I was surprised to see disempowering listed as a barrier.

I believe in listening to everyone, but I

hadn’t thought deeply about a person with a disability having knowledge of what is best. An eye-opening

moment was the Geraldo Rivera interview with Willowbrook resident Bernard, and Bernard’s cry for

education as he wanted to learn to read. This assignment demonstrated that the best of intentions to provide

for those with disabilities could lead to severe development limitations and loss of dignity, when we are

imposing what we think is best rather than considering the person being imposed on.

I have never seen this as an attitude projected onto me, but I have seen disempowerment placed on

others. We live in a world of overprotected parents who - under the best of intentions - seek to shelter their

children from physical, mental, or emotional pain. They want to protect their kids and soften the blows of

everyday life. This kind parenting can lead to chronic anxiety, underdevelopment of coping mechanisms, and

an overdependency on parents.

I have driven disempowerment myself, in generalizing and overprotecting family members. My

father’s recent end-of-life journey changed that. There are inescapable realities in aging and dying, and

medicine often runs counter to the idea of dying with dignity. To use an analogy, doctors are taught that

medical treatment is a hammer, and illness is a nail; as a result, disease continues no matter what the impact.

When my father first began his decline, I read Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul

Gawande. Gawande emphasized the importance of retaining human dignity and allowing the patient the

ability to choose or not to choose treatment. Before reading that book, I had never questioned the decision of

a doctor, not realizing this was a path of disempowerment. We need to ensure the rights or powers for all –

including those with disabilities – remains so people are allowed to make their own decisions.

I just accepted a job teaching high school algebra and geometry at San Ramon Valley High in the

fall. I must do all I can to enable the students to have a voice and an input on their own. I will work to give

my students a forum to voice their opinions for constructive and timely feedback. I will incorporate into my

curriculum input from students on what is important to them in math. I will jump in to work with students

and look to build a collaborative culture. I hope to create an environment where people don’t feel

disempowered and no voice, but a place where they feel respected and influential!