Episode 33: Adaptive the Community

Sam White

Sam White is currently attending a University in Colorado in a special K12 teaching program. In his free time he is the host of the adaptive that community podcast where he has real conversations about what it means to be disabled in the modern era. The network of people he's been able to meet throughout life and in the adaptive climbing community allows him to have wonderful conversations surrounding all facets of disability. Disability is not just a part of his life. It is truly his passion to talk about the adaptive community and disability community as a whole. He's determined to make a difference.

Social media and contact information: Adaptive the community podcast website: https://sites.google.com/view/adaptive-the-community-podcast/home?authuser=1

Adaptive the Community Podcast Instagram: @AdaptiveTheCommunityPodcast

Adaptive the Community Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiBdffyv33Di5uFD-wIUMJQ

Podcast Transcript:

Damaged Parents: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Relatively Damaged Podcast by Damaged Parents were tainted, warped, wrong people come to learn maybe just, maybe we're all a little bit damaged. Someone once told me it's safe to assume. 50% of the people I meet are struggling and feel wounded in some way. I would venture to say it's closer to 100%.

Every one of us is either currently struggling or has struggled with something that made us feel less than. Like we aren't good enough. We aren't capable. We are relatively damaged. And that's what we're here to talk about. In my ongoing investigation of the damage self, I want to better understand how others view their own challenges.

Maybe it's not so much about the damage, maybe it's about our perception and how we deal with it. There is a deep commitment to becoming who we are meant to be. How do you do that? How do you find balance after a damaging experience? My hero is the damaged person. The one who faces seemingly insurmountable odds to come out on the other side, whole.

Those who stare directly into the face of adversity with unyielding persistence to discover their purpose. These are the people who inspire me to be more fully me, not in spite of my trials, but because of them let's hear from another hero.

Today's topic includes sensitive material, which may not be appropriate for children. This podcast is provided for informational purposes only, and is not intended as advice. The opinions expressed here. We're strictly those of the person who gave them.

Today, we're going to talk with Sam White. He has many roles in his life. Brother, son, climber, breaker of stigma and more. We'll talk about how having cerebral palsy was not his biggest challenge. Instead, his biggest challenge was learning to accept himself throughout life. And how he found health and healing let's talk

 Welcome Sam White to Relatively Damage. We're so glad you're here today.

Sam White: [00:02:01] I'm looking forward to this conversation and thanks for having me.

Damaged Parents: [00:02:05] Yeah. Now you have interested I don't want to say interesting. I'm going to, my words have escaped me this morning, but the bottom line is you are the host of Adaptive, the Community Podcast. And why don't you go ahead and tell our listeners about your podcast because I was on yours and you're on mine, and this is really fun.

Sam White: [00:02:28] For sure. So at Adaptive ,the Community Podcast, our whole goal is to look at disability and the adaptive community in a different way, and have some of those conversations that you may be uncomfortable to have, or haven't heard before. So we can truly look at disability. At the level of, what does it look like in the modern era?

Because I feel like sometimes we look at it from 50 years ago or, you know, and that's where some of those signs and things like that, or designed back in those days. And sometimes if you're not part of that community, you can have a misconception of it. So I started the show to have those conversations.

Damaged Parents: [00:03:11] To ask the questions. Most people might be afraid to ask I'm thinking.

Sam White: [00:03:15] Absolutely. Exactly.

Damaged Parents: [00:03:17] Yeah, because you have cerebral palsy, right?

Sam White: [00:03:22] Yep.

Damaged Parents: [00:03:23] Okay.

 Sam White: [00:03:24] I've had cerebral palsy since birth. I was diagnosed very early on. So it's just kind of always been there

Damaged Parents: [00:03:32] Yeah no, one of the  neat things that I've learned. And I always, I think I always operated from the assumption that you can totally understand me. I don't have to slow down my speech to talk to you. It's just, maybe there's a, you know, I have friends that have cerebral palsy with, more difficulty talking then they knew.

So what is, can you just talk a little bit because I want. People don't understand. I want listeners to know that you're totally human.

Sam White: [00:04:04] Right. Sure. So, yeah, I can speak to that. Just like any disability, it really. It does have a spectrum. And we're kind of all affected in different ways. So for my cerebral palsy cerebral palsy, you'll hear it pronounced both ways. I'm at cerebral palsy, I believe is  the correct way to pronounce it.

