Ryerson Student Journals

When I was asked to describe what being a student in the Disability Studies Program means to me, "in 500 words or less," I agreed, thinking that this would be an easy task. Now, as I reflect upon the effect that this program has had on me personally and professionally, I realize that 500 words just won’t do it.

In January, 1999, I was in the process of applying to the Disability Studies Program at Ryerson Polytechnic University. At that time, I had no idea how I would be affected by the program content and the people that I would meet as a result of becoming a student in the first class of this program.

It’s now two years later, and Christmas break between online courses in the program. The next course will begin on January 15 and, at that time, the bulletin boards and chat rooms will become a buzz of activity. One might expect that the students would be enjoying the hiatus between courses.

Why, then, do I find myself logging onto the course website in anticipation -- a full week ahead of schedule? When I do, I find that others have already visited the site and have left messages for classmates. From where is this level of enthusiasm generated?

Perhaps it is because we have had the experience of teachers who are invested in this program: Judith Sandys, Catherine Frazee, Melanie Panitch, to name a few. The impression that these teachers, and others, have made on the participants cannot be easily described. Or it might be because the students in this program share a common interest in the social context of disability and have provided support to each other, creating a sense of belonging.

As a result of my personal experience, I have a new understanding of society’s responsibility to remove barriers that have an exclusionary consequence. Hearing David Lepofsky speak on the need for a strong Ontarians for Disabilities Act has led me to question the position that our elected officials have on disability issues -- issues that impact on every member of our society. As a teacher at a community college, I find that my understanding of disability issues has added to my students’ awareness of the responsibility that all members of society have to each other.

What does being a student in the Disability Studies Program mean to me? It means that I have the honour of studying with teachers and fellow students whose compassion for others is immeasurable, it means that I have an opportunity to learn how to be an advocate for those whose rights to fully participate in our society have been "overlooked," it means that I will be a more compassionate and informed parent, spouse, teacher and member of society. This is what being a student in the Disability Studies Program means to me, "in 500 words or less."

-- Maxine Lloyd

ECE Program Coordinator

St. Clair College

I remember how I felt as I contemplated a return to school. My life was already busy, working as an Educational Assistant at a local high school, working part-time in a group home, and doing a few hours of one-on-one support. Commitments with my church and a rag-tag social life seemed to offer little space for anything else. But I kept thinking about it. The thought didn’t go away. So I filled out the application. That seems so long ago now, yet it was only in August, 1999, that I journeyed from Ottawa to Ryerson in Toronto to begin the Disability Studies Program.

The first course, "Perspectives on Disability I," was to explore the meaning of disability. It is strange how one can be educated in disability (Developmental Services Worker (DSW) graduate) and work with disability, yet never really understand there is a meaning to disability. Day one was filled with introductions to teachers and fellow students. Most of us had a relationship with disability through personal experience, a child or family member, or work.

The learning began as perhaps most learning should: with stories. A cross-section of people who experience disability came to share their personal stories. What is it like? What struggles are there? What prejudices? Does disability play a role in defining someone? What should be different? We all left the room that day different from when we arrived. A change had begun.

For me, the Disability Studies Program is about change. It moves those it educates into a level of thinking that goes beyond what we have grown accustomed to. Challenging past ideologies, using the tools of critical thinking, it explores the meaning of disability -- understanding it not as individual tragedy, but as social tragedy -- a social construct. I need to learn this. What else may this program mean for me? It may ultimately alter how and where I work, it may open new career opportunities for me. It has already changed the manner in which I view and support those who experience disability. I look forward to each course to keep me knowledgeable and passionate in the field of disability.

As I reflect on my past experience, past education through the DSW program, I feel I have learned the way it is. As I reflect on my time in the Disability Studies Program, I feel I am learning the way it should be.

-- John Vroom

Educational Assistant

Ottawa Carleton District School Board

(For more information on Ryerson’s School of Disability Studies, call (416) 979-5000, ext. 7037; e-mail: [email protected]; or visit www.ryerson.ca/ds.)