Meramec Students Explore Differing Abilities

A car accident left Katie Rodriguez Banister a quadriplegic. But she told students during an assembly Tuesday that she doesn't want them to feel sorry for her.

"'I am a woman,'" Rodriguez Banister said, reading from a poem she wrote about her experiences. "'I have hopes, and I have dreams.'"

She and her husband, Steve Banister, interacted with students as part of the school's "Growing Aware of Differing Abilities" assembly. The couple operate the educational organization Access-4-All out of their Affton home.

Rodriguez Banister, the author of four books, demonstrated to students how she writes and types using a writing brace. She also showed them the brace she uses to eat.

She uses a wheelchair, and she said she often gets ignored because of the way she looks. But she spoke highly of the students at Meramec and thanked several for greeting her with a "hello" as they entered the school's gym on Tuesday.

After the assembly, students broke into family groups—clusters of students from varying grades who work together yearly—to attend breakout sessions. Topics included visual challenges, sign language and ADHD.

In one breakout session, Rodriguez Banister demonstrated how she gets into her van using a lift. One student asked whether it was hard for her to get used to doing these things.

Rodriguez Banister said it was.

"Somedays I still cry, and I get depressed," she said. But she added later: "I've got to be somebody people want to help."

In another breakout session, Dianne Peters of C.H.A.M.P. Assistance Dogs and Elliot the dog demonstrated how support dogs work.

At one point, Peters dropped a cloth bag on the floor so that Elliot could retrieve it.

"I didn't have to bend over, and it saved me energy," Peters said.

Cari McDougal, instructional coordinator at Meramec, said 18 speakers were available to students Tuesday. They visited with them in 10-minute increments.

Students who are part of the school's Character Council—a group of nearly 50 young leaders—developed the program and other monthly gatherings like it, Principal Annette Isselhard said.

This year, students chose to focus monthly gatherings on issues involving children. They heard from Ronald McDonald earlier this year and decorated ball caps to donate to children in the Ronald McDonald wing of St. Louis Children's Hospital.

"It was their idea to launch straight from the assembly to the family groups," Isselhard said.

Myles Rosenblum, a student at the school, said he and his classmates were excited to talk about one another's differences and to help others as part of Tuesday's event.

Classmate Ella Duplain said she and other members of the Character Council worked together to organize Tuesday's event.

"We all like meeting new people," she said.

Here's a look at the presenters Tuesday at Meramec:

• Katie Rodriguez, Access-4-All
• Dianne Peters & Elliot, C.H.A.M.P.
• Nancy Smith, SSD
• Colleen Burdiss & Interpreter-Paraquad
• Karen Wientge, SSD
• Warsame
• Lindsay Allison, SSD
• Mary Ann and Alana Subleski, FFB
• Mark Madsen
• Tina and Laine, Belle Center
• Anne Geary and interpreter-Paraquad
• Jennifer Haughey, Touch Point
• Robin Smith, LDA
• Colleen Card, SSD
• Leigh Carson, parent
• Meg Lovera, SSD
• Randy Schraier
• Cara Bates, SSD