I'm basically just my lower extremities. In other words, my legs, you know, I've got some things going on up above that like fine motor skills. That's very common with all people that have cerebral palsy. We are known to have the best fine motor skills, but yeah, no, most of my cerebral palsy is affecting me on the lower extremities.

So my legs I'll have muscle spasms and things like that on the lower half. But then there's the other side of the coin where you'll. I meet someone and I have met people where they are more effected on the upper extremities or more full body. And like, I said before, I have some of that.

It does run throughout my whole body, but the most notable is happening for me down below in the lower extremities. I'm not speaking as clearly I feel today, so I'm sorry about that.

Damaged Parents: [00:05:19] I'm with you, man. I'm with you.

Sam White: [00:05:22] but it's definitely like, I said, it's a spectrum and I think that's important to realize for all disabilities and really all abilities across the board is not, everyone's going to be affected in the same way. Yeah.

Damaged Parents: [00:05:34] Yeah. I mean, and that's something we talked about a little bit previously is, is that, what is disability and what does it mean to me in the podcast you have me on? And so I wanted to understand your perspective and that gives me some insight into how your body works

Sam White: [00:05:55] Right. Yeah, definitely.

Damaged Parents: [00:05:58] And I thought it was really interesting that you said on your pre-interview worksheet, that you're not sure if cerebral palsy is let's see, but I don't know if those are my biggest struggles being the physical cerebral palsy.

Explain that perspective for us.

Sam White: [00:06:16] Sure. So I'm not sure if I see those as my biggest struggles, because like I said, it's just been there. It's just part of life for me. So for me to say, Oh, that's been a big struggle. I've never known it any other way, so I don't have anything to compare it to.

So that's kinda why I struggled to answer that with the physical disability that I have. I've definitely don't get me wrong. I've had struggles and things like that. Kind of 2011, 2012. I had. A couple of big surgeries, and now I can look back on those and say, yes, there were some physical challenges there.

But moving forward. The biggest kind of thing that makes me question and makes me struggle is the perception of disability in the world. And I've really only come to that conclusion after pondering and thinking about it for years. My entire life really  I don't have a problem with how I look and how I move now.

But I've always struggled with that perception piece and just really what that looks like. And that really was another catalyst to start Adaptive , the Community Podcast as well  to kind of have those conversations. Yeah.

Damaged Parents: [00:07:41] Right. And so it sounds like to me, the big concern is not necessarily how you view yourself, but how others have a perception of who you are based on your physical capacity.

Sam White: [00:07:56] Absolutely. So at times in my life I've let it, you know, Oh, I don't want someone to look at me and I don't want to be uncomfortable. Because it's going to make someone else uncomfortable. And now what I say is I'm unapologetically Sam. In other words, I'm going to do what I want to do. And if people want to look at me, if people want to ask me questions, I have no problem answering a question. But kind of back to your question there I think going back to trying to figure that out, it was definitely a struggle for me , throughout high school and even earlier I think being a teenager is hard for anyone. Right. But kind of navigating that whole idea of, Oh, he's different.

Yeah.

Damaged Parents: [00:08:47] Yeah. So it sounds like part of what you do is, make sure you're going out into the world so that other people can see you. And. that was, uh, a conversation I actually recently had with someone because I'm not sure about you. I think it can feel lonely, with a disability and so many people around us look different and behave different because they don't have that physical disability.

For, I think sometimes for me to judge more or me to feel super alone and I stand out, I don't know if you ever watch Sesame street, you know, but it's like which, one of these squares is different

Sam White: [00:09:28] No I did. And, it's exactly that. I mean, looking. From where I am now, because it really was only a four year, like within the last four years, I've really come to where I am now. And with the, I've got these three words that. I use a lot in my life and that's disability doesn't define and kind of adopting those three words three or four years ago really changed my outlook.

Along with many other things in my life, when I started some lean into some of that But definitely that loneliness was definitely there for me, like 2017, 2018. Really wasn't sure what I was doing that time. I was transitioning from high school into kind of college and you know what that looks like afterwards.

