For my assignment, I decided to simulate tight quadriceps muscles by preventing the bending of my knee. I decided to use two cedar planks to prevent my knees from moving.
During the exercise, I felt very vulnerable because I didn't know when I was going to fall or get hurt. I had trouble getting up the stairs and sitting down. Also, because I had to focus on my leg so much, I felt many of my other movements were being slowed down because of my gait.The fact that I had to use my hands to help me balance going up the stairs as well as walking differently made me feel slightly self-conscious about how weird I look.
This assignment impacted my view of cerebral palsy and disabilities greatly. I did not realize how important my knees were until I had one of them taken away. I also did not realize the severe hinderences of having these disabilities and how it affected their every day life. By making the physical parts of their life hard, it also isolates them from social interaction because of the fear of being judged and being different as well as it being physically harder for them.
I think the videotaping really helped me see what was going on from an outsider's point of view but it allowed me to still have the experience of an insider. The video guidelines allowed me to really get a grasp on how my life would be if I had CP, however it was hard not to get faces into the video.
