and deal with it.

When you see a disabled person, what goes through your mind? I tend to not pay too much attention or put too much thought into it, but I really should. Being disabled is hard and changes people's lives dramatically. We can see how Nancy Mairs life has changed in her essay “On Being a Cripple”, and in Matthew Soyster’s essay “Living Under Circe’s Spell”. Both authors are victims of a disease called multiple sclerosis, which damages nerve fibers and interrupts the nerves’ signals.

In the essay “On Being a Cripple” by Nancy Mairs reflects her life as a “cripple” because of MS, and her recognition of it. Mairs purpose is to inform individuals on her perspective on being a cripple. She describes how she views herself and how others look at her. Mairs use of word choice, tone, and examples of her life experience provides a better understanding to the goal of this essay.

Carole Lauren is a 44 year old mother of two, a wife, and a school teacher by profession. Her story began 21 months ago when she had a cerebrovascular accident that left her hemiplegic. Almost two years passed since the event. Carole regained most of the lost function in her left leg, ankle, and foot. However, she still has limited function in her left arm and hand. She also has difficulty organizing her thoughts and read her message from a paper. Her story is about a journey through the health care system.

In second grade I was first diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Disorder, witch rendered me paralyzed for six months. CRPS is a nervous system disorder that causes stabbing, burning, constant, severe pain that can come on for no reason. It can cause spasms of muscles and in blood vessels, as well as cause emotional disorders from the trauma that it inflicts. For me, I was left with depression and anxiety over the unknown of when it would next return. I relapsed eighth grade and just last year, continuing through today. I am not shy over talking about the things that ail me, and, I think, my experiences give me more of a say than most to address Nancy Mairs’s essay than it does those who have yet to experience such setbacks in life.

In my last year’s placement I had the privilege of Interning at the Veteran’s Affairs in the Spinal Cord Injury clinic. In the SCI clinic I worked closely with Veterans who had experienced spinal cord injury, which resulted in permanent paralyses such as paraplegia or quadriplegia. Ms. Cynthia Jackson was one of my clients that had an enormous impact on me. Ms. Jackson is 55 year old African American. Ms. Jackson served in the United Air force in the late 1970’s post-Vietnam War and was based in Germany. While serving in Air force, Ms. Jackson severely injured her back in tanker truck accident which resulted in paralysis in her lower exterminates. Ms. Jackson is wheelchair bond due to her paraplegia, client was referred to the SCI clinic for case management and counseling services.

How would people act or feel if their body is slowly weakening? Nancy Mairs, The author in the story “On Being A Cripple” shows that being a cripple does not make you different than anyone else. She also shows the reader that discriminating yourself will not just make it worse but it will be a disaster. To her she is a normal person but to others they see a “disabled” or “handicapped”.By using her experience on being a cripple, Mairs effectively draws the audience into her argument and shows them the good and the bad side of her condition. She uses many strategies that will make it easy for the readers to understand her essay. Mairs uses vivid descriptions, experience and her emotion to describe her life as

The featured film documentary called ‘Murder Ball’ directed by Dana Ruben and Alex Shapiro focuses on Mark Zupan and Joe Soares life of a Quadriplegic person. I have responded to the main characters and their situations including how they make me feel about the lives of Quadriplegic people and how they deal with it during their lifetime. My overall impressions about Mark Zupan and Joe Soares lives as a quadriplegic has encouraged me to respond not to feel sorry for them but to gain respect and be inspired .I will be discussing the film techniques to support my ideas in the documentary.

Describe the effects that having a physical disability can have on a person’s day to day life

The most difficult part of working with disabled adults for me personally is having patients and remembering the circumstances. When I do any task, I want it to be done perfectly whether its cleaning, making dinner, or doing laundry I have a certain way I like things to be done. When my clients try to help, me do these things if they aren’t done the way I like I get annoyed sometimes. I have too constantly remind myself that I am not in my house and that my client isn’t doing it wrong they just aren’t doing it the way I would do it. I also have to remind myself how I would feel if somebody came into my house and tried to do everything little thing for me. I would feel useless and helpless; these thoughts help me to see things clearly and back

At that moment in time, they are not themselves, they are a body expressing something. When we watch a performance done by a person with a disability, in the author of ‘Strategic Abilities’ states, “-we are looking at both the choreography and the disability.” The disability is on display, and that is what an audience’s focus is on. The audience can not just view the performance, they also have to view the disability and the way the disability affects the dance. I too, am guilty of this.

Pardue states that ‘The sporting performances of Paralympian’s at The Paralympic Games are deemed to have the potential to heighten awareness and knowledge of Paralympic sport as well