What am I doing here?

This question has been on my mind as I am preparing to leave Ukraine in just 5 short weeks. I was just looking back at the title description of this blog and musing about how much broader my experiences have been than I originally imagined. My 'research' here has expanded to include looking at issue of occupational justice in the community. For those who aren't OTs and aren't following my jargon...that basically means that I have expanded my scope to not just learn about life for a child in an orphanage here, but to examine life for a child with a disability in any form and how the context of their environment supports or inhibits them from having the freedom to engage in activities that they deem meaningful for their lives.

I have been asked to present about my research at two Ukrainian universities in the next few weeks and sitting down to try and compress all that I have learned and seen into a 15 min. powerpoint presentation has proved daunting. I find myself wanting to compartmentalize my experiences to simplify it but the more I try to separate all the things I have learned, the more I see the connections between them.

One interesting piece I am hoping to use in my presentations is a commentary about the inaccessibility of the public spaces in town. I am going to take photos and videos of how someone in a wheelchair (for example) would need to travel to get down one street. There is no consistency in repair requirements so one shop owner can repair the sidewalk in front of his shop and create a curb...the other can make a curb cut (small ramp to allow wheelchair to pass easily). The result is that there is a ramp to cross one side of the street and then a giant curb on the other side, so I have actually seen people in wheelchairs ride in the street because it is impossible to navigate the sidewalks. Also, the trend is to use pavers for the sidewalks right now and I can only imagine how uncomfortable that would be to ride over in a wheelchair..not to mention how dangerous for someone with a visual impairment (one paver sticking up and its a recipe for a fall!).