Recreational Activity for the Disabled (Bowling)

How did Lydia think of this project? She writes:

“After reading a student past project from Britney VanBockel about advocacy training, I realized that brain injuries can occur to anyone due to car accidents, strokes, domestic violence, falls, or work place accidents… Her story made me think of another way to continue her work and design a project like hers. I have a passion and experience of working with people who have physical and mental disabilities. I decided that I will volunteer to work at Maplewood community as a recreation group assistant (mental health care) on the weekends for 2-4 hours.

The goal of my project is to involve the disabled people in community activities, and this will make them realize that they are important in the society. Recreational activities help disabled people to learn new skills, improve their health, and reduce their stress, or target behaviors. Also, it will enable me to get experience and skills to act on social problems facing disabled people such as low self-esteem, anxiety, and isolation.”

How does Lydia’s project relate to material in Ethics class? She writes:

“My project (assisting disabled people with recreational activity-bowling) helps me develop the following virtues: Appreciation, charity, helpfulness, friendship, and social responsibility. Appreciation means to value someone for who they are regardless of their physical appearance. Helpfulness is a way of assisting people who need services that they are unable to perform. Friendship means a relationship where people get to meet others so as to know one another and share a common goal (such as playing games together or teaching). Charity means meeting the direct needs of others via volunteering. Social responsibility means having an obligation to care for the community, or society. These virtues are developed by making them a habit via practicing. For instance, going to AMF Bowling Saxon Lanes every Saturdays to assist a group of disabled people as assigned by my supervisor is a way of practicing all these virtues.”

Lydia was able to accomplish much in her project. But, she recognizes that there is more work to do. She reflects on how she might get at the root of the problem and do more justice. She writes:

“I didn’t get at the root of the problem by doing justice which Weston describes as working to solve the root source of the problem. For instance, attending Advocacy Training for the disabled would have been a way of doing justice. From the Minnesota Brain Injury Alliance, people with disabilities in our communities have various basic needs that needs to be addressed. For instance, health care, housing, transportation, employment, and finances are some of the basic needs for the people with disabilities. We need to advocate for people with disabilities in our community so as to improve the outcomes for people with disability in certain basic needs. These changes in my project (attending Advocacy Training) could include both aspects of justice and charity.”