Classroom Activities
These activities are designed to help students understand how it feels to have physical disabilities. During the course of the activities, it is important that students who do have physical disabilities are not pointed out or asked to represent an entire category of people. Also, students who participate must feel comfortable and should not be compelled to take part in an activity. Discussion of experiences after the activities is a key component of building understanding.
1. Communication Boards: Create a patient communication board using these examples (see below). Have students write messages on slips of paper or note cards and put them in a basket. Set students up in teams and have one team member (the patient) pick a note card without showing it to other team members and communicate the information by nodding as another team member (the family member) points to items on the communication board and writes the message based on the patient’s response. Rotate so each team member plays each role, and have them communicate multiple messages.
Here is a link to a communication board sample: https://lessonpix.com/materials/9721562/Patient+Communication+Board
Here is an article about the use of communication boards: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6111665/
Discussion Questions:
How difficult was it to be limited to communicating with a communication board?
How did I feel to try to translate the patient’s message?
How effective was the use of the communication board in conveying messages?
Why do you think using communication boards decreases anxiety for patients who are on ventilators?
2. Wheelchair usage: If you have access to a wheelchair, have one student sit in the wheelchair and assign another student as the attendant. Place colored squares of paper around the room. Give the student in the wheelchair a color chart indicating the order of the colored papers without showing the attendant. Have the student in the wheelchair direct the attendant around the classroom to retrieve the colored squares in order of the color chart. Increase difficulty by creating narrow aisles with tables, chairs, and desks.
Discussion questions:
What does it feel like to have to rely on another person to get you where you need to go?
How does it feel to be responsible for someone else in this way?
Were there factors that you found frustrating? What were they?
How do you react when you see someone in a wheelchair? How do you think you will react in the future?
3. Hands-free action: Put students in teams of two. Have students write several possible actions on note cards and place them in a basket. Actions should be items that need to be done with hands, which a paralyzed person would have to ask for help with, such as getting a sip of water, brushing hair from face, writing down notes, pulling up information on a phone or computer, retrieving a book or paper, turning pages so student can read, taking notes from class, sending a text message or email. Depending on your students, you can have them make the tasks as complex or elaborate as needed for them to be challenged by this exercises. Have one student pick several note cards without showing them to the other team member. Have student with note cards sit in a chair with hands comfortably restrained. Student in wheelchair should memorize note cards because they will not be able to pick them up. Student in wheelchair should direct team member to perform the tasks on the note cards as precisely as possible. The team member should follow the directions as closely as possible to perform the tasks for the team member.
Discussion questions:
What does it feel like to have to rely on another person to do the things you want to do?
How does it feel to be responsible for someone else in this way?
Were there factors that you found frustrating? What were they?
How do you react when you see someone who is paralyzed? How do you think you will react in the future?
4. Community Action Project: Gather students into groups of about 5 members based on an social problem that they would like to address. Each group should research the problem, existing solutions, and organizations that work to alleviate the problem. Student groups can interview people of existing organizaitons to gain more insight. Have students develop a plan to create their own organization to address the issue they want to solve. Students should create a presentation and deliver it to the class. Inviting members of relevant organizations can add an additional level of authenticity to the project.
Further discussion: For older students, this might be an opportunity to discuss policies and social programs to address the needs of patients, children who experience hunger, people in wheelchairs, and people who are paralyzed, or others who are marginalied.
“Now I realized that what I had learned and what I could do with my brain and my memory were the only things that hadn’t been taken from me. Education gained a new significance, and I wanted to make sure none of the kids took it for granted.” Mary K. Hoodhood
Teaching about Disabilities
Discussion Questions
Discussion Questions
Questions about experiences
1. Mary K. wakes up in the hospital without knowing exactly where she is or what has happened. She describes the experience as “There was the me who was the person I had always been, and there was the me who was the person in this bed.” How does she handle this feeling? Have you had a pivotal moment that seems to divide your life into parts? How did you deal with it?
