Learning from Each Other (Toastmaster, April 2006, 1450 words)

When Chris Felske, CTM, from New Westminster, British Columbia, ends a speech, he often does a dramatic spin at the end—in his wheelchair. Felske has cerebral palsy, a brain disorder that causes muscular impairment. All four of his limbs are affected, but the left side more than the right.

But in a round-about way, it was cerebral palsy that prompted Felske to join Toastmasters in the first place. Several years ago, Felske was asked to speak about a topic he knew well—cerebral palsy in the workplace. Yet, despite having lived with the condition since birth, he was unable to talk about it. “I was marble mouth,” he says. “When I got out front, I was like ‘uh, uh, uh.’ My hands started sweating and I was all clammy. I decided to go to Toastmasters and try it out, so I’d learn how to speak in front of people.”

Since joining Toastmasters, “I’ve become more articulate,” says Felske. “I actually enunciate my words and get things out with more ease.” And while Felske’s not scared to talk, he admits to being afraid at times. “I’m scared of people’s perception of my disability,” he says.

In addition to causing limited mobility in his limbs, cerebral palsy also causes Felske’s eyes to wander. “Part of my brain, my motor system, is dead from the cerebral palsy. When I talk to you, without me even knowing, my eyes look up at the ceiling, and I haven’t quite figured it out myself, but it happens to all people with cerebral palsy to some extent.”

The feedback he gets from Toastmasters, however, helps Felske develop more control over his eye movement. When doing a speech, Felske says, “I have to really, really concentrate, especially regarding looking at both sides of the room.” Toastmasters is a place for Felske to practice and make sure everything is in check. But regular involvement in meetings is key. Everything is fine, says Felske, “as long as I continue to participate and don’t stay on the sidelines.”

For Felske, who works as a manager of customer service at a major Canadian bank, strong communication skills are important to his career: “Right now I’m managing 14 people,” he says, “so if I can’t project myself or I can’t get my point across, it doesn’t look good to the people that report to me.”

In Toastmasters, as in everyday life, a physical disability is merely a challenge that a certain individual has to deal with. Every Toastmaster has a growth point or two, whether it’s hand-clasping, stuttering, or slouching. And by giving frank evaluations and making sure to watch for particular actions or habits, members can help each other overcome, or at least minimize, the effects of these challenges.

Long-time Toastmaster Emma Smith, from Clearfield, Utah, also has cerebral palsy. When she was an infant, her parents were told she would probably never talk. Well, not only can she talk, but Smith is also a DTM and has held numerous executive positions, including District Governor of a club she led to President’s Distinguished. Says Smith modestly, “Somehow everything came together when I was District Governor, because my District finished 5th out of 75 in the 1998–1999 year, and I really don’t know what I did or didn’t do.”

Smith, who often gets complimented on the clarity of her speech, went through 18 years of speech therapy to learn how to produce the basic sounds and string them together into words, then sentences. “Apart from speech therapy,” she says, “Toastmasters has done more for my speech than anything else. I continue to speak, and my speech continues to improve.” She urges anyone with a speaking disability to speak as often as possible: “Toastmasters does wonders for your confidence as well as improving your speech.”

Smith, who uses a walker or a tiny moped when away from her home, doesn’t have to prepare too much before speaking in a new environment. “But I do check out a stage or platform if I have to go up or down a flight of stairs,” she says. “Stairs don’t bother me if I am familiar with them.”

Smith feels it’s essential for a disabled people to pursue every avenue he or she can to overcome the disability. “Don’t give up,” she says. “Stay in there and do everything you can to help yourself. And remember, others need your help, too.”

A number of factors have contributed to Smith’s success. “I have been blessed with determination, personal fortitude, belief in myself, confidence, and I am a survivor,” she says. “I was blessed to be born into the right family at the right time and in the right place.” Smith, a retired IRS employee with a Master’s degree in sociology and an active member of two Toastmasters clubs, adds, “I do so many things that people forget I am handicapped, and that is exactly what I want them to do.”

Lois Strachan, DTM, from Cape Town, South Africa, has been blind since the age of 21. She says that any speaker, blind or sighted, needs to know the same things: Who’s the audience? What’s the room layout? The only other thing Strachan needs to find out, she says, is whether or not she’ll be able to bring her guide dog with her!

For Strachan, learning to make eye contact and use appropriate gestures and body language can be a bit challenging, especially when she can’t see what works and what doesn’t work in other speakers. So how does she learn? “Through trial and error,” she says. “Don’t we all?” And like many Toastmasters, Strachan appreciates whatever help her evaluators can give her in these particular areas. “I think the greatest way that other Toastmasters and clubs can assist is simply by being aware of the needs of someone with visual impairments,” she says. “That in itself is problematic, since we are all individuals and our needs differ!”

Leila, Strachan’s guide dog, provides her own form of evaluation: if she likes a speech, she pays attention. If the speech is okay, but not as good as Leila would hope, she goes to sleep. And if Leila really thinks the speech needs work, she snores.

Since Strachan is unable to see the green, yellow, and red lights that are standard at most Toastmaster meetings, she requests a verbal indication of how much time remains for her speech, rather than rely on a bell, a clap, or other audio notification method.

Felske, too, adapts to suit his environment. “One of the things I do in my home club is, instead of going to the lectern, I sometimes stay at the table just for the logistics of not having to get around people, if we’re a full house.”

For Felske, advance preparation is not usually required. “The only thing I have to be careful of is if I go to a club that has stairs. I have to bring somebody with me and I have to bring my other wheelchair, which is a manual, portable chair. I’ll bring an assistant with me, or another Toastmaster.” And while Felske himself doesn’t demand any special treatment because of his disability, special treatment is occasionally what he gets. “People treat me differently. They sometimes make allowances that I wouldn’t make for myself,” he says. “I’ve been to conferences before where they’ve put me right up front because it’s easier because of the way the room is set up.” While this may be a thoughtful gesture, it occasionally interferes with Felske’s plans to sit with friends, maybe even at the back of the hall. “I want to be able to make the choice,” he says, adding that it’s up to him to make a conscious effort to assert himself.

For many of us, the challenges faced by those with a disability may appear daunting. But in reality, a disability is something that many Toastmasters work around or minimize. Felske asks that we treat disabled Toastmasters as we would any other Toastmaster. Don’t assume that a disabled person is not willing or able to be an active member of the club. Call on them to take on club roles, including table topics. Like all Toastmasters, they too are there to improve their communication skills, move out of their comfort zone, and develop the self-confidence needed to be active members of both Toastmasters International and society. “Yes, some people need different allowances but make that an asset to the club, not a disadvantage,” says Felske. By providing support, encouragement, and honest feedback, we can all be a part of our fellow Toastmasters’ growth and success. And in turn, they can be a part of ours.

© 2006 Barbara K. Adamski all rights reserved
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