It has been close to seven months since my injury, and some say that I am adjusting better than expected with the turbulence in my life. The fact that I have, to this point, been able to adjust relatively well to a profoundly altered life is directly attributable to several factors.

First, I have the good fortune of being a member of a close-knit, supportive extended family. Second, I was able to undergo the initial rehabilitation process at the Emory Shepard Center, which is world renown for rehabilitating young adults with spinal injuries. Third, I was granted an opportunity to strive for excellence through an internship with the Delta Research Cultural Institute and International Programs at Mississippi Valley State University. 

Through the internship, I have been exposed to and participated in several interesting learning experiences. Among these was a research project that focused on human and civil rights as practiced by emerging democracies around the world. During my research, I was immediately drawn to constitutional provisions for disabled citizens. 

Many foreign countries have organizations whose functions are very similar to those noted in the Americans with Disabilities Act in the United States.  For example, in 1999, Hungary established Mental Disability Rights International as an agency to work with governmental agencies to obtain jobs for those with disabilities. Through MDRI, companies are required to reserve at least 5% of available jobs for persons with disabilities. Other countries have organized special agencies, but lack funding to carry out the practices needed to accommodate those with disabilities.  For example, Ethiopia and Eritrea have been in a state of war for years in an attempt to claim independence from one another.  This war left approximately six million people disabled in Ethiopia alone. The government saw no reason to provide much funding in accommodating the soldiers left in a state of disability.  Many countries seem to have constitutional provisions that forbid discrimination against those with disability, but the absence of funding renders these provisions virtually unenforceable.  Those living with disability in the United States are fortunate to have the force of law on which to rely.

My experiences with the Delta Research and Cultural Institute far surpassed what I expected.  Since research and forging international partnerships are major functions of the Institute, my supervisor and the Institute’s director constantly stress the importance of reading.  Newspaper articles focusing on education, culture, international issues, and economic development had to be copied, laminated, and catalogued by subject and publication date. Also, I introduced the keynote speaker during a two-day conference commemorating the life of civil and human rights activist, Fannie Lou Hamer.  Issues addressed during the conference touched my life as a member of a racial minority group and as a disabled citizen.

The internship allowed me the opportunity to learn about many national and international issues that otherwise would not have commanded my attention. It has better prepared me to enter the job force. I have learned the value of teamwork from a totally different perspective. The most important thing that I will carry with me is a mentality that hard work pays off and that I can navigate life’s turbulent waters. Living in a region of low economic, social and educational development, I am inspired to rise above these issues as well as my disability to live a full and independent life. A life filled with the continuous consumption of knowledge and a will to be a productive citizen of our society.