What are you thinking about?
Just everything. My life has changed so much.
How so?
This accident. My spinal cord injury. I just don't know where I'm gonna go from here.
Well, what did you have planned before your spinal cord injury?
I was gonna go to college, I was gonna get a job, get married... I dunno, life?
Huh... Sounds to me like you should start with college.
How?!
What do you mean how?!
I don't know how to do it now. I'm in a wheelchair...
So.
So, like, there are so many issues.
I just graduated.
Really?
Oh yeah.
How?
Basically, I changed my perspective from I can't to I can.
What?
Just take a look for yourself.
Alright.
[♫]
I feel lucky that I had the desire to go to school and do something challenging.
It's not easy. University isn't easy for anybody.
After the injury, as far as getting back to it, in order for me to get the job that I want I'm gonna have to get this degree.
But it definitely changed my perception a bit but I wasn't just gonna give up because of my spinal cord injury.
Basically, after my injury, I thought my life was over. I had no idea how I would move forward from there but slowly as I started to recover I was able to do more things on my own and that really opened up the possibilities in my mind.
When I came back, after therapy for the entire year, definitely took some adjustments. It's gone over quite well.
When I got hurt it definitely put my college career on hold for a while. I think, I mean obviously going to rehab and taking care of yourself physically and mentally kind of becomes a priority.
I took a semester off from school and just really kind of learned life again in this chair and I wanted to be in a very comfortable environment, in my home with my family.
There were so many times where I was like, I don't wanna go back to school. I wrestled with that for that whole semester and then I didn't want to feel like I was trapped inside
my house. So, I knew I needed to come back to school 'cause I needed to push myself kind of outta my comfort zone a little bit.
It's gonna take a lot of motivation from yourself. As long as you believe in your goals then you can do it.
[♫]
Ok, so you've done it.
Yeah.
They're all doing it.
Yeah.
But, how am I gonna take care of myself? All of my healthcare needs.
Take another look.
[♫]
I want to have as normal a college experience as possible. I wanna have fun, I wanna have friends, I wanna do all the stuff I wanted to do to begin with.
I think it's important to recognize that even though you decide you can do something and even though you put your mind to it, there's still gonna be challenges.
And so, the healthcare situation was still a big piece of the puzzle that had to fall into place. I knew I needed morning services like an aide or CNA but I didn't want to have a
nurse following me around in scrubs, ya know, on campus. I didn't want to have my mom. I didn't want to have any of that. So, I was really lucky here and one of my friends
from home came back early from college and was sort of looking for something to do so he decided to come down and live with me.
I have a caretaker come help me get ready in the morning.
I slowly weaned back on caregivers. You just feel more like a person and less like a patient.
You have to figure out how to continue therapy. My therapists come to my house. I have a therapy mat in the back room. Because, I mean, this is a life-long injury.
Still working on car transfers. Still working on floor transfers. Still working on strengthening and building up my endurance and all things like that, just working out in general.
[♫]
So, what do you think about that?
So, I can take care of all my healthcare needs, but what do I do with everything else?
Well, at your school there is a Disability Services Program just for that purpose.
Really?
Yeah. Go ahead, find out some more.
Ok, I'll take another look.
[♫]
Sue Kroeger, Director of Disability Resources. All campuses have a Disability Service Office. Go to campus and visit and tour around and maybe talk to other students
that are there. Go when school is in session. Students in wheelchairs should absolutely believe they can go to school and graduate. The disability should not be the issue
keeping you out of higher education.
When I realized that I was gonna be able to go back to school was when I first came to campus and I talked to the Student Disabilities.
First thing I did was to contact the Disability Services Office.
I've used Disability Services, that's sort of like my go to when I need something. They gave me E-Book versions of all my texts so that I don't have to carry the text books back
and forth. So, that's very helpful.
Classes all lined up, making sure that I have the parking spaces that I need, if I need any special accommodations or arrangements in my classes I can
go to them and say this is my issue can you please help me so I can go to class. And it makes me, it gives me a sense of comfort.
If I need a note taker in class they make sure that I have one there. Kind of make it an easier experience all around.
Disability Services is like your best friend in college. Yeah!
They're willing to do the work but you have to meet them definitely half way and be your own advocate. I learned pretty quickly that if I wanted to have the kind of experience
I wanted to have then I would to speak up and I would have to sort of advocate for what I wanted to have in college.
[♫]
Helpful, right?
They're very helpful. But what about getting around campus and keeping up with the other students?
Look in the can.
[♫]
I'd like to schedule one right now. "k, you're ready right now?"
So, the university has a golf cart service for free.
And they'll come pick me up and take me to my classroom building.
I scout. I go to all my class locations, see if there are any accessibility issues.
