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Having a book author speak to students in celebration of International Literacy Day may not seem very unusual, however, the kids at Lawson Elementary School learned about literacy and overcoming life’s challenges.

Katie Rodriguez Banister, president of Access-4-All, rolled into the gymnasium along with her husband and her book, “Aunt Katie’s Visit.” This self-described “woman on wheels” is a quadriplegic—the result of an automobile accident which occurred more than a decade ago.

“I had trouble reading in the second grade,” she admitted to the students. “I had trouble with my numbers in the first grade.”

Banister said she would get teased by others because of it.

“Just because I had a hard time learning doesn’t mean I’m stupid, does it?” the author asked. “No-o-o-o,” the kids confirmed.

“You know what I did? I grew up, and I did not listen to those people,” she said.

As tragic as the accident was for the then 25-year-old, Banister said the life-altering experience brought about her life’s mission—educating others about people with disabilities.

“A friend asked me to speak to a class about disabilities,” she told her captivated audience. “That’s when I decided this is what I needed to do,” Banister said.

Banister now makes appearances to talk about “the culture of disability and to break down the barriers between us and people who are different.”

In her book, “Aunt Katie’s Visit,” Banister takes readers through a journey of how a physically disabled person goes about everyday tasks.

She also displayed the braces and assisting devices she uses to help her movement, such as a writing brace.

“It’s interesting,” she told the students. “I write the same way I wrote before the accident.”

Banister, with the assistance of her husband, Steve, had a series of show-and-tell items, braces to assist with eating and electric bike pants for exercising.

“I did three miles yesterday on my bike. It’s totally cool,” she said. “Yes, I wish I weren’t paralyzed but I’m going to make the most of what I can.”

“Don’t be lazy. Make the best of what you got,” she told the students.

Banister described how she uses an eraser to turn pages on books and magazines and to type on the computer. “My favorite brace is the tenodesis,” she said. “I call it my bionic hand. It has three straps and Velcro.”

Banister also uses it to put on lipstick and makeup. “When you go through something like this, being able to put on your makeup makes you feel so much better,” she said.

“Amy, my assistant, dresses and helps me bathe. I take a shower, but it’s different because I have a seat,” the author explained. “I kind of feel like I’m in a car wash.”

The children’s laughter was hushed by a sobering statement from a woman who has major challenges to overcome every day.

“Probably some of the biggest challenges are learning disabilities,” the author said.

The children also learned the politically correct approach to use when a person has disabilities. “The nicest thing you can say to a person with disabilities is ‘hello,’” she said.

“If you are going to stare at somebody, it’s okay, but say hello.”

When you want to help a disabled person, she said, “Don’t start grabbing things, it could throw them off balance. Say ‘hi.’ I’d like to help you, just tell me how.” “I’m just like you, I just do things a little differently,” she said.

(story courtesy of Hazelwood Communications Dept.)

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