Steven Arriaza
Psychology and Business Administration
Honors Sensitivity to Disability
This class remains one of the most rewarding and challenging classes I ever took while in college. From the beginning, the topics covered in class offered unique, challenging perspectives. There are many types of disabilities, some permanent and some temporary, some visible and some not-visible. A stark realization was that at any point, a person’s life is susceptible to change to the point of acquiring a disability. I believe my professor chose to lead with these remarks to make us aware of the reality of disabilities. Specifically, that beyond physical appearances, differences in beliefs or creed, a disability can continue to impact a person’s life further (Knowledge and Understanding Level 2). The many guest speakers we had in class testified to this fact. The need for normalcy that humans experience was in a way aggravated for many of our guests at some point in their life. Many found comfort surrounding themselves with others like them. However, a real challenge arises when one begins to think about the nature of disability and seeking comfort with others like you. The different expressions of disabilities make this task difficult. I can safely say that the many topics covered in class gave me the tools to understand people deeper (Knowledge and Understanding Level 3).
Global Citizenship
Sensitivity to Disability
However, perhaps the hardest realization I made during this class was coming to terms with my own disability. Having a non-visible disability, I had been quick to dismiss my experiences and circumstances. However, I realized that my multicultural self was affected greatly by my disability. Crudely, no matter what my predominant culture or belief, my interactions will always be affected by my disability (Self-awareness level 3). Although a hard realization, its not meant to be defeatist. On the contrary, this class provided tools to help understand the nature of disability and the ways in which people come to terms with them. Having painted such a real, raw, and personal perspective towards human nature, this class gave me a thorough understanding of what it means to be a Global Citizen.