Martha,

One summer years ago, we had a student participant who had lost both of his arms in an accident (lost at the shoulders). I was going to write to you privately about my experience because the young man was very private person. Then I considered the large number of veterans from a decade of war that has probably swelled the number of disabled persons potentially seeking to work or volunteer positions in archaeology and I changed my mind.  This is important to discuss publicly. I have never been trained or read case studies about this, and some awareness is badly needed.

This particular student and I brainstormed together to find ways that he could work alongside other project team members- excavating, screening, taking notes, mapping with the EDM, drawing, and so on.  While I write this in the first person, please understand that this was a collaborative effort that also included at least Pat Martin, Elizabeth Norris, and other members of our research team on that project, although these are only my recollections.  As I recall, everything worked out very well.  He took part in all aspects of the dig. Through the field season he came to focus on measured drawings of architectural remains and digital mapping, but he was a regular and reliable member of that field team in all ways.

The immediate details that I can recall include:

1. He and I went to a thrift store and bought a cheap pair of old boots that mostly fit him, then drilled through the sole of one of the boots and bolted an off-the-shelf, $0.10 metal bracket onto the bottom. The bracket stuck out from the toes of the boot so that he could use it as a trowel.  You can imagine the motion he used, sort of similar to the movement you would use to scrape mud off of your right toe. He could not walk far in the boot, obviously, so he carried it to the dig and changed into it for work.

2. He had one prosthetic arm which was equipped with a pinscher-style claw or clamp.  He was very proficient at using his prosthetic arm to maneuver his dust pan, for example. His prosthetic was similar to the right hand of the person in this wikipedia image:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Army_prosthetic.jpg

3. We stitched up a sash that included a hook.  It hung over his neck and shoulder as one would carry a computer bag.  He could stoop down, use his arm to hook the bucket handle, and then lift with his legs and carry the bucket. This allowed him to lift the weight without putting strain on his prosthetic. While I'm sure the bucket banged against his thigh terribly, he never complained or remarked on that.  He was able to prop the screen on his knee, dump the bucket of dirt, and shake.  It was remarkable to behold how well he pulled that all off.

4. As you might expect, he took notes and did drawings with the pencil held in his mouth.  His journal was clear and legible, more than most I've read- including my own.

5. I don't recall very clearly how he managed photography, but I am sure he pulled that off also.

If I were advising a project director or field supervisor about this, I would make these points:

a. Respect that person and their interest and ability to make contributions to the research team and beware natural human tendencies toward voyeurism.  Physical disabilities are no different in most ways than learning disabilities.  With patience and creativity, you will be able to overcome most challenges, but be sure to start conversations in private about possible solutions.  In this case, this student did not want to discuss the accident that caused his disability under any circumstances. That was not relevant to finding solutions anyway.  The crew respected his boundaries- full credit to the community in that case.  One mean or thoughtless person could have really spoiled the collective effort at respect.  This individual also did not want to talk about the nitty-gritty details of living with his disability. He never put on or took off his prosthetic arm in public, for example. Dealing with his prosthetic and equipment was a part of his morning hygiene practices and he did not discuss them. Full credit to the rest of the crew that year because they all respected his boundaries when natural human curiosity is understandable, but unimaginably wearisome for the disabled individual.

b. Speed is not of the essence, quality is.  If you are panicked about the speed of the work, you are not in a position to make this work well.

c. Assess how things are going periodically and privately until you get a better feel for the individual and the crew as a team. Help with tasks, don't do the tasks for the person.  While I am sure this depends upon the individual, you should try to communicate about how to be helpful without infantilizing the disabled person.  Generally, these people are not afraid of hard work.  Tying your own shoes is hard when you have no arms, but doing so is incredibly important to an individuals self-esteem. Let them take the time they need to do their work in the same way you would let them take the time they need to tie their shoes, and they will pretty quickly catch up with the rest of the crew as they become competent with the new skills.

d. Expect that the attitude of the disabled individual will be important, but don't forget that the rest of the persons on the crew are equally as important.  Fostering a mutually respectful environment is critical, the same way you would try to do so for people with different gender, ethnic, racial, class, and economic identities.

e. I expect that there aren't general practices for this type of thing.  Each individual's disabilities are unique and the challenges are integrated with their personal identity, so I would approach each circumstance individually and try not to make comparisons.  "I worked with this other person who had no arms and he could do this, can't you when you have one arm?"  That type of comparison will not be helpful.

In this case, the young man was an excellent team member. I look back on other field seasons and projects where I would trade some entire crews to have that young man back for a few weeks. 

I'm sure I would have more suggestions, but it is the end of the field day for me!

Best,
Tim



On May 15, 2013, at 5:48 PM, Martha Zierden wrote:

> Has anyone enrolled a student with physical challenges in a traditional
> field school course?  I have not experienced this, but I began to ponder
> this situation and was curious about possible solutions.I would be
> interested to know how grading and accommodations were developed for those
> students.  If you prefer, you may reply off-line.
> Thanks,
> Martha