 "Photo: Courtesy of Mari Pflaster")
 "Photo: Courtesy of Mari Pflaster")
While most of us will be giving thanks tomorrow, Rita Roberson is giving thanks today.
A group of students from the general studies course, Disability and Society, took a cue from the television program “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” and volunteered to make over Roberson’s garage, the place where she does her physical therapy.
Roberson, a San Diego State alumna, was born with cerebral palsy.
“I feel very appreciative,” Roberson, who graduated from SDSU in 1988 with a bachelor’s degree in recreation, said.
Roberson lives with her friend and full-time caregiver Mary-Denise Giesing, in a small house that requires lots of extra space so the 52-year-old can maneuver her electric wheelchair. Because of this, Roberson has to keep her physical therapy and exercise equipment, a large mechanical horse called the Equicizer, in her garage.
“If it would come in the house, it would be the only thing in the house,” Giesing said. “It’s the size of a real horse.”
Roberson’s Equicizer, which she named “Rita’s Fancy,” is an essential part of her therapeutic regimen. It strengthens her leg and torso muscles, which that are necessary for standing and balancing.
“My Equicizer is important to me because I’m almost able to stand myself up,” she said.
Mari Pflaster, a child and family development major and student assistant for the class, headed the volunteer project. She said that what started off as an “intimidating job” turned into a learning experience. The volunteers cleaned and organized the cluttered garage to make room for the Equicizer. They also installed insulation, drywall and shelving.
“Rita totally deserved to have the garage cleaned out so she could ride her Equicizer,” Pflaster said. “Her one goal is to stand, hold her own weight, which is something that none of us could really say is our goal in life.”
Meeting Roberson and completing her own community service hours changed Pflaster.
“It made me realize that disability is something that’s natural,” Pflaster said. “It’s something that you don’t need to be afraid of; you don’t need to be uncomfortable with it.”
Students have to complete a community service component and spend 15 hours working with someone with a disability or for an organization that works with people who have disabilities.
Mendy McClure, who teaches the class, said the hands-on experience teaches students to “understand that disability is not something about a person that they can’t do, but it’s about things that people can do, given the opportunity to succeed.”
She said she hopes students use the knowledge and experience they acquire in the class to inform others about people with disabilities.
“We’ve got so many different kinds of students in our class, so we’re hoping that they take that experience with them and be able to apply it in their real life,” McClure said.
Approximately 10 students participated in the four-day project.
“It was really, really inspiring and really cool,” Pflaster said. “All of the students worked really hard. It was cool to see them give up a weekend and do something nice for somebody else.”
Julio Velazquez, a dance senior, said the project was not only rewarding for Roberson, but for him, too.
“It just feels really great to give,” he said. “When someone needs help, it just makes you feel good; and by helping someone, you help yourself.”
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