Living Disabled in Boise: an Ethnography on the Disability Community in the Boise Area
Jackie Blue
April 13, 2013
English 102
Ethnography
Living Disabled in Boise: An Ethnography on the Disability Community in the Boise Area
A man named Alphonse Carr once said “Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses” (“Disability Quotes Collection”). I am the oldest of four children of a single mother. All of my siblings are developmentally delayed. Seeing as how my first sibling was born when I was a year and a half old, I have been part of the disability community here in Boise for nearly my whole life. I have found that there is beauty in the mess that comes with being disabled. I am intrigued now, as an adult training people to work with the developmentally delayed, as to how this culture has helped or hurt the individuals who comprise it. And so, I set out to study it. I work for Access Behavioral Health services. We provide developmental therapy to people of all ages who are not meeting developmental milestones. Those milestones include anything from potty training to budgeting. I have seen this be very beneficial to some clients, and completely hopeless for others. As far as ability and behaviors go, I think it would surprise many people to know how extremely often I’ve observed that it is much more nurture related than nature. Environment and consistency play a huge part in how well a client is going to do in therapy. Our techs can do their best to one-on-one help them to reach their goals, but quite often this is undone by the family because they do not perform the necessary maintenance. If I came from a different background, perhaps I would find this more neglectful. But I know exactly how exhausting it is to struggle day in, and day out to care for family members who suffer from delays and disabilities. In many cases, it is much easier to do something for someone than it is to slow down and hold someone’s hand to get it done. That is why there are supports available in Boise such as
April 13, 2013
English 102
Ethnography
Living Disabled in Boise: An Ethnography on the Disability Community in the Boise Area
A man named Alphonse Carr once said “Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses” (“Disability Quotes Collection”). I am the oldest of four children of a single mother. All of my siblings are developmentally delayed. Seeing as how my first sibling was born when I was a year and a half old, I have been part of the disability community here in Boise for nearly my whole life. I have found that there is beauty in the mess that comes with being disabled. I am intrigued now, as an adult training people to work with the developmentally delayed, as to how this culture has helped or hurt the individuals who comprise it. And so, I set out to study it. I work for Access Behavioral Health services. We provide developmental therapy to people of all ages who are not meeting developmental milestones. Those milestones include anything from potty training to budgeting. I have seen this be very beneficial to some clients, and completely hopeless for others. As far as ability and behaviors go, I think it would surprise many people to know how extremely often I’ve observed that it is much more nurture related than nature. Environment and consistency play a huge part in how well a client is going to do in therapy. Our techs can do their best to one-on-one help them to reach their goals, but quite often this is undone by the family because they do not perform the necessary maintenance. If I came from a different background, perhaps I would find this more neglectful. But I know exactly how exhausting it is to struggle day in, and day out to care for family members who suffer from delays and disabilities. In many cases, it is much easier to do something for someone than it is to slow down and hold someone’s hand to get it done. That is why there are supports available in Boise such as
Cited: Blue, Abigail Rose. Telephone Interview. 13 April 2013. Blue, Cynthia. Telephone Interview. 13 April 2013. "Disability Quotes Collection." Disabled World. Disability-World, 25 Jul 2009. Web. 13 Apr 2013. . Newman, David. Sociology: Exploring the Architecture of Everyday Life. 8 ed. Pine Forge Press, 2010. 31. Print. Tangen, Niccolia. Telephone Interview. 13 April 2013.