W3AM I PROJECTLaurie Alphonse

W3 AM I

Where AM I… Who AM I… Where AM I going?

Framework

Contributors to this project are:

• People who have had early onset disability before age 18.

• Willing to share their stories• Journey towards independence

including the challenges• Struggles with self worth & Self-

Esteem• Successes and Failures

Goals

• Giving people with disabilities tools to manage the challenges of maintaining a positive outlook

• Provide tools for building self-worth and self esteem in a society where body image is so important

• Encourage the sharing of stories to help ourselves and help others

Stories of Ourselves

• What is the nature of your disability?• When did you realize the impact of

your disability? (positive or negative)• What barriers do you have to negotiate

daily?• What is your approach to life, attitude

overall?• Do you have specific ways of

managing the affects of disability in daily life.

Stories ….Continued

• How did you come to discover the strategies that you use?

• Are your strategies entrenched or are they

evolving?• How do you think this is different than

the able-bodied population?

Themes of Discussion

• How Parents Attitude about Disability Effects Child’s Development

• The Role of Coping Mechanism in the Development of Self-Esteem (Accomplishing Self-Management)

• The Role of Supports• Helping and Hindering Development

• Celebrating Successes• Finding Self-Esteem, where there is none• Impacts of External Factors such as Race,

Class, Gender, Culture Roles

Themes of Discussion

How Parents Attitude about Disability Effects Child’s Development

Role of Coping Mechanism in the Development of Self-Esteem

(Accomplishing Self-Management)

Role of Supports -Helping and Hindering Development

Celebrating Successes

Finding Self-Esteem, where there is none

Adding External Factors of Race, Class, Gender, Culture Roles

How Parents Attitude about Disability Effects Child’s Development

What informs parents experiences about disability•overall exposure to disability positive or negative

• level of education and socioeconomic standing

•access to support

Attitude of medical professionals about overall prognosis (positive or

negative.

Role of Coping Mechanisms in the Development of Self-Esteem (Accomplishing Self-Management)1. What are our coping mechanisms2. How did we discover them3. Have our coping mechanisms ever been

subject to the judgement of others (good or bad)

4. Has our mechanisms opened/closed doors for us

Role of Supports -Helping and Hindering Development

Testing:• Medical• EducationalHelp to determine diagnosis and

educational adjustments Hinder: Limit forward progress

Working to diagnosisLimit education and career prospects

Finding Self-Esteem, where there is none• Finding activities you are good at

and enjoy.• Start Feeling good about the

whole you.• Embracing the good with the bad

in life.

Celebrating Successes

• What do we consider successful?

• What criteria do we use to define success in this context?

External Factors of Race, Class, Gender, Culture Roles• Is it possible to consider impacts of

external factors in isolation of the impact of disability?

• Where is separation?• Is separation necessary?