And there was definitely some of that like loneliness because when you're in a school or in something like that, You're forced into a community. And I think sometimes what I found was if I sit in this uncomfortable in this, because I'm afraid of what people are going to think of me in adult life, I'm not going to make those meaningful relationships, make those friendships because now I have to take charge and I have to overcome this to really live my fullest life. And I think that's what I had to realize these last four years.

Damaged Parents: [00:10:57] So I think what I hear you saying is that owning your disability changed your perception of the world in some ways, and maybe you don't have to carry it as alone, if you will.

Sam White: [00:11:11] Yeah. Just like you were saying, I was feeling some of those feelings of loneliness. And that definitely was  directly related to kind of the way that I looked at my disability. And so some of the ways I overcome this is I talk, I talk about my disability, like I said earlier on I'm unapologetically, Sam you know, I talk disability. I am athletic. I've been fortunate enough to go to two national climbing competitions that USA climbing puts on and place average. And so I don't talk about those things to lift myself up. And put myself on a pedestal, but I do talk about those accomplishments and I do talk about what I do and the adaptive community, because people just don't realize that I'm not. Okay you'll see him at the grocery store. I'm not just going home and. Sitting around, I'm out there, I'm doing things. I have a group of friends, I'm just like you. And that's the message that I'm trying to promote and put out there when I do bring up, Oh , I've climbed in comps for two years and I've done this, this and this It's not to make myself sound so great, but it is to show people. I do things.

Damaged Parents: [00:12:40] Yeah, it sounds like in some ways it's a message to people with what the world calls normal bodies that Hey we're just because I have disability, it doesn't mean I'm not capable of something. And it's also a message to those of us with disabilities. Well, you may have a disability and you're capable of something.

So I, I mean, I see that message on both sides was that your intention.

Sam White: [00:13:03] Yeah. And I think that was my unintentional intention. If that makes sense. I think some of it was just. What naturally happens when I started to outwardly speak and outwardly feel confident about disability. Now I say disability isn't something that is disabling me. It empowers me and what disables me is society around me.

And that really goes back to the concepts of the medical model of disability and the social model of disability. And if you're not familiar with these, the medical model is basically looking at, Everything's biological, you're going to have something wrong with you and there's medical things we can do, but we're not going to completely overcome this.

The social model is saying that, what's disabling you is not your willingness or your ability to overcome something. It's society around you. And so if the world was more accessible, we would be less disabled. So

Damaged Parents: [00:14:12] Yeah, I love that statement.

Sam White: [00:14:13] it's a great one. And, I've enjoyed learning about those two models of disability.

Throughout my studies.

Damaged Parents: [00:14:23] Yeah. I just really loved those words, because then we wouldn't be as disabled if it were more welcoming. 

Sam White: [00:14:30] If the world was more accessible, we wouldn't be as disabled.

Damaged Parents: [00:14:33] I just love that in so many ways. And on so many levels, give me a second to process that because I think it's just so true

and I worry too about, You know, the way companies see people with disabilities, the way that disability, like social security disability, the way that's set up and that you have to be so determined, so disabled. And I think there's this idea of, if you're that disabled, then how do you get to even be able to be a part of society and give back. And it just, I see a whole mental health struggle. What's your perception on some of that?

Sam White: [00:15:13] sure. I just had a conversation with a good friend of mine, Sarah. She's been on a number of times on my show and this past week's episode. So April 2nd episode we talk about that whole idea of what do jobs and HR departments. Look like right now. And how do they approach disability and really what are they missing out on in these approaches that they have?

And one of the things we talked about there that I think ties in really well here is These questions they'll ask on forums. They'll pigeonhole you into saying yes or no. When disability rarely is something that if you're going to ask a question, leave room to write something, because it's not a yes or no question.

If you give me the space and the time to explain a little bit you'll see that I can do just as much as Bill over there or Steve, just generic names. But this question that she came across and I've come across similar ones was, is your disability going to detrimentally affect your ability to do the job.

And that may not, that's not a quote for quote but it was a yes or no question. And our big conversation there was, if it's a yes or no question, if I put  yes or no, how does that affect my chances to be working for you? Because my disability may give me strengths that Steve or Bill may not have.

I don't visually see information the same way. So I have a really strong memory, you know, and that's just one example of many ways that the disabled people, even though their disabled. And that's why on my show, I like to use the word. Part of the adaptive community is I think there's a negative connotation with, the word disabled, making us feel less than, or making us sound like we can do less than we can actually do.

