Guest Blog: College and Graduate School 1987-1998
Guest blogger and self-advocate Kim Hudson, MSW, is back to finish her look back at her educational experiences with a post about the challenges, triumphs, and revelations of her college and graduate school experiences.
I started college in 1987 at Pitzer, a small liberal arts school in Claremont California. I chose it because it was small enough that I knew I would get more interactions with teachers and students (classes never had more than 40 students). Also, Claremont is lass than 60 miles from Los Angeles so I knew I could see both my family and my doctors on a regular basis.
Like in elementary school I was the first woman with a physical disability to attend Pitzer, however there was another young man with CP that started at Pizer the same year that I did. We became good friends, and everyone suggested that we should date because we both had disabilities. NEWS FLASH: just because 2 people have the same disability does not mean that they belong together. Everyone with a disability is different and we don’t always have the same interests or life paths.
Throughout my childhood I walked with forearm crutches, once I got to Pitzer I realized that I couldn’t ambulate all around campus. I got severe blisters on my toes which got infected and had to be surgically removed. After my recovery I got both a manual wheelchair and an electric scooter. These mobility devices gave me more freedom and energy to study and travel throughout the community.
I am an only child and I had complete care from my family growing up. It was a big adjustment going away to college because I had to share space with a roommate, and I had to determine what I could physically do to care for myself in my own living environment. I figured out for example that I could not vacuum the carpet, do my laundry or clean the bathroom. I also needed help getting books from the library, typing, and taking notes in class. Pitzer did not have a disabled student’s center, but they provided me with a work study student to assist me with note taking, typing, and library research.
None of my friends wanted to help me with chores, and the In-Home Supportive Service (IHSS) system did not exist so, I ended up paying a bit extra for the dorm maintenance staff to help me with cleaning. I have to admit to taking my laundry home to my mom. In hindsight, I wish that my family had helped me find out what some of my limitations were prior to leaving for college so that I could have avoided so much trial and error.
The ADA was passed in 1990, prior to that I spent most of my college years fighting for accommodations like an elevator and accessible restrooms at Pitzer. Sometimes I regretted not going to a larger university that had more support services. However, as a result of my experience I became a strong advocate for myself and others.
By the time I was a junior at Pitzer I realized that I wanted to work with other people with disabilities in my career. First, I thought I would be an educator. After doing some volunteer work/student teaching I realized that the classroom environment wasn’t good for me. I got colds all the time , and I got many bladder infections because I couldn’t go to the bathroom when I needed to. My doctor advised me to choose another career.
Next, I became interested in disability studies. I was studying sociology and in one of my classes I read Missing Pieces, by Irving Zola. The book chronicled his experience living in a town in the Netherlands for only people with disabilities. I longed to study disability art, culture and social issues in detail. I reached out to Dr. Zola who was starting a PhD program in Disability Studies at Brandeis University. I was hoping to be one of the first students enrolled, but before I could get there, Dr. Zola tragically died of a heart attack in his 50s.
After graduating from Pitzer I needed some time to decide what field I wanted to pursue in graduate school. I was planning to take a year or two off school, but that turned into nearly 8 years. During that time, I worked at an assistive technology lab and then at the Westside Center for Independent Living.
As an adult with a disability I received SSI and Medi-Cal, so there were strict rules about how much money I could earn and still maintain my benefits. By 1997 I was ready for a new adventure, so I applied to the social work school at San Francisco State (SFSU). I was hoping to get my MSW so that I could work with people who have disabilities and earn enough money to get off SSI and Medi-Cal.
I decided to get my master’s degree in Social Work (MSW) from San Francisco State University (SFSU). Graduate school is a uniquely lonely experience because graduate students unlike college students are focused on building their careers rather than the unifying process of studying a wide variety of subjects. During graduate school I was so busy with classes, doing my internships, and navigating San Francisco, (one of the most inaccessible cities in the USA) that I couldn’t do anything else.
Going to SFSU was a bold move because I had never lived more than an hour away from my family and I did not know anyone in San Francisco. I have to admit that I have never been more frightened in my life. Those two years were physically and emotionally challenging, but in the end, I emerged with a new sense of self-reliance.
After receiving my MSW I was ready to tackle the world of work. I had a goal of doing a job that would support people with disabilities or chronic illnesses to live as independently and actively within their communities. I didn’t realize that I would face so many obstacles as a social worker with a disability.
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About Kim Hudson, MSW
I have Cerebral Palsy and I use an electric wheelchair to get around. I am a Social Worker with over 20 years of experience working with people with disabilities and chronic health issues.
Read more from Kim and her husband Tom at https://www.loveonwheels.net/.