by Andrea Siow
In July I was very excited to be one of 12 delegates chosen to represent the United States in a cross-cultural exchange to Costa Rica, Central America, with the goal of sharing perspectives on disability with our Costa Rican friends. Our journey gave all of us great opportunities to experience Costa Rican culture, food and the struggles that people with disabilities face day to day in another part of the world.
One of the most memorable and enjoyable aspects of my stay in Costa Rica was spending time with my homestay family. There, I had the unique opportunity to see how one member of a Costa Rican family with a disability approaches life in her native country and the many ways that the family works together to help that person.
When I first met my host mother, Domaris Solano -- wife, mother of two and school counselor -- I knew immediately that she was a strong woman and a unique and beautiful person. Many nights we stayed up laughing and talking about our experiences growing up with a disability and comparing life in the US and Costa Rica. My host mother was intrigued by my Hopi heritage and confessed that she had never before met a native person who was proud of her culture. I learned that in Costa Rica there is a stereotype that native peoples are poor, uneducated and alcoholic -- a stereotype not uncommon in the US either. My host mother told me that she was very proud to have me in her home and that I had changed her perception of America and native peoples in particular. My host mother's energy touched everything and everyone around her. I will never forget the mornings that she wheeled down the hallway, singing and checking on each of her children -- of which I was now one. Each day I was greeted with "Andrea, buenos dias" and a big smile. A woman I knew absolutely nothing about before arriving in Costa Rica had not only become an inspiration to me but a friend, teacher and second mother.
There is no other experience that can compare to all that I learned and shared in Costa Rica. I hope that other people with disabilities will seize the opportunity to travel because it is opportunities like this that can help you to discover yourself and become a role model for others. This is true not only for people with disabilities but for all people.
Young people have been having experiences like this one as Mobility International USA travel scholars since 1983. For more information on the 2002 Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Disability Exchange Program, please contact MIUSA via e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at (541) 343-1284 (voice/TDD). Updated program information is also available on MIUSA's web site, www.miusa.org. About the author
Andrea Siow was a delegate on the 2001 US/Costa Rica Cross- Cultural Perspectives on Disability Exchange Program, sponsored by the DeWitt Wallace/Youth Travel Enrichment Fund.
Siow works with the Office of Special Needs on the Hopi Indian Reservation in northeastern Arizona and is a member of the Hopi Girl Power Committee. She is also a volunteer with the Parent to Parent Support Group for Special Needs which sponsors events and activities aimed at promoting disability awareness in the community. Andrea, who has a visual impairment, took advantage of the availability of materials in large print throughout the exchange program. Looking for something to do this summer?
Spend the summer experiencing another part of the world with MIUSA's summer 2002 travel program. Mobility International USA (MIUSA) is currently seeking individuals with and without disabilities for an 18-day international program in Latin America or Europe. MIUSA's summer 2002 exchange program is designed for young adults, ages 18-24, who are interested in learning about a new culture, exploring disability rights and expanding leadership skills in an exciting international environment. Dates and location to be announced. American sign language interpretation and materials in alternative formats will be provided. Please contact MIUSA at the number above for more information on this and other opportunities in international educational travel.