So for employers for, and that goes for any marginalized group, these questions appear. Does that answer your question? I may have gone off on a tangent there.

Damaged Parents: [00:17:27] Yeah, I think so. I think that the bottom line is trying to understand how disability is viewed in the workplace , and I appreciate and totally understand that because disabled you know, if I'm just a normal human, not thinking about where the word came from, or, at least in the United States, if then to me, it would say not enabled and that's not necessarily true.

And I'm not really sure what anyone can do about that. And I think there is a certain amount of pride when being disabled that. It's like a requirement to have that pride in being disabled because of  the journey that one is on. And that's what you've been talking about a little bit, I think is having pride in that disability.

Sam White: [00:18:17] Yeah. Something that you just said there made me think of a funny thing that I just came across in the past week was I was talking to an old friend of mine. I played sports within the adaptive community. And he goes, I think as disabled people, we have to be blunt. And sometimes more honest than others.

And I think that's true. Like I am a very nice person, but I'm also known to be very blunt, in my emails, I just get right to the point. And I think some of that, like what you just said, was we do have to approach the world  showing that pride or that I like to say empowered.

But it's the same thing. And sometimes we have to be blunt about what we need to overcome the barriers that the world puts in place.

Damaged Parents: [00:19:10] Well, yeah. And to have the conversations, maybe that people are uncomfortable having.

Sam White: [00:19:15] Absolutely. Yeah. And as you know, cause you were on my show, I send questions and I say, we can change these, but I don't walk around any topic. I just dive right in. And it's that makes the person uncomfortable. We can talk about it, but I'm probably still going to ask a variation of that same question.

Because I think it's important and to overcome some of this

Damaged Parents: [00:19:43] Yeah. And how is anyone gonna know that we're human? If we behave, like we're not

Sam White: [00:19:50] right.

Damaged Parents: [00:19:50] like, like you have needs, I have needs. The other thing I was thinking about the other day, and this goes back to, going out and like you're out climbing, you're participating in life. You're doing things and I had said how sometimes going out in that crowd can feel lonely and, I had this realization that we might be in different States or I may have my other friend that's disabled at home, they're not with me, which is fine. And yet we're not doing this alone.

So when we go into the community, we might be there alone in that moment, taking on the looks and the, this and the, that. And yet, if we don't go out. Then, then we're also not helping ourselves in making the changes that we seek. So how do you remember that you're not alone in that part of I'm going to call it a struggle?

Cause I think that is part of the struggle.

Sam White: [00:20:48] Yeah, it's definitely, going back to what I filled on that pre-questionnaire, it's part of that social struggle. It can be for sure. And kind of the ways that I do this is I engage with the adaptive community, the disabled community as a whole I'm in Facebook groups. That's how we came across each other. I really have a strong community and some friendships in adaptive sports. So in regular times, not so much in 2020, and so far, 2021 I have regular climbing nights. And I don't just go to the gym. I meet up with anywhere from 15 to 30 at times people that, and we kind of take over the gym and climb and all the different ways we do.

And, you know, there's VI climbers, visually impaired. There's all sorts of disability is going on. There there's several palsy, of course. So finding people, finding these organizations and the organizations that I use, they are kind of national. So I'll bring them up here cause they're great organizations.

I've used Adaptive Adventures. And, Craig DiMartino is the head of climbing, at least in the Colorado area there. And I met him in a parking lot one day and that's how I started climbing. Super fun story. That'll have to tell probably some other time. And then I use Paradox Sports, which is also another adaptive sports.

And I know there are also national at certain levels. So they're all climbing though. They don't have many other sports that I know of. So if you're listening and looking to get into a community, look at adaptive sports, it's super fun.

They can almost adapt in any way you need. I haven't come across something where they weren't like, Oh yeah, let's try this. Super fun then there's just Facebook groups, like we met on. I think engage, I guess, is the big answer there.

Damaged Parents: [00:22:49] Right. Okay. So what I'm hearing is engage in the disability community so that you can feel that support. And because  I'm thinking in a way there are things that are different about. a, life with a disability in a life, without a disability from my personal experience.

and then remember to go into the world and know that that whole group has got your back, because if we don't show up in the world, then no one's going to get used to having us and seeing that different doesn't necessarily mean bad. It just means different.

