Introduction
The main aim of this assignment was to interact with individual with disabilities. To achieve this goal, I volunteered at the St. Johns Home of the Handicapped. St. Johns mainly deals with helping individuals who have physical disabilities to live their lives on a positive note. Like in many other help centers, this is achieved through their interaction with the officials of the center, volunteers and visitors who help (Falvo, 2009).
To give them the moral support that they need, there is always sharing of chores between disabled individuals and those people who are physically fit. While at the center, I worked with an old colleague of mine, Jim who suffered from multiple sclerosis. His muscles were extremely weak, complained of muscle spasm and at times, he had difficulty in movement.
A description of the activity
During my time at the center, my main duty was to conduct clerical work. Under this docket, it was my duty to receive donations of all kinds, take their records and ensure that they are stored safely. The main task for this day was to ensure that these boxes were well stored at the storage facility while working as a team.
Attitude towards the Even
Volunteering to work for community-based organization has always been one of my main hobbies. In the process of working with such organization, one always gets the chance of helping the entire community through their efforts, an essential factor in ensuring community sustainability. As a result of this, my feeling towards this work was positive.
Events of the Day
My interaction with people at the community center was easier than I expected. The ease of interaction with the people at the community center dispelled the fear that I had towards new relations. I thought that I would do most of the work since the person that I was assigned to work with (Jim) was disabled. However, my opinion changed as the day progressed. He was brilliant at whatever task came his way. Despite his disability, Jim was able to carry some of the lighter boxes to the store. His work rate and personality were equally amazing.
Interaction and Expectations
While at the center, I was able to interact with people from different cultures and backgrounds. I was also able to interact and understand individuals with disabilities. From my experience at the center, I came to realize that indeed, these individuals are able to accomplish a lot if they are given the chance. In addition, I also realized that interacting with “new” people is simple especially when you are working to achieve a specific goal. Finally, I learned a lot about multiple sclerosis and how it affected the patient.
Feelings about the Activity following the Event
After the brief stint as a volunteer, I learned that it is true that disability does not limit the ability of individuals. Every individual in the community center had his or her own unique personality and talent (Falvo, 2009). Moreover, I felt more confident about my future interactions with other people. This is because the ease of interaction with the people at the community center changed my opinion of the world.
Conclusion
This social interaction assignment was a revelation. From the experience, I learned a lot about people with disability. This experienced changed the thoughts and attitude that I had towards them as a result of the understandings that I learned from my experience. As a result, I would recommend that all of the students should undertake this activity and learn about other aspects of life.
Reference
Falvo, D. (2009). Medical and Psychological Aspects of Chronic Illness and Disability. Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers