My Supports

I have emotional supports, practical supports, and physical supports. My husband provides emotional support to me. He is there to help me do things around the house. He helps me with our two year old daughter. He provides financial support by working and helping to pay our bills. If I did not have my husband, I would have to do every thing on my own. I would not have the house that I have now. I would not have my daughter. I would have to live with my parents because I would not have been able to afford to have a house of my own.

Technology is another source of support that I use everyday. I use my phone to communicate with others. I use my computer to communicate, pay bills, do my taxes, and school work. The technology that I use helps me to accomplish tasks much quicker than I would without them. I would have to find other ways to accomplish tasks without the use of my computer and phone. Some of these tasks would take much longer to complete and would cost more money.

I chose the challenge of being blind. I chose this because my grandmother was legally blind before she died. My dad has an eye disease that makes it likely that he will become blind later. I would want emotional support from family and friends. I would like practical support such as tools to make life a little easier. A walking stick and seeing eye dog would be nice tools to help me get around better. A ramp would also make things a little easier because I would not have to go up and down steps at my house. Physical support such as family helping me to do tasks around the house. I feel it would be very difficult to be blind without these physical, emotional, and practical supports. Without these supports I would have to find ways to get around by myself. I would definitely feel overwhelmed and would need to rely on my senses of hearing and touch to help me get through many tasks during the day.

My Connections to Play

Pausing to listen to an airplane in the sky, stooping to watch a ladybug on a plant, sitting on a rock to watch the waves crash over the quayside—children have their own agendas and timescales. As they find out more about their world and their place in it; they work hard not to let adults hurry them. We need to hear their voices.
Cathy Nutbrown
Contemporary British educational theorist


Creative people are curious, flexible, persistent, and independent with a tremendous spirit of adventure and a love of play.

Henri Matisse
French painter
 1869–1954
http://www.thestrong.org/about-play/play-quotes





I was happy if I had a bucket, shovel, dirt, and water.

My parents supported play by allowing me to play with friends in my neighborhood. The only requirement that they had was to know where I was. My Grandma supported my play by playing games with me. I always got bored easily and she would play all kinds of card and board games with me.

I feel play has changed over the years. When I was growing up, I played outside all the time. I played with friends in the yard, in my neighborhood, and in the woods. Play today is usually inside or outside and more in the yard. I wish that children today could play and be free to explore the outside community like I did as a child. Unfortunately, I feel there are too many bad things now to let children explore the community like they used to.

I played for hours in water, mud, digging holes in the woods, swinging on vines from trees,  and climbing in trees growing up. I spent time going on trails and exploring at the power plant. I wish my daughter could have the carefree play experiences I had. I feel as parents it is not safe to let children wonder out of our sight anymore. Monitored play times is the norm now.