My Support

My first area of support is my friends and family.  I have coworker friends, friends from childhood, close family, and family far away. I connect with these supports continuously throughout the day, whether it be a quick greeting in the staff room or an hourlong phone call. These supports help me emotionally and physically because they brighten my mood and help me maintain healthy habits in my life. Without them, I speculate that I would not see a reason to better myself, which means I would not be going to school or even holding a job. I would be very unhappy.

Another area of support is economic. My economic support system stems from my job and helps me pay for a variety of things. It pays for my car which transports me to my job and allows me to be successful. My economic support also helps me attend a graduate program for my field of study. It feeds me and shelters me and supports me to move my life forward. Without this economic support, I would not be able to keep a job or go to school or be healthy. I would likely be homeless and malnourished.

My glasses are an area of support. They help me to see. Without them, I would not be able to drive or complete most types of jobs, including my job with toddlers because of safety and specific

Technology and the internet is a source of support. Almost any question I have can be answered at the push of a button. It connects me with instant and customizable entertainment, with my education, with distant friends and family members, and more. I think the most important aspect of modern technology in my life is that it connects me with my school. Being able to complete an online program has allowed me to keep my job. Without technology, including my laptop, I would not be able to keep my job if I wanted to attend school. I also would have to spend more time in the library. I would have fewer options and resources for entertainment. I think without technology, my life would simply be more work, and daily tasks would take longer. For example, every morning I look up the hourly weather on my phone to see if I should bring rain boots or snow pants to work with me. I suppose I could leave these items in the car, but another alternative would be to watch the weather report on TV or to check the newspaper, which shows weather for an area quite wide. Without technology, I would be inconvenienced a lot, but more importantly, I would not be able to attend school and keep my job. I also would not be able to speak as frequently to my distant friends and family.

The challenge I chose to imagine is having a young child who uses a wheelchair. My first line of thinking is the physical needs- I would need support in customizing my home to be wheelchair accessible. I might need support financially to create this environment. I might need financial support and the support of an expert to find an appropriate vehicle for my child's equipment. I would need support from medical professionals on how to care for my child and which wheelchairs to purchase. I would likely appreciate the support from an insurance company to help pay for the costs of medical care. Support would be needed from my child's care program or school to ensure that my child's medical and physical needs were being met. I would also need support emotionally, since having this challenge might impact me emotionally. I would likely appreciate support from a spouse to help care for the child since his or her medical needs may be strenuous. My child and I would need support from all people in our social circles to ensure that venues for events my child and I would attend would be wheelchair accessible. The list of supports goes on and on. Without these supports, my child and I could be left feeling left-out or even maybe humiliated. I could wind up with injuries to myself from trying to carry my child as he or she aged. I might be financially unstable or even living in poverty because I can't afford the medical care and all the accomodations. I can't imagine trying to live without the supports I listed because it seems exceptionally difficult. I am imainging the possibility of a child who cannot move around but also cannot afford a wheelchair. This would be absolutely devastating to me as a parent because it would feel as though there were a significant limitation. Lack of these supports would lead to my child not being able to fulfill their potential, and me feeling inadequate as a parent and unable to fufill my potential as an advocate for my child.