Starting Over is Scary

So embarrassing, I laughed until I cried.

About a month ago, a teacher/friend that I work with decided that we would go to a conference together. It was very cheap and would give us a day away from school learning something that really interested both of us. It sounded good, so I agreed. When she was registering us, I made joke about needing large text. We have a long standing joke about assistive technology for our students. We both laughed but she really did sign me up for large print. Yep.

Neither of us thought anything of it until we actually got the the conference. It was in a really small district about an hour away. When I signed in, they asked which one of us needed the large print. Uhhh.... A woman came rushing up to me apologizing profusely. Apparently, she had been out of town until the day before and hadn't had time to get the handouts blown up for me yet. She was so worried! Awkward! I told her not to worry but she said that she was going to get the large print to me right away, hopefully before the conference started. She was so sincere and concerned that I couldn't say anything except thank you. I thought that would be the end of it! Ha! First she brought me the first handout. A four page handout managed to come out to more than 20 pages! Ok.....

Then, the presented came over, squatted down in front of me, and asked me to make sure that I let him know if I needed anything. He would make sure that I was able to see all of his information. I had to smile politely and again say thanks. I could hear my friend, and the student teacher who came with us, giggling next to me. I couldn't look at them! Just then, the woman came back with the second handout, another massive pile of papers that could not be stapled. Oh dear....

Think it is over?

Nope!

I had an empty chair next to me. A woman walked in a few minutes late. She looked at my handouts, looked at hers, and then asked me where we were. I pointed on her handout. She looked confused, and then asked what my handouts were. I very quickly said that they were just a large print version of hers. She looked closely at me, and I turned to look at the presenter and tried to act very interested. As my friends giggled.

Over?

Nope.

At the first break, my neighbor turned to me and asked about my need for large print. Ummm... The only thing that I could think of on the spot was a recent eye surgery. I said that my eyes hadn't quite settled yet. Then she of course asked how recently my surgery was. Umm... a year and a half ago? I couldn't say that! So I stammered out something about not even being sure of the date today. So awkward! Then she really dropped a bomb. Turns out her daughter is visually impaired! Seriously! I quickly excused myself and ran off to the restroom. On my way to the restroom, the worried woman stopped me again to hand me another large print handout.

So....the whole day, I had to keep in mind that I was not supposed to be able to see much. I couldn't do any work, take notes, or anything without thinking about my need for large print. At one point, I checked my email on my phone (under the table and out of sight) and the worried woman was so worried that she emailed me the notes late the previous night and had offered to let me use her personal computer during the conference so that I could blow up the handouts. She wanted to make sure that I would be able to see the material.

My friend's joke turned into this incredibly funny, awkward conference for me! Many people know that I don't exactly enjoy getting called out in public. My neighbor turned out to me a very friendly parent there to learn about how she could help her daughter with multiple disabilities. Her daughter with a visual impairment among other things! And the worried woman kept checking on me! Thanks Michelle for making me laugh during an incredibly difficult fall at school!

I must give kudos to that small district in central MI who make wonderful accommodations for me. I will certainly be thinking about accommodations from a different perspectives now!

posted by Erin @ 9:40 PM