Sam White: [00:23:22] Yep. Absolutely. I agree.  You know, I may have had a really funny experience. I look at bad experiences as funny experiences just kind of putting that positive spin on them, but the other day, a couple of weeks back now, it was snowing out here in Colorado. Like it does quite often, and it was below zero.

It was close to 20 below. And, The ada button or the ADA button, handicap button as some people know it as, but I'm trying to not use that term to get it out of there was frozen. So if you're wondering at what temperature, the ADA buttons freeze, it would be 20 below.

Damaged Parents: [00:24:03] a problem

Sam White: [00:24:05] yeah. that was super fun. And I just banged it until it got unstuck. But no, you know, and that's the other thing is look at those negative things as funny thing says, Oh, this happened it's sucks when it happens to you. It really does. Was I happy to be stuck outside in 20 below? And then I had to open the door without the button.

No, it did suck. And I'm not telling you that these things don't suck. Right. But change your perspective. And you do have that community, message one of them on Facebook after it happens or post about it on Facebook and engage with that community. I mean, I, there I go again, I just repeated myself, but I think that's a really big piece of it is engaged with the community because if there's one thing I've noticed about the adaptive community, the disabled community is everyone is wanting to talk about it.

If they're engaging with it at some level, I've never come across someone that is in the Facebook group or in the adaptive climbing, adaptive sports community. That is like, yeah, I don't really want to talk about it if you're there, you probably have a good idea of, okay. Everyone here is in the same boat and sometimes that's just comforting to be.

In the same room as those individuals, not even talking about it.

Damaged Parents: [00:25:38] Sitting with them with each other, I guess, and in the pain, because whereas someone who's able to just go walk up and open the door, that's something they don't have to think about regularly. Right. And that's something we do have to, well, at least me with my hands now working.

Right. I do have to think about that. And I think what's really cool about what you said is you look back at it and you see a little bit of humor. At least you can laugh at it. The other thing I'm seeing is you made it. You banged and you grabbed it, you know, and you were able to finally get through.

Although it wasn't fun and it totally sucked, you know? Cause I've been there too where it's like, Oh my gosh, I can't do this. I, you know, and I have to either look around, thank goodness I don't live in 20 below degree weather.

Sam White: [00:26:29] that's rare, but it did happen.

Damaged Parents: [00:26:31] I would not be happy there. So I think in some ways it's the mindset of, well, looking back, guess that totally sucked. Not invalidating those feelings. Yes. You were probably angry. Yes. You were probably frustrated and you made it through somehow

Sam White: [00:26:50] Right. I think that is a huge point too, is going back to the whole idea of what people think employers think of disability, hiring disabled individuals. We are, I think, really good at solving problems. Not because. We're just inherently good at it, but we've had to do it our entire lives.

Because the ADA isn't quite implemented, like it should be in my opinion. Or it's not recognized it's implemented, it's not recognized fully. So we've had to adapt. There may be some extra things, but yeah. We're really good at solving problems.

Damaged Parents: [00:27:34] Yeah, I love that perspective because I think it's, it's, you know, I was reading actually a book on humor and people aren't born inherently funny. They have to practice. And I think the same thing with solving problems. People aren't born necessarily with problem solving skills. They've been put in situations where they have to problem solve.

and because of that, They can look at the world in a different fashion than someone who hasn't had to problem solve as often. So that being said, I'm thinking it's rock climbing that you're talking about, like the wall climbing. So you're going to the facilities and climbing and.

Sam White: [00:28:14] Yes, ma'am.

Damaged Parents: [00:28:15] Okay. And do you get I'm thinking you also do that outside and, with friends, I'm thinking it might be really hard to get to the, some of the places where climbing is an option

Sam White: [00:28:24] Some of the, it is really hard. So I haven't gone outside much because what I compete in is a gym base. So I've focused a lot of time on there, but I am in the perfect spot to jump out and just hop on some of those routes, but that can be a challenge. And. They just like hiking. So in Colorado, hiking's a huge thing.

I think it's a huge sport throughout the United States, if you've got the train to do it. But here it's huge and even hiking with my family every once in a while. Don't love it, but I do it sometimes and finding accessible paths there. And so, like, I know that finding accessible routes to climb outside can be challenging too.

