I hate stairs   In case of a fire, use the elevator. Quickly.

Mississippi State’s Lee Hall auditorium filled to capacity Tuesday for the screening of “Darius Goes West,” an independent film about a teenager with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy who embarks on a west-bound road trip. Darius, who’s friends helped him make the trip, left his home of Athens, GA on an adventure across the country to get his wheelchair “pimped” on MTV’s Pimp My Ride.

Matt and I were allowed to enter the auditorium early to find a place to park our chairs before the crowd congested the aisles. Ironically (maybe), the place chosen for the screening was one of the more inaccessible buildings on campus. It remains that way largely because of its historical value. It’s an old building, but its classic. However, the auditorium was recently renovated extensively. Ramps had even been constructed to allow wheelchairs onto the stage. Unfortunately, the planners of the renovation failed to include sufficient wheelchair seating in the auditorium. The organizers of the screening made up for it (or tried to) by reserving the entire front row, allowing wheelchairs to park in front of the seats. Not wanting to stick out, Matt and I parked to the far right of the front row.

I had high hopes for the film, but I was a bit skeptical as well. I was unsure how the film would present life with a disability (in this case, one similar to mine). I was unsure how my non-disabled peers would react. Would it give them a better understanding of how one lives with a disability? Would it confirm that people with disabilities have no hope and should just play and be taken care of until they die? Would it invoke empathy or sympathy? Would it make them think of people with disabilities as slightly inferior (in an unconscious way)?

The storyline was definitely the stuff of a documentary film. An ordinary kid. A bold quest. I couldn’t help but think that it would be entertaining, while also showing how ordinary people with disabilities live life.

And so we watched as Darius and his good friends set out for California. They had ups and downs along the way, but they always made the best of the downs. The often used humor to turn a crappy situation into a funny one. I won’t ruin it for you, since you’re going to buy the film on DVD, but it was a success.

While it was somewhat touching and emotionally dramatic, which I think is what many expected, it also realistically showed some the issues people with MD face. It emphasized empathy. It emphasized the need for accessibility. Yeah, it was probably not presented the way I, my brother, or other person with a disability would have presented it, but Darius’ crew presented it well from the perspective of the non-disabled person. They did so with understanding. Audiences probably relate to the film more from this perspective.

Best of all, they helped show something that I, for one, find difficult to express at times. Personality. We got to know Darius. His jokes. His smack talk. His laugh. His attitude. His talents. His passions. The things that make Darius, well, Darius. I’ve felt, at times, that having a disability made social interactions trickier and more awkward than if I had not had a disability. Sometimes it takes people a while to get to know me because of that barrier. Some people click with me easily, some don’t. I suppose that’s what it’s like with everyone. But of everything in the film, the revelation of Darius’ personality best provides understanding about people with disabilities. That they are just that. People.

DGW—Know about it.

In the mostly quiet hallway of Mississippi State’s Disability Support Services (DSS), sits a square table that has been the source of many a legend (think Knights). But this time. The forces of that square table will push its popularity to a new height. A group of students, including the beloved Blake Watson, are planning a reality show based on the daily activities of the square table. Except scripted.

The show will be much like The Office. In fact we’re pretty much copying the format to the letter. Our group is already kind of funny, so exaggerating our personalities and throwing in some fictional attributes will make for some hilarious scenes.

I’m still coming up with the characters. The show will be built on Jimmie (my student attendant). He’s going to be the “normal” character who’s not too silly or dramatic, but still has a personality (think Jim). I’m going to be a “disabled elitist” (my term I think) who calls people out on every potential degrading thing they could do or say. Even if what they say or do has to be construed. Matthew, a friend of mine who has low vision, is going to be our “blind friend” who constantly worries that he’s being excluded from our group because we use wheelchairs and he doesn’t. And when I say worry, I mean conspiracy theorist.

Shooting it is the next issue. Obviously, my standards aren’t high. I’m thinking a digital camera that does video would probably be good enough. I think we have one. I’ll check the library as well. What I’m worried about the most is people’s voices picking up. Anyone got some advice there?

We also need a name. I thought about The Square Table, but I think it should be something a little more descriptive.

Any ideas?

I’m finally getting around to posting the videos from our power soccer practice. I put three different clips in one video, complete with narration. It shows what I think was our best practice to date (I missed last practice, shame on me). We learned a little strategy about positioning on the court. The previously mentioned 2 On 1 Rule was properly enforced, keeping us from getting all of our chairs jammed up together.

It was a fun practice. It made me think about the coming games we will play this season. I’m beginning to think we have something. We just need to tap into it some more.

My birthday was June 24. Friends and family have now all figured out that the easiest thing to get me is an iTunes gift card. So I’ve been looking for music. A friend gave me Coldplay’s new album, Viva la Vida. In fact, as I write this, my typing is being slowed because I keep tapping on my mouse and keyboard to “Strawberry Swing.”

Last night, I listened through the album without skipping around for the second time. At the end of the album, the music from the first song, “Life in Technicolor,” resurfaces. I was almost moved to tears when Chris Martin resounded the ending lyrics:

And…
in the end
we lie awake, and we dream of making our escape

Really. It’s that good. It could have been the fact that it was about 1:00 in the morning, but I don’t think so. If you haven’t heard the new album (or the others), check it out at Last.fm, iTunes, or Amazon.

Last month, I discovered a new sport for people with disabilities. I have never really been involved in sports, other than some teeball when I was younger, and some occasional backyard football. I’ve been practicing this summer with a startup team in Jackson playing power soccer.

Power soccer is a unique sport in that it, unlike many other wheelchair sports, requires using a power chair to play. It doesn’t require upper body strength like wheelchair basketball and similar sports do. It does require the player to adequately control his wheelchair. However, players do not necessarily need to own and regularly use a power chair. If the team has an extra power chair, anyone with a disability can play, whether he normally uses a power chair or not. As long as he can control it.

You might be wondering how power soccer differs from standard soccer. I won’t get into all the specifics, but I will discuss some of the basics briefly. If you want, download the full Laws of the Game. I will be using some of the images from it.

The game is played on a standard basketball court. That works well because it’s indoors (concrete and tarmac are to be avoided), keeping players out of the elements. Here is a diagram showing the playing field.

Teams consist of four players each, excluding players “on the bench.” Although the main requirment is a power wheelchair, some other equipment is needed as well.

The footguard (shown above) is the single most important piece of additional equipment. Handling the ball is not an easy task. Like any sport, practice is essential for a team. There are some strict rules in place, so players have to know where to be, what to do, and when and how to do it. For instance, the 2-on-1 Rule.

In the image above, player A is handling the ball. Only one player from each team can be playing the ball at one time. This rule is enforced by a three-meter halo. Since player B is helping player A by blocking off the opponent while inside the halo, he is gaining an illegal advantage. It takes some quick thinking and good awareness to avoid these situations. Power soccer is a fast-paced game. Many times, the ball (and sometimes wheelchairs!) go flying out of bounds. The out-of-bounds rule is worth mentioning here.

As shown in the above image, the entire ball (from a top view) must be over the out-of-bounds line. Until it crosses that line, players can leave the playing field and position themselves to keep the ball in bounds.

Well, that’s the basics. If you want to learn more about power soccer, visit the US Power Soccer Web site and also check out this video from the Power Soccer World Cup. Also, feel free to contact me if you are interested in joining the Jackson Jammers. There is also a team in Hattisburg, MS and there may be a team starting in Starkville, MS as well. So if you are interested, let me know and I will put you in touch with someone who can make it happen.

And finally, a photo of the team—minus some new players who recently joined (click for larger image).