Julian’s Progress

Yesterday was my daughter’s wedding. It was a wonderful affair, and she and my new son-in-law organized the whole thing. It was a Baha’i wedding, with many elements from the Jewish tradition as well.

For the past several months, I have been working out at the YMCA, with one goal… that I be able to dance at her wedding! To think that way back when I was just starting out on this journey, at the physiotherapist’s at the hospital, I chided the physio’s assistant for referring to the joys of dancing while working with me, a quadriplegic who showed absolutely no signs of ever being able to stand, let alone walk or dance.

Well, I have been working out, practicing standing and walking, and generally getting stronger and stronger. Here I am dancing with my daughter:

What I find most amusing, is that before my spinal cord injury I hardly ever used to dance, and didn’t consider myself a very good dancer. 

It has been a while since I posted anything here, but that is largely because I have been teaching Computer Science full time at the College where I work. It is now the winter break.

I had quite a job convincing the College to take me back full time after being on the disability list for about two years. They seemed to be reluctant to make some simple adaptations to my work environment (principally the bathrooms), but after I consulted a lawyer, and he explained what I needed to say to them, they agreed to the adaptations. Also, they chose to disagree with my doctor’s assessment of my suitability to work, and requested a second opinion from their own physician. Since he too recommended that I return to work full time, with the proper support environment, they had to acquiesce.

It does sadden me, though, to think of the many “disabled” people who could be contributing both to their own sense of self, and to society, who are simply collecting benefits, living near the poverty line, just because some administrator somewhere does not want to improve the workplace so as to make it accessible. I also consider myself extremely fortunate in that I was in a position to be able to consult a lawyer. Not everyone has the means or the ability to be able to pursue matters to the extent that I did. Of course, I am also known for my determination.

So how was the teaching? Well, the first few days back were a bit challenging, but I had not been teaching for about three years, so that was to be expected. After that, my main challenges remained the physical environment, since many of the adaptations had not been done, and are only to be completed in January. The courses went well, and the students didn’t seem to mind being taught by someone in a wheelchair. As usual, the ones who worked throughout the semester passed, and those who did not, failed. All in all, academically speaking, a pretty normal semester.