By Susan Smith Nash, Ph.D.
Debbie never expected that online classes would allow her to take the college courses she had always dreamed of taking, but could not, because of her rheumatoid arthritis.
At 45, she had already had one hip replacement, and her doctor was recommending that she replace the other hip within the next year. Traditional face-to-face classes were out of the question. Her mobility issues made it difficult for her to make the one-hour drive from her Texas Panhandle home to the closest college campus. Further, her anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritis medicine tended to make her drowsy, which was definitely dangerous on a long drive on the isolated state highway, which, during the winter, often was covered in ice.
"I've always wanted to finish my psychology degree," said Debbie. "If for no other reason, to show my kids that you should never give up on a dream."
While her arthritis had attacked virtually every joint in her body, she considered herself one of the lucky ones. When she found out about a college with online degree programs, she checked into their psychology degrees.
"They had just what I needed," she said. So, she signed up for two online courses.
"It's a dream come true," said Debbie. "I'm able to use my hands, if I use the special keyboard and mouse. I have to take frequent breaks, but that's okay," she continued.
In addition to the specially designed mouse and keyboard, Debbie set up her computer so that she has a dual monitor system. By having dual monitors, she is able to eliminate a lot of clicking between screens. Having the large dual-screen system also allows her to move her neck and keep her joints flexible.
"Some people think that the key to managing arthritis is to avoid movement," said Debbie. "In reality, that's the last thing you should do. The key is to keep exercising and stretching. I found that out very early on. After all, my arthritis hit me young — I was just a kid."
In many ways, the fact that Debbie has suffered from rheumatoid arthritis almost all of her life is an advantage. She knows that exercise and stretching are important, one must fight tooth and nail against the tendency to take painkillers and sleep instead of getting exercise. After successfully completing three semesters, Debbie is close to graduating. "I'm even thinking of going on for a master's degree."
While Debbie's situation may seem unusual to most, the fact is that many individuals in the United States suffer from mobility impairments. Many have suffered the mobility issues since young childhood, when their situation was not always well understood.
Take the case of Sefilya, whose rheumatoid arthritis was discovered when she was two years of age. Her mother wondered why she was slow to crawl, walk, and run. While she was happy that Sefilya did not like to climb (and thereby hurt herself), Mattie, her mom, was worried.
"Sefilya just always seemed to be such a serious child," she said. When Sefilya's corrective surgeries and lack of mobility caused her to have to miss school, Mattie decided to sign her up for online courses. The courses were a blessing, said Mattie. Not only did they have all the information and instructional content that helped Sefilya pass the exams required by the state, they also kept her engaged through intriguing and colorful interactive games and simulations.
Later, when Sefilya finished the bulk of the surgeries, she enrolled in high school, where she is performing very well. Her experience with online learning has helped her make friends as well, since she became quite adept at creating a positive presence on the Internet via social networking.
The future.
Rheumatoid arthritis and other mobility-reducing conditions are not well understood by much of the public, and the implications with respect to education can be very severe. Not only are individuals with rheumatoid arthritis at risk of falling behind because of missing class, they may also feel ostracized because they are different from many of the other learners. Online education and innovative instructional materials can help close the gap.
Useful Web sites.
Mobility Issues
Arthritis Mortality Issues
Download the accompanying podcast to this post! "Rheumatoid Arthritis and the E-Learner" (3.2 MB)