Scoping out the very direct challenges of like how I'd get from building to building but a lot more of it was sort of just envisioning myself here and among these students.
Most of the doors have, ya know, accessible buttons. A little clicker that looks like a garage door opener that I can push that opens up the doors remotely. So I just push the
button and it opens. And then coming out of my dorm room I have just another little push pad to get out of it.
With like the doors and stuff, I feel like since I had that therapy and since I had that practice, it's easy for me. People don't think I can do like things on my own and I'm not
independent. So, they'll like run to the door and open for me and like I have to quickly open the door for myself.
In living in Columbia it's incredibly hilly.
I think it took me a while to get used to the hills a little bit. I dunno, yeah, it just takes practice.
I wouldn't call myself strong I'd say I'm determined. So, I just kind of go for it.
[♫]
So, did you learn anything?
Ok, I can get around campus. But how am I gonna deal with the classes and taking notes, and tests? My hands don't really work very well.
CAN!
Ok.
[♫]
I like to go to the professors before my classes start and introduce who I am.
That's been a huge difference fore me. Be really up front about everything and say this is what I need. They want you to learn, you know, that's why they're teachers.
But, they just need to know what you need.
Ya know, after class, hang out another 15 or 20 minutes and just talk to them. Get on a good basis with them so they know a little more about your situation.
Once they see that you're interested then they'll do everything that they can to help you.
So, I was able to find some technology on my iPad and through my computer software, Dragon Naturally Speaking.
Takes some getting used to. If you practice it you will get better at it. Ya know, I've used it for the past three years, I've written ungodly amounts of papers with it, and you know,
it's sort of just the way, ya know, I use my computer.
Dictate the actual homework assignment and put it down myself that way I was more independent and I could do it all myself.
I would just say to be patient with it 'cause it can be frustrating at first.
[♫]
Pretty cool, huh?
Very cool. So, the academics is all taken care of. But, what about the social life? Making friends, partying, clubs, maybe Greek life?
Can?
[♫]
I try to be engaged in social life at college. I think everyone, that's like the dream is to have a balance between your academic life and your social life and to feel like
they're eq... somewhat equally... somewhat equally balanced.
My social life is pretty much the same. I made a lot more friends. I feel like in college people are so much more open. Shared like a calculator with someone and became like best friends.
People will be very nice to you. A lot of people would reach out and actually try to be your friend and you should take advantage of that, ya know, just make friends.
For a lot of people they've never met anyone in a wheelchair before and they sort of have to, you sort of have to show them that you're a normal fun person and, you know,
you've got interests.
I think most people just at first even if they don't seem like they're accepting it's more of they just don't know what to say because people get offended so easily all the time, so...
Just because you're in a wheelchair doesn't mean you have to stop living your life. You can really still have a lot of fun, make friends, and go out and do stuff.
The university offers so many types of clubs that you can be a part of. Literally, anything you can dream of. You can start your own club if you want to. I was in a sorority
before my accident. They've been very, like, welcoming to me and my wheelchair and they've been very accepting of me and been willing to make accomodations
for me.
So I rushed a fraternity second semester. When most people think of fraternities they don't think of the kind of people who would be open to that sort of experience but I found
that to be the opposite and found really it to be the best part of my experience for sure.
Travel the world if you want to. Play the sport you still want to play. Sports has opened a lot of doors for me. I'll be traveling to Turkey next week, playing against people from all
over the world. And we go out and have fun and socialize and parties...
Sporting events happen all around campus from football to things like track & field and equestrian.
In the Fall we have all kinds of different tailgates.
I'm joining National Honors Society.
Honors College Ambassadors.
I'm in the MSA club.
I joined Student Government.
I know there's like a club for students with disabilities on campus.
We'll go out to eat or like study groups at like Starbucks or something.
Or we all grill out at the fraternity houses.
People see you just for who you are.
A majority of them look past the fact that you are actually sitting in a wheelchair.
The wheelchair is just a mode of transportation really. It's just a way that you get around and so once people get to know you they don't really care about that.
I just am kind of starting to let people like figure out like how to approach topics. If they wanna like talk about certain things about the wheelchair then like cool.
If they don't then like cool. I'll be everybody's friend. Your life's not over because you're in a wheelchair... don't let it be.
[♫]
This is awesome! Now I know that I can! Thank you for showing me this!
Hey, take it with you, pay it forward.
I definitely will! Thank you so much!
[♫]Graduation Music[♫]
How does my mom feel today? I think she's very happy. As proud and happy as she could be probably.
Ya know, my parents were very supportive and wanted me to come back but they did have a very difficult time with kind of letting go... That aspect, and they still haven't fully let go yet.
My parents definitely don't want me to go far. I told them as soon as I started driving they'll never see me again!
No, there's no hope! [Laughter]