Libraries on American Indian Reservations and how they could help elderly American Indians(Response to question #8 on page 186 of Novak):

On page 183 of his book, Novak discusses Baldridge's 2002 study that proves, in Novak's words,"that improvement of elders' conditions depend on improving conditions of Indian life in general." Baldridge goes on to say that "until tribes can generate sufficient revenues, or until federal and state governments provide better funding and access to programs, local improvement of these infrastructures is unlikely" (Baldridge, 265).  Programs to help improve the lives of elders could be held at the reservation's public library.  However this begs the question of how much funding is available for libraries located within the boundaries of the American Indian reservation.


According to the American Indian Library Association (AILA),"The U. S. government supports improved library services to Native Americans. Goals relating to libraries serving Native American communities include improving funding, providing training and technical assistance, increasing library holdings in all formats, supporting better technology, and developing cooperative arrangements and partnerships at the state and local level."  The extent of the support that the U. S. government provides remains to be seen.  The quality of life on Indian reservations is not known to be of high quality, and Novak's list of problems that face the American Indian community includes: "low incomes, poor-quality housing, lack of transportation, and poor health care affect the old as well as the young" (183).  It seems logical, then, that if the U. S. government is providing money to support the various Native American reservations, and the tribes that live on them, it would go to problems such as poor health care before it would go to the reservation's local library.  This is a shame, because libraries could provide community programs that would help both the old and the young, and provide them with information that they were without access to beforehand.  But a library is only as good as the funding it it provided with, and  with limited funds, such community programs and newer technology more than likely do not exist.


In his novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, proud American Indian author leaves us with this piece of wisdom though the protagonist of the novel, Arnold, a teenage boy who lives on Native American reservation in Spokane, Washington: “I suddenly understood that if every moment of a book should be taken seriously, then every moment of a life should be taken seriously as well"(Alexie, 95).


Every moment in the lives of American Indian elders, especially, should be taken seriously.  According to Novak, high rates of preventable diseases such as diabetes, obesity, cancer (due to heavy smoking), and liver disease (due to heavy drinking) plague the elderly community of Native American reservations due to low quality of life.  If money could be given to help support local, tribal, libraries, perhaps, in a small way, it would help to improve the quality of life for not only elders, but everyone else.


The AILA shares this link on their website with ways that the public can help American Indian Libraries, and so I will leave you with that:


http://www.ailanet.org/activities/supportTribalLibs_tipsheet.pdf


Sources:



Alexie, S., & Forney, E. (2007). The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian. New York: Little, Brown.

Baldridge, D. (2002). Indian elders. In D. L. Infeld (Ed.), Disciplinary approaches to aging: Vol. 4, 
          Anthropology of aging (pp. 255-267).  New York: Routledge.


Novak, M. (2008). Issues in aging. (2nd ed.). Boston: Pearson.

Journal Entry 2, Continued: Is Life Post 60 Really Golden?

The 80s television hit, The Golden Girls, followed the life of four very different women of a certain age who lived together in the same house.  All of these women were not married, their husbands were deceased with the exception of Dorothy Zbornak, who was divorced from her husband, Stan.  But instead of sitting around the house knitting, accepting their fate as spinsters, and waiting to die, these older women actually did things with their life.  The show actively fought against the stereotype of what an older woman could do with her life.  Not only were these women active, but they actually were frequently on the dating scene and had sex lives which were a constant topic of conversation.  This was revolutionary!  The thought of 60+ women who no longer had husbands acting like thirty-something single women definitely broke the mold.  It was like Sex and the City before Sex and the City ever existed.  The only difference is that these women, instead of being working New Yorkers, were retired Floridians.

The show definitely gave the impression that growing old was definitely not a bad thing; after all, these girls were "golden".  But that is not to say that the women on the show didn't struggle with the difficulties one faces while growing older.  From death scares to wrinkles, there was no doubt that although they acted young, these characters were aging.  They didn't mourn over the loss of their youth, though, usually they found comedy in the situation.  For example, listen to Sophia talk about her trip to the doctor's office in the first few seconds of this clip:

Although their characters brought about an idea of vitality and youth being still alive in an aging woman, and dealt with things in a mostly comedic fashion, the show was not without its serious moments.  

Golden Girls is an incomparable show.  There was no show like it before its time, and there has been no show like it since.  It celebrated the aging woman, something the media is usually very hesitant to do.  In a world where ageism is prevalent, these women defy the norms.

And now, I'll leave you with a bit more humor from the show; just because I can. :)

He can dance, but should he? A profile on the character of Artie Abrams on the FOX show Glee:

On the television show, Glee, the character of Artie Abrams is a wheelchair bound student at William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio.   When the show started, Artie was harassed by his peers and bullied as a result of his disability.  This bullying included, but was not limited to, being locked in a porta-potty by members of the football team while the football players proceed to knock the porta-potty over.  Artie was unable to defend himself, and the show brought to light, as is their goal, the hardships of what they call “the underdog”.  Show creator Ryan Murphy said in a 2009 interview with Hollywood Chicago: “it’s a show with a lot of heart, and it’s a show about underdogs…” (1)

 Throughout the run of the series thus far, Artie has grown as a loveable character who has taken on what seemed to be the impossible.  As a member of  McKinley’s glee club, called “The New Directions” Artie dances and sings with the best of them, all while in his wheelchair.  Also, he managed to convince the football coach to add him to the team, where he now plays alongside, as an equal, of some of those same football players who once bullied him.  This YouTube clip displays Artie excelling in both of his rolls as football player and glee club member as he joins his fellows to perform Michael Jackson’s Thriller:

 While it may not be completely realistic that Artie is able to be in the football team and the glee club, it is refreshing to see, nonetheless.  Here is a media representation of a person with a disability who fights to do what he wants to, and does not let his disability limit him as to what he is able to pursue.  This character can be seen as an especially great role model for children who are disabled.


However, there are critics Glee who are not pleased with the portrayal of Artie; mainly because the actor who plays him, Kevin McHale, is not actually a disabled actor.  Glee managed to take advantage of this fact in season 2 in which Artie is part of a “dream sequence” in which he is able to get out of his wheelchair and dance:

While Glee was never completely “realistic” from the beginning, this question raises the question of whether or not Artie should have been shown out of his wheelchair.  Children watching the show who find they have a common bond with Artie, as they are in a wheelchair or they also have a disability, could feel alienated by the fact that in real life, “Artie” can walk.  So, while I commend Glee for a more inspiring and realistic portrayal of a disabled person than has been seen previously, I suggest that they exercise caution and not take things too far out of the realm of possibility so as to detract from the credibility of this disabled character.

Sources:

1. http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/7720/interview-ryan-murphy-dances-his-way-to-glee-on-fox

An Introduction:

As a person with a disability, I am curious and excited to see what I will get out of this course, Introduction to Universal Access.  While it may seem as though I would already know a lot about Universal Access as a result of having a disability, I do not think that is necessarily true.  I do know what it's like to have limited mobility, but there are various other disabilities that, although I am aware of them, I am not as knowledgeable about the problems that persons with these various disabilities face.

Through this course, I hope to gain a better understanding of mulitple disabilities and how they effect the persons that have them.  Also, I hope to learn how to take this knowledge and apply it to my works in the Library and Information Sciences field, so as to make libraries accessible for all who use them.

I look forward to a fun semester!