And that's frustrating, unfortunately as I think everyone should have access to the great outdoors

Damaged Parents: [00:29:23] Yeah, for sure.  You believe you were meant to have the struggles that you have. Tell us how you came to that or when you came to that realization.

Sam White: [00:29:34] Absolutely. So I grew up in a family and my mother works in a church as a children's ministry director and many other things before that. And so, I do believe that I was meant to be disabled and I'm here for a reason. And I do find strength in the Lord. So I think, that is another place I do find strength.

And I've struggled with it at that whole level too. That's a whole nother conversation. But I'm kinda at the realization right now that. I'm meant to be disabled, but how can I impact, how can I love those around me? How can I, do what I'm supposed to do while I'm here on earth as dark as that may seem a disabled individual.

And I think that's really helped me make some decisions in my life. Like transitioning from a graphic design degree into this special education degree that I'm finishing up now. Just finding the power in it because I'm not alone in the friends I make here and, through faith as well. I do put great value in that.

So I think that's somewhere where that comes from.

Damaged Parents: [00:30:53] Yeah, I think it's also one of those things we're also all very similar on is trying to figure out where we fit in and what that looks like and whether or not we find faith or not. And for me also, it helps to look at the world is I'm here for a purpose and a reason. And if that's the case, then it really empowers me to figure out what that purpose is. So I also try to stay with that, perspective of that um, I'm here for a reason. Okay, so you're getting into special education.

And what is your favorite thing about that so far? What have you learned so far from that?

Sam White: [00:31:39] Sure so fortunately, and there I go, looking at it as a positive again, I was part of special education early on I think I had my first IEP in first grade probably. I mean, it was right away. And the experiences that many of us have through that. And I feel like I should go back real quick. IEP is  Individualized Education Plan for those that may not know what that term acronyms I know can be challenging if you don't know what that is.

So it's individualized education plan. So I had my first IEP around first grade and had to go through those experiences, but I'm also a military kid. My father is in the air force. And so not only am I having to go through some of these learning challenges and struggles throughout school, but I'm having to transition schools a few times.

And fun fact, not all schools and not even all districts within the same state, write an IEP the same way. So a district will write an IEP one way, then you'll go to your next district and they'll write an IEP uh in a different format. And then you'll go across the country and they'll write an IEP in a different format.

All within the same parameters. Of course, but there's no national standard for, okay, this is how you write an IEP. All IEP have one thing in that, you know, similar things in them. So some of that was just stacked on top of my learning challenges that I had throughout school. And really that's the beginning of this whole thing that we've been talking about today.

Is I figured out that I needed to take control of my learning and what that really meant. And then looking forward, I was in a graphic design program, I think, as I said a little bit earlier and I'm like, I'm doing just fine here in this. And I'm almost done with it. I was three credits away from finishing that degree.

And then I was like, okay, I think I need to do something more. I was passing my old high school coming back from one of those climbing nights I mentioned. And I turned and I was like, what if I taught, don't want to teach at that school, but that's a whole nother story. And. That kind of started this whole idea of special education and really what it means to be disabled and kind of the whole thing.

That was a catalyst for the whole thing. So I haven't learned, I mean, I've learned more detailed things going back to your question. I've learned the details behind and kind of pulled back some of the curtain. But some of my most valuable lessons I've learned, I think, are those lessons I learned when overcoming my own learning challenges.

Damaged Parents: [00:34:38] So, what I heard you say was, number one, IEP's, are different across districts. I mean, you can move districts. And then the other thing is, as a student, you had to learn to overcome those challenges. And I'm thinking that there was maybe a teacher or someone along the way that, that you felt believed in you so that then you were motivated.

Am I picking up on that? Right.

Sam White: [00:35:02] Absolutely. So, now he's a good friend of mine, but he was my case manager in high school. So I was fortunate enough to be from ninth grade to my senior year in the same school. And I mean, that started back when I was in seventh grade, I was able to stay within this district. Until I finished school.

So that was great. And some of those challenges of, okay, now these people have to figure out a whole nother way to help Sam. So by the time I got to high school, I was still figuring this out in the first two years, then it really started to sink in those last two years and I was switched to my I'm just going to call him Cameron.

I was switched to Cameron's, caseload, and he really looked at my learning disability and my learning challenges in a completely different way than anyone else had before. I don't test as VI. In other words, if I am, tested for visually impaired or VI I would pass, but the way that my eyes and my brain process information, they don't talk to each other the right way.