2. Mary K. makes a list of three things: “First, and most important, I would not let myself be deterred from finding purpose and happiness. Second, I would not drive away the people I love by becoming someone drowning in self-pity. I had known some complainers who nobody wanted to be around. I wouldn’t become like them, even though I might have a lot to complain about. Third, I would not allow myself to dwell on the things I couldn’t do but would find the things that I could do and focus on them.” Her decision at that point shapes her life. What do you think of the list she made? What would your list look like?
3. At Craig Hospital, Mary K. learns how to navigate her new life. What are the pros and cons she experiences?
4. As a student, Mary K. didn’t take her studies seriously. Later she says, “Now I realized that what I had learned and what I could do with my brain and my memory were the only things that hadn’t been taken from me. Education gained a new significance, and I wanted to make sure none of the kids took it for granted.” How is this realization reflected in her actions? How would you describe your attitude toward education and learning? How is that reflected in your life?
5. Mary K. says she focuses on what she can do, and she makes a list of what she is still capable of. This list forms the foundation of her actions. What would your list look like?
6. People react to Mary K. in her wheelchair in predictable ways. How do other people’s reactions affect her? How does that change over time? What did you learn about how to treat people with disabilities from this book?
7. Her relationships form a central part of Mary K’s life. What are some of the important relationships she has? What do those relationships mean to her? How does she work to sustain those relationships? What relationships are indispensable in your life? What do you do to sustain them?
8. Laughter is central to Mary K.’s life and relationships. How does she incorporate humor into everyday life? How might you use this as a model for your own life?
9. Mary K. says, “If you’re bored, it’s because you’re boring.” Is she correct? How does she keep her life from being boring?
Questions for introspection
10. Mary K. was raised with a belief system that helped her overcome her own trauma and help others. What are those beliefs and values? How do they compare to yours?
11. What was your reaction to the doctors telling her that she would be better off not getting married? Why do you think they were so frank with her about her future?
12. Her childhood set the foundation for how she dealt with difficulties. What particular aspects of her upbringing do you think contributed to her success in life?
13. In high school and college, Mary K. becomes a leader, but her main goal is to lead her friends to fun. Why is this important later in her life?
14. The title of the memoir, What I Can Do, has different interpretations depending on what word you emphasize. What are the different ways you can explain it?
15. One simple request to the nun who visited Mary K. after she returned from rehab changed her life. She said, “If there’s ever any volunteer work I could do on the phone, like contacting potential volunteers, you let me know.” How did this set the course of her life? It led to her volunteering at God’s Kitchen. What do you think of her experiences and actions there?
16. Mary K. has some major accomplishments, but she also does small things that have ramifications throughout her life. What are some of those things, and how do they affect her and those around her?
17. Every morning when Mary K. wakes up, she says she is immediately reminded of the fact that she is paralyzed and then she experiences gratitude for being alive and for all the day will bring. How does her experience affect the way she approaches life?
18. Mary K. discusses her beliefs about marriage and how she and Jeff have sustained a happy marriage in spite of the difficulties they face. What did you learn from this?
19 What does Mary K.’s life demonstrate about how people are interconnected and have to be able to help each other?
20. Mary K. experiences other sorrows and problems in life. How does she manage these? What can you learn from her actions?
21. She describes herself as the Queen of Patience and the Queen of Frustration. How are those roles exhibited in her life? What can you learn from them?
22. Her spiritual life is important to Mary K. Prayer and mediation are central to her ability to manage her life. What specific elements of her religious and spiritual life stood out to you?
23. The ability to control what she thinks about and how she views her life is foundational to Mary K.’s ability to face her injuries and move forward. What did you learn about the power of attitude from her story? How can you apply it to your life?
24. Hope is a central element in Mary K.’s life. In what ways is this evident from her story?
Questions about disability
25. Mary K.’s expectations for her wedding, marriage, and family life prior to her injuries were different from the life she built. How does she navigate those differences?
26. Her attendants are her whole life, and Mary K. says she wouldn’t have a life without them. In what ways do her attendants make her life possible? What does Mary K. do to build relationships with her attendants?
27. Mary K. has to ask for everything. How does this affect her life? What can you learn about asking for help from her experiences?
28. Adaptive technology plays an important role in Mary K.’s life. What did you learn about how a person with disabilities must do to build a life that is as “normal” as possible?
