mute

This week at BYU is Accessibility Awareness Week. Yesterday and today, the University Accessibility Center set up a few booths around campus. At these booths were explanations of a bunch of different disabilities some students have. There were disabilities like leg and arm impairment, leg and arm loss, speech impairment, hearing impairment, speech and hearing impairment, tunnel vision, and dyslexia.

So, as part of this awareness week, they had a challenge for students. We could pick one of the disabilities and take that on for a few hours. They had wheel chairs, crutches, arm bandages, tunnel vision glasses, and ear plugs. I chose to do the speech impairment. So I had to sign a release form, and at that moment, I was mute and could not speak with my mouth until my challenge was complete. The things they had listed for me were

1. Get directions to one of your classes
2. Listen to your favorite music for a half hour and don't sing along
3. Go to the library LRC and check out a music CD
4. Attend classes

It was so hard! First I went to my D&C class. I never realized how many questions and comments I have in class. Luckily Sarah is in there with me, and I wrote down my questions so she asked the teacher for me. It was really frustrating not being able to ask myself, especially if things he said would spur further questions, or if I needed clarification.

From there, I decided to ask for directions to my next class. I got out my notebook and wrote, "Could you direct me to the JSB?" and walked outside. I stopped a passing girl who looked startled and confused. Then I pointed to my notebook, she read it and asked loudly and very exaggerated, "ARE YOU DEAF??" I shook my head and mouthed "Mute" and pointed to my mouth. She just said, "Um, okay well, follow me." She didn't look at me, acted very nervous and didn't talk to me. We got close to it, and she pointed and said, "There it is." I signed, "Thank you," and she said, "Yep." And walked away. It was an interesting experience. Just because I can't speak doesn't mean that I'm stupid. It made me realize I need to watch myself so I don't act differently to disabled people. They want to be treated the same.

I then went to my Stats class, which was easier since I don't ask questions in there. With a class of 700 students, one is always bound to ask my questions before I even realize that I'm confused. My new friend, Jordan, is in there. We met in class last week and sit by each other and discuss the lecture with each other. So I did miss that. Okay, I lied. When I have a question, I ask Jordan. So I just wrote my questions down to him.

After that, I ventured to the library to get a CD. This was a better experience. I looked up the call number on the catalogue, wrote it down, and went up to the Music/Dance Library desk. I decided to get the Mormon Tabernacle Choir CD, "Called to Serve" because I've heard it before, and it's incredible. Anyway, I went up to the desk, and gave the attendant my notebook with the call number and a question about where to return the CD. The girl at the desk was sooo nice. I really wish I couldn't told her about my experience earlier and how helpful and kind she was being to me. But I couldn't speak and didn't want to write it all down. That made me really sad. I really wish I could've told her that I appreciated her.

After that, I listened to Across the Universe on my iPod. Which was hard! I wanted to sing soooo badly! It's my favorite thing to sing along to and I couldn't! After that, I was finished and went back to the Wilk to watch a short video. And I get a t-shirt for finishing it, too. I'll wear it with pride.

I am so incredibly grateful for the gifts that I have, and that I have been blessed with the working body that I have. I also have incredible respect for anyone with a disability. They are much more courageous and brave than I, and more so than a lot of people. This has taught me how to respect them and that they are normal people that just want to be treated like everyone else. This was an incredible experience.