April is Limb Loss Awareness Month, and in light of this, we want to feature a project created by one of our BSW Students, Jordan Simpson. We will let her introduce the project herself:
Hello all!
I am so excited to finally share this with everyone!
This year, in my Social Policy and Advocacy Class, I have been focusing on Limb Difference Awareness and Issues Affecting the Limb Different Community.
I created this video: Celebrating Difference, to highlight important issues; the wonderful organizations and people that have impacted my life like The Amputee Coalition, and Camp No Limits to name a few; and my favorite month of the year: Limb Loss Awareness Month!Circumstance; disability — whether born or developed, should not limit one’s full participation in life.
Please watch this video I have created to learn more about Limb Loss/Difference and the issues that affect this community, like recreational access in particular.
You can take a closer look at my policy brief on recreational access HERE Finally, thank you to UNE, my wonderful professors (especially Jenna Powers!) my amazing cohort, and Maine Representative Colleen Madigan for their support with this project and my cause. Your encouragement, guidance and kind words have meant the world to me. ❤️
An Interview with Jordan:
What drew you to social work?
I’ve always had a deep love for helping others and a passion for social justice, inclusion advocacy, and community building. I’m an amputee from birth so I’ve lived life through a unique lens that has naturally gravitated towards these themes, but I only learned about and began thinking of Social Work as a career when I was a Junior in High School working as a waitress at an assisted living facility back home. One of my bosses was married to a social worker and spoke with me often about his work. Between my own personal experiences in life as an amputee, my volunteer work, and my interactions with residents, it just made sense for me to pursue. I did some more research and I fell even more in love with the social work values, beliefs and diverse hands on approach.
What areas of social work do you find most interesting?
I find it all fascinating, but I particularly gravitate towards macro policy work, as well as geriatric social work and counseling. Growing up as a person with a limb difference, I have always had to be my own advocate (with the loving help and guidance of my mom as well!), so policy has always been of interest to me. I was also particularly close to my grandparents growing up and have witnessed the impact of social work on older adults as a family member and as a waitress in the assisted living home. I love listening to other people’s stories and I think that counseling would be wonderful to explore more in my career as a Social Worker.
Do you think you’ll go on to pursue an MSW?
Yes, I want to pursue an MSW dual law degree, or the Advanced Standing MSW (BSW 4+1) followed by law school.
What do you eventually want to do with your social work degree?
Lots of things! But right now I know I definitely want to do macro policy work and direct practice counseling.
For more on Jordan, visit our post A Day In The Life of a Social Work Student
