The power of Choice

  So   college  for me has  been a bumpy  ride to say the least.     From  being   terrified on my first  semester  of college to  powering through  to  the horrible inaccessible  experience at the  private university  down the street from my house.   Its been very hard.




  What makes it even harder was that I  believed  I  had no choice.  

 First Pay Check  12/15/ 14

      You  see as a disabled person  you do not  really get choices.  Ok  sure I had  the option of   choosing what I wanted  to eat and stuff but  the big ones i did not have a say.   In  high school I did not  have a say  where I wanted to work  and  messed up  on the job.   Back in  November  I  applied to a place  I have always wanted to work ever since I  went to  visit colleges back in high school.  I wanted to  work at the book store.   In  November  I got my wish.   This past week  I got my first pay check  and it felt good to earn money.  I am  one of the best workers.  I  take my job seriously and  am  learning a ton about the book business.   This is a far cry to  the placements  I had in high school.  I  chose what  I  wanted  to do.


 Now back to colleges, My  faith has been tested and if you asked me on  Friday morning will  I  finish college?  The  answer was.

  I do not know.

 A good problem to have 

  It has been  really hard to go through school with people that are ablest and who are not patient. I felt that I did not have a choice because when I  went in the spring  to apply to another school my parents  said no  i had to go  back to school that i hated. So  I did this past fall.  I took one class  from a teacher  whose cousin had CP.  So they understood me and helped me out with the projects  and  did not  think  anything of it.  I  had a fantastic  time there.  Which was  saying a lot.  I  always  felt respected. I  even had fun,

  Dealing with the administration was very hard though. After my advisor  was not nice to me  I   got  really sad.  It took a week to  recover  but I did.

     The day before thanksgiving I went to my advisor at the JC  who told me that I still had time to apply to CSU.  I thought i missed the deadline. I  got  right on it and was able to  apply before the window closed at the end of the month.

   On friday  I  got into  my first choice of schools for the fall of 2015.  I  am  soo happy.  I have options  I have  choice.



            I CAN NOW SAY  THAT IT IS NOT A MATTER OF IF  I  FINISH COLLEGE  BUT  WHEN  I FINSH COLLEGE.



   

 Now I have to chose my  path just like Pocahontas.  I might be able to finish  faster if  I stay at the private school but at least now  I have a backup plan
  This  was my favorite movie in Pre School.  Probably because  Pocahontas had my same skin tone 

  To all parents of children with disabilities  please  give your children choices, Teach them that  their voice matters.  Ask them what they want to be when they grow up and help them  get there.    Everyone should be given the power of choice.   Presume that all children can make choices.   Do not   try to guess what they  want  because you could be dead wrong.  Give them the tools and confidence to know that they can change the world.




 Got  Images from

http://www.manataka.org/images/Choices%201.jpg





https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wBMloVl1WxJTmipjLGbg3M9YAM9BJyLWBcFKoAZm0HAVtHymHtH5QITnIP2yMB1w_g5PnhXZ_Jk0vMDOxxIO288SGwMAA8dL-XC64hiWrc4oJ6pezIyR1yUZr3E08MjsU6HszYxmgIzs/s1600/compass.jpg

Week in review

 First paycheck   Hung out with friends a great week 

AZ week in review

 This week i turned in a essay  saw my grandma survived a storm  

Week in review

This week I took the bus to meet tim shriver 

Inclusion matters because __________________

  Hay  guys  so this week is Inclusive Schools Week

  I  asked  people to  fill in the blank with their own words.
                          Inclusion matter because ____________________________.



  Here  is  what   Parents that have children with disabilities    said.

Inclusion matters because my daughter is no less of a person than yours.

 Inclusion matters because disability is a normal part of life.

" Inclusion matters because [its the] same age kids just different rates of learning! Enriches everyone's lives!" (added  to make  the sentience flow better )

"Inclusion matters because everyone needs to feel like they fit in somewhere."

"Inclusion matters because it works!"

" Inclusion matters because [its the] same age kids just different rates of learning! Enriches everyone's lives!" (added  to make  sense )

"Inclusion matters because it enriches everyones life."

It matters because it allows everyone to have the chance to become the people they are meant to be. Because each of us are divine and sacred and with inclusion we send that message.

 Inclusion matters because  it means we are all equal 

Inclusion matters because disabilities are part of the human experience. We all have different abilities, strengths, weaknesses. Inclusion matters because we teach all students that we need to embrace and accept all people no matter their differences, and that when we all work together, we all benefit from the experience. Inclusive schools foster the building of an inclusive society.

 Inclusion matters because   everyone wants to be included






Inclusion matters because my daughter is no less of a person than yours.

 Inclusion matters because disability is a normal part of life.

" Inclusion matters because [its the] same age kids just different rates of learning! Enriches everyone's lives!" (added  to make  the sentience flow better )

I asked  people I know  and  this is  what they said 

 A local mom who has a child  with CP said

Inclusion matters because we all have to live in this world together, the earlier everyone learns that the better

 An Author who wrote a book about inclusion said.

 Inclusion matters because we all live together, work together and play together. We don't have special towns, special jobs...so there should be no special education. Only services." The author of Who's the Slow Learner who I met this past March.  

My Uncle , says.

"Inclusion matters because humans are not solitary animals. The need for togetherness is strong in our species."

 

My  second grade   teacher says

"Inclusion matters because all individuals disabled or not,should be entitled to equal opportunity, choice and equal access to education, and community resources."







What I Say

Inclusion matters because separate is not equal. We all only have one life so its important to make the most out of it. Inclusion allows people with disabilities a chance to have memories. As I look back on my school years, my favorite memories happened alongside peers. I enjoyed going on field trips in elementary school. I enjoyed science experiments in high school. I went to prom. I learned about our countries history. I wrote stories. In short I had a childhood similar to those in my town. Inclusion also matters because it means that future generations may not be as ablest as previous generations and it gives me confidence to explore my community on my own because although I may be different , I have been taught that this is much my world as an able bodied person.

Pleas note if your child's photo is up here it is because someone gave me their photo to =use if you want it taken down let me know asap by leaving a comment or emailing me at azchapman1991@gmail.com

Thanksgiving weekend

Weekinreview Thankagiving week 2014

AZSWEEKINREVIEW

This week was spent working on a essay and preparing for next week