Almost four in the afternoon on Columbus Day, and I am still wishing I was in D.C. What an absolutely amazing city to be in. The people are interesting, the sites beautiful, the adventures fun, and the opportunities ripe. Maybe it was just the company I was with, but I couldn’t have asked for a more amazing weeked. Sam, if you read this, thank you so much for getting me away from the monotony of CT, and showing me an excellent time. I know I heard you say sorry a million times, but it was an absolute blast!
From walking the streets of Georgetown to running across the Potomac and beside Arlington National Cemetary, this place is just so…patriotic. I really feel like I belong when I go to D.C. The more I think about it, I can see myself starting my adult-hood living in, or near our nation’s capital. It would be so nice to wake up every morning, stretch, run along the Potomac, get back to my apartment, work somewhere significant, come home at night and walk the streets of D.C.
Anyhow, there was something that happened that really moved me over the weeked. Some show on A&E at around 2:00 AM Saturday was focused on the effects of the American with Disabilities Act and what lead to its creation. There is a background to why this is significant to me. I have spent 20 years of my life with an uncle who is mentally retarded (extrememly high functioning, basically my big brother), a mother and sister who both are special education teachers, and an ex-girlfriend’s sister who has a genetic disorder called ML4. My point is, that I have been exposed to many different sides of the human condition, and consistently I have wanted to nothing but find some way to help. My obvious passion is with computers, so since the sixth grade, I have always believed that I could use computers to make a difference.
In the Fall of ’03 I took a course in Human-Computer Interaction and this resparked my nascent interest in special needs/assitive technology. Now, while I have been home on co-op I have been doing computer work, about once a week with a gentlemen who has cerebal palsy. A fervent lover of Israel and all things Jewish “Phil,” has become a trusted and close friend of mine. While I teach him how to use the computer, he has shown me a lot about working with people of different conditions (this is NOT a matter of “normal” vs. “abnormal” as he likes to joke about). Watching him discover ways to adapt to computer use, with his lack of fine-motor skills in his hands is amazing. He uses a mouse with his feet, and use a rubberized stick to type on the keyboard. All I can think, is that there must be an easier way for people with C.P. and other disorders to adapt to compuer use. When I get back to school, I hope I have the opportunity to work on these ideas as some sort of research project with my HCI professor. Got to see what happens.
Other notes of interest…Emanuel Synagogue finally got in touch with me to do my Israel Advocacy presentation, so I have started to put that together. If you have any suggestions to teaching high schools students about advocating for Israel, drop my a comment. I am off to Purchase, NY this weekend to see my best friend Sara, and my lighting mentee from H.S. Brian, I can’t wait.
