Quite a few people I've bumped into who nip in here for a splash of Youthblog wittering have commented on the story about H, my son, and the Go karting. Well, the story continues:
We went again to the track this weekend as H decided to blow his pocket money for the entire month on another 15 minutes of lawn mower engined racing. We'd chatted before hand about the goals for the session which included being on the track with other people, focussing on finding the best line through corners, less spinning off; and all this with greater pace. I'd said that if he knocked a second of his time and hit a 31:00 I'd be really happy, whereby he said he was up for a 29:00! I doubted this was possible BUT offered a Mars bar for a 29:00 or faster.
Needless to say we are talking about huge grins, only one spin, increased self esteem, A MARS Bar and a new personal best of 27:85. A faultless drive.
It is so EXCITING for me to see H doing something where he is an equal and not in the "he did 'really' well for a disabled kid" category.
That's my boy :-)
No comment apart from... AWESOME!
Yay! :-)
Excellent news!
I've been thinking about this the last couple of days. As a doctor, to some extend I have to work with in the so-called 'medical model' of disability. That is not to say that disability and disease are the same thing just that there is an inevitable cross-over and it's my job to treat disease.
I've always been keen to see disability in a different way. Pretty much all devices we use are designed to be operated by people with two functioning arms and legs as that's what most people have. It always seems to me that the problem for the disabled is we need to realise that devices (or even just doorways) need to be designed for people with disabilities in the same way there would be no point in designing a car to be driven by someone with 3 arms because no-one could drive it!
I would recommend a talk from GB 2008 (available here: http://www.greenbelt.org.uk/shop/talks/years/2008) "The Body of Christ has Down's Syndrome" by John Swinton. Last year after the festival I was downloading a few talks I wanted and the title caught my eye so I downloaded it. He talks at one point about a woman in one of his tutorial groups who is profoundly deaf and communicates with Sign. She had a vision of heaven and so everyone asked her what it was like. She replied "Jesus' Signing was perfect." I think that says it all.
I am once again hugely impressed by the track staff - I re-read your post from last time and noted how the first few laps they limited the throttle and then realising H could control the Kart safely took the limitation off. I was imagining the whole experience has been hugely liberated for H as given how he's improved his lap-times he's clearly fully in control of the Kart and driving very well. (He may even be beating you soon!) As you said, it's nonsense to say he's done something well for a disabled person - he's simply driven really well.
Excellent news!
I've been thinking about this the last couple of days. As a doctor, to some extend I have to work with in the so-called 'medical model' of disability. That is not to say that disability and disease are the same thing just that there is an inevitable cross-over and it's my job to treat disease.
I've always been keen to see disability in a different way. Pretty much all devices we use are designed to be operated by people with two functioning arms and legs as that's what most people have. It always seems to me that the problem for the disabled is we need to realise that devices (or even just doorways) need to be designed for people with disabilities in the same way there would be no point in designing a car to be driven by someone with 3 arms because no-one could drive it!
I would recommend a talk from GB 2008 (available here: http://www.greenbelt.org.uk/shop/talks/years/2008) "The Body of Christ has Down's Syndrome" by John Swinton. Last year after the festival I was downloading a few talks I wanted and the title caught my eye so I downloaded it. He talks at one point about a woman in one of his tutorial groups who is profoundly deaf and communicates with Sign. She had a vision of heaven and so everyone asked her what it was like. She replied "Jesus' Signing was perfect." I think that says it all.
I am once again hugely impressed by the track staff - I re-read your post from last time and noted how the first few laps they limited the throttle and then realising H could control the Kart safely took the limitation off. I was imagining the whole experience has been hugely liberated for H as given how he's improved his lap-times he's clearly fully in control of the Kart and driving very well. (He may even be beating you soon!) As you said, it's nonsense to say he's done something well for a disabled person - he's simply driven really well.