Walk Like a Man




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  • 2013-10-11 14:25:42
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Opinion This was the second time that I dislocated my kneecap and was forced to wear a splint and walk with crutches for a month. This time, however, I could not afford to stay in bed as my doctor prescribed, since I had to attend my lectures and participate in extra-curricular activities. I met a lot of people on my way with the crutches – some were laughing, some were helping me, some compared me to popular characters such as Herr Flick from “Allo Allo” or Forrest Gump. During that month I heard all the jokes and puns related to limping. Nevertheless, they made my pain lessen, as laughter is a good remedy. What I find priceless in this experience is that I saw how reliable my friends are and how the AUBG campus is adapted for people with similar problems. We never seem to think about accessibility until we find ourselves in these situations. In general, I am pleased to state that I faced almost no problems in terms of adaptation. There are elevators in all the buildings. Most of the time I had to ride with some professors, and all of them showed sympathy or, when the elevator was full, gave me their place. Overall, professors showed great concern for my condition. There were even some that I haven’t seen since my freshman year who asked me for a detailed story about it. There were even some who had never seen me before, but made my acquaintance just to see if I was going to be okay. I actually made many new friends this way. A lot of the students that live on my floor shared similar experiences with me just to make me think positively of recovering soon. The campus had relatively few stairs for me to climb. There were ramps next to the stairs of course, but my leg hurt after going up slopes, so I preferred the steps. The only problem I faced was the big stairway to the Main Building. Of course, I managed to find a solution to this problem – I just asked my cab to stop at the parking place behind the theater, as there is a relatively short route to the building without any stairs. It cost me 30 stotinki extra, but it was worth it. What I found as the biggest hindrance was the fact that I required two chairs to sit. In all of the classrooms, during all of my lectures or team meetings, everyone understood my need. However, there was one exception: the auditoriums and theaters offered me no opportunity to sit on two chairs due to the configuration and structure of the seats. I could, of course, use a separate chair for my leg and sit on the first row, but I saw that as too problematic and awkward. Despite these minor issues, I want to express my huge gratitude to all who helped me even by simply asking me if I was okay. I assure everyone that if they find themselves in my condition, they can rely on the campus facilities and, if they are lucky like I am, they can rely on their friends.