So  I can't actually read information. So the ways that I take in information are very similar to someone. That would be visually impaired. So one of the greatest things that happened there is they brought in this specialist and she said, you don't pass and I shouldn't be working with you, but screw the district.

I'm going to continue to work with you because you need someone to approach things with you in this way. So those two people, Cameron, and then this vision specialist teacher really empowered my transition to take over my learning. And I'm not sure they really realize how much of an impact they had on my life.

I've talked to Cameron when I decided to make this transition. The first person I texted and said, Hey, we need to grab breakfast. I'm going to be a special ed teacher. He was the first person I talked to, but I'm not sure if he knows really the impacts that he had on my life. And that's kind of, yeah.

Does that answer your question?

Damaged Parents: [00:37:27] Yeah, it's, it's, uh, someone in your life. And I think everyone needs that regardless of capacity, someone that believes in them. And I think when you have someone that believes in you that then you're able to overcome whatever the challenges you are going to have, because. We all have challenges every single, yeah.

Every single one of us. And I think it's, interesting that in some ways like society as a whole, I'm not certain that as a whole society gets it. I think people get it that they know they go through individual struggles, but remembering that someone else goes through a struggle is also another challenge that has to be overcome.

So, are there any specific episodes that  you think might, help my listeners to, to go in hear on Adaptive the Community.

Sam White: [00:38:17] Sure. So I mentioned earlier in this episode, I've spoken to my friend, Sarah, quite a few times. Another individual that's part of the Adaptive Community. And we were meant to speak for an hour and 15 minutes. That's what I schedule out for my interviews, as I'm sure you remember We normally talk for about 30 minutes.

That's normally what my audience hears. We ended up talking for five hours, not even realizing it, recording, not recording, recording again. So I made a three part series with Sarah and all three of those episodes are really good. The first episode is called Skiing Into Education. She's also going to be a teacher.

She's going to be a Gen Ed teacher versus a special education teacher. She'll be Gen Ed. Then the next episode in that series is called, uh, Speak To the Disabled Person! This is a quote that, came up. In our conversation. The third and final episode just came out on April 2nd, 2021.

And that's called the phrase handy capable, makes me want to throw up. It's another quote that came up, when we were having our conversation and I think all three of those kind of, part of that larger conversation, they're just really good. Kind of aligned with some of this stuff that we've talked about today.

Damaged Parents: [00:39:47] That's fantastic. Of course I highly recommend go this into Adaptive the Community, listen to the, to the episodes that Sam just told us about they're important and educational. It really is a great podcast. So we've got the three episodes.  If someone's listening to the podcast, what do you have? Maybe three things besides listen to your podcasts that they could do in their day to day life, whether viewed as someone with a disability or not.

Because like we talked about we're all human.

Sam White: [00:40:19] Sure. I think I've said it a couple of times here. Disability doesn't define. Don't just stare. Don't just look, go up and ask. And if they don't want to have a conversation or they can't have a conversation, don't be offended. But ask them, don't be afraid to come up and talk to us. Don't be afraid to hire one of us.

I think that's really important. And I guess third and final is something that you said as we had the conversation on my show, everyone gets disabled at some point in some way or another, you know, arthritis old age, just as a big one. I just got to see my grandparents after a while. And, we're all vaccinated and all that good stuff, but they're getting older and they're using some of these adaptive pieces you know, a walker or something like that.

So we're not really that odd. As I like to say, we may just be ahead of the curve but yeah, no, you know, you're going to end up using some mobility device in some point of your life. So don't be uncomfortable with it. Don't be scared of it. Come talk to us, I think is the big thing.

Damaged Parents: [00:41:37] That's awesome. Thank you so much, Sam. I'm so glad I got to have you on the show and I'm so glad to know that we're ahead of the curve.

Sam White: [00:41:45] Yeah.

Damaged Parents: [00:41:47] Thank you for listening to this week's episode of Relatively Damaged by Damaged Parents. We really enjoyed talking to Sam about how he has learned self acceptance throughout life. We especially liked when he said that the disability itself is not what disables him. It's the society around him.

To unite with other damaged people, connect with us on Facebook. Look for damaged parents. We'll be here next week still relatively damaged see you then.