{"id":17994,"date":"2024-11-11T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-11T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nsm-seating.com\/?p=17994"},"modified":"2024-11-04T16:50:36","modified_gmt":"2024-11-04T21:50:36","slug":"a-breath-of-fresh-air","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nsm-seating.com\/journal\/a-breath-of-fresh-air\/","title":{"rendered":"A Breath of Fresh Air"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Just a few weeks into his freshman year of college, Alex Johnson is enjoying the independence of this new season of life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEverything\u2019s going great,\u201d the 19-year-old says. \u201cMy classes are a little challenging, but that\u2019s nothing that I didn\u2019t expect going into college. I\u2019m enjoying the independence aspect of it. I\u2019m able to be my own person and take on my own tasks.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n While Alex is enjoying his college experience, the transition from high school to college can be challenging\u2014for parents and students alike. Students have to navigate greater independence and increased responsibility while parents must take a step back and allow their children to make decisions for themselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s a stressful transition for all parents, but especially for parents of children with a disability. Alex has used a wheelchair since he was about six, and his dad, Nathan Johnson, says watching his son head off to college has been a season full of competing emotions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere were lots of emotions throughout Alex\u2019s senior year, but when it came time to move him and leave him at Lipscomb, that\u2019s when my emotions ran extremely high,\u201d Nathan recalls. \u201cThere was some anxiety and sadness, but all that faded when I realized that he is happy in his new environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe biggest transition for me is getting used to the idea of not being right there if he needs help,\u201d Nathan continues. \u201cLike many other parents working through this transition, you realized that you have been preparing your children for this stage in life. Now it\u2019s time to let go and let them soar. In our case, we had a few extra layers to deal with in preparing Alex for college.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n For Alex and his family, Alex\u2019s college decision began with touring colleges and universities. Knowing he\u2019d be rolling across campus multiple times a day, Alex wanted to make sure he was comfortable managing the campus, including classroom buildings, residence halls and simply navigating sidewalks and pathways.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div> \u201cWe started the process on the initial campus visits at different schools,\u201d Nathan recalls. \u201cWe wanted to see who was ready and who wasn\u2019t ready for a wheelchair user.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLooking at the small details\u201d down to the way Alex was included\u2014or in some cases, excluded\u2014from campus tours with other prospective students helped the Johnsons navigate Alex\u2019s final decisions about where to attend college. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOnce Alex decided to attend Lipscomb,\u201d Nathan says, \u201cthe thought process went toward making his transition as smooth as possible.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n For the Johnsons, that meant starting the conversation with Lipscomb University\u2019s Office of Accessibility and Learning Support. Dr. Misty Parsley serves as the office\u2019s executive director. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI had gotten to know Alex pretty well because he\u2019d been on campus for two years doing his wheelchair challenge, and I\u2019d gotten to know his dad,\u201d Dr. Parsley says. \u201cWhen he came, I told him, \u2018Our campus is not perfect, and we\u2019re still learning, so you have to be willing to communicate with me about what you need.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Parsley\u2019s words built upon a foundation Alex\u2019s parents had started putting in place since he was young. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe raised Alex to be as independent as possible,\u201d Nathan says. \u201cWe also raised him to know that it\u2019s OK to ask for help, and it\u2019s OK to advocate for yourself by offering a suggestion that may be helpful for wheelchair users. The majority of people are willing to help; they just need to be educated on the specific needs of wheelchair users.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Keeping the lines of communication open with Lipscomb was vital for the Johnsons as they began to prepare for Alex\u2019s freshman year. The summer before Alex started his freshman year, the family set up meetings with different departments across campus including the Office of Accessibility and Learning Supports as well as housing, financial aid and food services. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWith a wheelchair user in the family, we have learned to plan everything,\u201d Nathan says. \u201cMoving to college took a lot of planning, so, parents, start early.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Planning for all possible scenarios is something Alex and his family have been doing for most of his life, and heading to college was no different. The family arranged for a visit to a residence hall to take measurements and ask a lot of questions that helped them make informed decisions about Alex\u2019s on-campus living situation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI use both a manual and power wheelchair for my day-to-day,\u201d Alex says. \u201cSo, living with another person in a small dorm room probably wasn\u2019t going to be doable. My mom was worried that with a private room I wouldn\u2019t get out and meet people, but that hasn\u2019t happened. I\u2019m a people person, and I enjoy being around others and sharing community.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n For Nathan, talking through common tasks and the accessibility aids Alex might need to complete them on his own was another moment of transition. The family worked through the daily tasks of Alex\u2019s life to make sure he could live as independently as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBringing the closet rods down to his level, using command hooks to make drawer pulls or openers, elevating furniture so he can get his wheelchair under the desk\u2014those are all things we had to think about,\u201d Nathan says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Johnsons also had to think through all the what-ifs, which often turned into conversations with Dr. Parsley and her team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat if the power goes out?\u201d Nathan asks. \u201cWhat if Alex is on an upper floor of a building, how does he get down? Is there an accessible bathroom in the building? These are all questions Alex had to think through and advocate for to develop plans. Thankfully, Lipscomb has been wonderful at helping us get everything lined up.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n While Nathan is excited to see his son thrive in this new, more independent season of life, the transition\u2014and the conversations they\u2019ve had to have because of it\u2014haven\u2019t always been easy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019ve really let Alex take the lead on the college process,\u201d Nathan says. \u201cWhen questions have come up, we\u2019ve worked through them, but the conversation that always bothers me is the one about not being able to always go where your friends go or do the things they do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe all know that the American Disabilities Act (ADA) requires the bare minimum, so this leads to places, especially older businesses and buildings, that aren\u2019t accessible,\u201d Nathan continues. \u201cIf Alex can get in the door, can he get to a table? Use the restroom? Get to where his friends are sitting?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n But as Alex closes in on the end of his first semester of college, he couldn\u2019t be happier. He\u2019s been able to make friends, learn a lot (about himself and his major) and stretch his wings a bit. If he could give any advice to his younger self, it would be simple: <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCollege is going to be a lot better for you than high school,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019m just really enjoying my time here at college. It\u2019s been a breath of fresh air.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Navigating the Transition from High School to College for Wheelchair Users and Their Parents Just a few weeks into his freshman year of college, Alex Johnson is enjoying the independence of this new season of life. \u201cEverything\u2019s going great,\u201d the 19-year-old says. \u201cMy classes are a little challenging, but that\u2019s nothing that I didn\u2019t expect…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":18009,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[78,69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17994","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","category-hearts-of-nsm-champions"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMaking the College Decision<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Planning for Alex\u2019s Move<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Enjoying the New Season<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n