Questions about childhood hunger
29. When Mary K. hears the story from MaryAnn Prisichenko about the little girl who was looking through trash to find food, she can’t stop thinking about it. Both women are committed to changing the lives of kids. What specific skills did Mary K. have that allowed her to build an organization to address this dire need?
30. What aspects of the organization, Kids’ Food Basket, and how it was built up impressed you most?
31. Childhood hunger is a significant issue in our communities. What did you learn about childhood hunger?
32. Kids’ Food Basket started as a small organization serving 125 children in three schools. Mary K. set the foundation for this, but she says Bridget, the volunteers and the staff built this organization. How does her ability to delegate and work with others set the course for success?
Writing Assignments
These are some ideas for topics to pursue. Educators can use this as a starting point to develop writing assignments that are suited to your course content and your students.
1. Mary K. Hoodhood wakes up in the hospital to find that her whole life has changed and that she had to change her expectations. Tell a story about a time when you had an experience or moment that changed the course of your life. How did you deal with it?
2. Her childhood experiences and family life shaped how Mary K. was able to deal with her injuries and to build a life filled with love, connection, and purpose. In what way do you feel your childhood shaped how you handle life? Include stories of specific moments that you feel had the most impact on you.
3. Prayer and meditation are a big part of Mary K.’s coping strategies. Research the use of prayer or mediation and how one or both can influence individual experiences. What pros and cons are there for these practices based on your research?
4. Research spinal cord injuries and the medical advancements for treatments. What treatments are available now that weren’t available when Mary K. was hospitalized? What are the expectations for the future?
5. Mary K. changes her view of education. She says, “Now I realized that what I had learned and what I could do with my brain and my memory were the only things that hadn’t been taken from me. Education gained a new significance, and I wanted to make sure none of the kids took it for granted.” How can you characterize the value of education? Use personal experience as well as research.
6. Mary K. says she focuses on what she can do, and she makes a list of what she is still capable of. This list forms the foundation of her actions. What would your list look like?
7. What does Mary K.’s life demonstrate about how people are interconnected and have to be able to help each other? Use research and examples from your life to discuss this.
8. Adaptive technology plays an important role in Mary K.’s life. What did you learn about how a person with disabilities must do to build a life that is as “normal” as possible? Research one or more types of adaptive technology and how it works. What are the pros and cons? What advancements in adaptive technology are being made?
9. Creating a non-profit that address a need in a community was a central part of Mary K.’s story. What aspects of the organization, Kids’ Food Basket, and how it was built up impressed you most? What does it take to create a successful non-profit?
10. Childhood hunger is a significant issue in our communities. Research more about childhood hunger and initiatives to address it. What are the complex causes? What other problems arise as a result of childhood hunger? What course of action would you recommend based on your research?
11. Mary K. has some major accomplishments, but she also does small things that have ramifications throughout her life. What are some of those things, and how do they affect her and those around her? What are some small steps you can take in your life that would make you feel like you are doing something meaningful?
12. What can physical therapists, occupational therapists, social workers, and doctors learn about how to interact with people with disabilities from Mary K.’s story? Choose one profession and research policies and procedures that are currently in place. What are the patient’s rights? How do you think this should affect policy?
13. The Michigan Catastrophic Insurance Fund has undergone changes since Mary K.’s accident. Research insurance policies that affect people with spinal cord injuries (or other injuries). What is the rationale for the fund and for the changes? What policy recommendations would you make?
14. As a social worker and volunteer at God’s Kitchen, Mary K. had a history of finding needs in the community and developing programs to address those needs. What social issues do you feel a desire to change? What organizations currently exist to address those needs? What else do you feel can be done?
15. Mary K. works hard to direct her thinking to positive thoughts instead of focusing on loss, limitations, hardships. Discuss the research into the topic of mind over matter (orienting network or executive network) in psychology. You can use this TED talk as a starting point: https://www.ted.com/talks/lisa_feldman_barrett_you_aren_t_at_the_mercy_of_your_emotions_your_brain_creates_them?language=en. How does this work? What does the research say on both side of the issue? What is the most credible conclusion?
