Megan Narveson

HONRS 375

Dr. Emma Morin

November 26, 2022

Intercultural Engagement Competency

As a part of my Sensitivity to Disability class, I completed an assignment where I

interviewed an individual with a disability. This assignment was designed to raise awareness to

our immediate judgements and prejudices surrounding those with disabilities. The most difficult

part of this assignment was finding someone who experiences a disability that I did not know

prior to the interview. I chose to interview a woman who attends my church, but whom I did not

know personally, who had a stroke several years ago and still experiences symptoms today. I did

not know what to expect in terms of my thoughts during this interview because I do not have any

immediate relatives or friends with disabilities. This being said, prior to this assignment I did not

have many interactions with someone who experiences a disability. Completing this assignment

entailed conducting the interview, taking notes, researching the disability, summarizing the

interaction, and reflecting on my own thoughts and feelings. Then, I incorporated all this

information into a reflection paper.

To begin the paper, I included a detailed description of the woman’s story. This

experience was very meaningful to me because it forced me to sit with my own thoughts while I

chatted with an individual who had very different life experience than I do. The professor asked

that we be very honest with ourselves about any potential biases or judgements we were making

about the person with a disability. Several times I found myself feeling sorry for Kim and having

thoughts like: “this could happen to me.” I felt bad for her because she walked with a limp, and I
assumed that it meant she was in pain. Furthermore, when Kim told me about her family and that

she had two kids, I realized how real this condition was. It could happen to one of my family

members. It could even happen to me. My conversation with Kim was very eye-opening and

made me realize how fortunate I am as a person who has not experienced the hardships that Kim

has. It also helped me to think about the importance of being willing to adapt for those who are

not as fortunate as me. For example, I found out that Kim walks with a cane, struggles with

balance, and has very little movement or feeling in her foot. She described how hard it is to plan

travel or vacations because of her disability. This made me realize how important it is to have

resources like the cart that shuttles people around the airport. I will admit that I have often

thought of those types of things as useless, but after interviewing Kim I have a better

understanding of why those resources are available. I can say with confidence that I understand

Kim’s culture better now. I understand that people with disabilities often prefer person-first

language because it puts the person before the condition. Other times, they may want identity-

first language because it shows that the condition is not something to be ashamed of. Because of

these differentiations in personal preferences, it is important to ask the individual which style of

language they prefer. I know that people with disabilities like when others offer to help, but it is

frustrating when it is forceful. Also, it is important to know that they have the same needs as

people who do not have disabilities, they just have a unique way of fulfilling these needs. For

example, I learned that Kim joined a group for people who have had a stroke, where she learned

how to do everyday tasks in a way that is efficient for her. It focused on giving her the

opportunity to get back to daily living in a way that would be her new “normal.”

Throughout this experience I was forced to ask myself questions like, “What assumptions

am I making based on my prior beliefs or experiences?” This assignment forced me to dig deep
within myself and be brutally honest with what I found. It made me think about prejudices and

judgements that we make daily, both consciously and subconsciously. Before this assignment I

did not think that I made any snap judgements about people with disabilities but what I

concluded from the assignment was drastically different. For example, I was more worried about

offending an individual with a disability because I assumed that they were more fragile or aware

of how they were being spoken to. I also thought about why I made the assumptions that I did.

Was it because I felt pity, sadness, and fear? Throughout this class I noticed that I feared

something would happen to one of my family members or to me that would cause a disability. I

felt guilty that these people had to go through so much in this aspect of their life, whereas I have

not.

I will utilize this experience to approach others in a more respectful and caring manner.

In the future I want to be an athletic coach for a collegiate cross-country team. Injuries are

unfortunately common with running, especially stress injuries. Fractures typically result in the

use of a boot, crutches, or a wheelchair. Since I will encounter these types of injuries in my

future career with my cross-country athletes it is important for me to look back on this

experience for guidance. Injuries can be classified as temporary disabilities so being aware of

language I use when communicating with injured athletes is crucial. I will need to be sensitive to

their frustrations while also being able to push them to do what they can to maintain their fitness

and return to competition.