ROBERT BARRON
Nanaimo Daily News
NANAIMO — Aedan Staddon was only too happy to answer questions from students at Wellington Secondary School about his daily challenges as a blind man.
Staddon was one of numerous participants who were involved with Wellington’s Human Library event that brought in speakers ranging from Mennonites and homeless advocates to local seniors and aboriginal war veterans.
Students were given the opportunity to meet each of the participants in small groups in an effort to help reduce the stereotypes people have about different groups of people and to reduce prejudices due to ignorance.
Elizabeth Sansoucy-Jones, a teacher-librarian at Wellington, said the concept of the Human Library began in Denmark a few years and has taken off internationally since then.
Bun Yamin, a Grade 9 student, said he visited a number of the people who came to the school last week to talk about their lives and answer questions.
“I thought the experience was excellent and I think I’ve learned a lot more than I would have by other means, like just reading books,” Yamin said.
“Our teachers are great in explaining things, but having this close and personal experience with people really helps us understand things much better.”
As part of the event, each participant becomes a “book” that students can “check out.”
Students sit at a table with their chosen “book” and they have 15 minutes to chat, ask questions and get informed.
In total, Wellington had about 20 participants attend its morning and afternoon sessions.
Sansoucy-Jones said she first came across the concept when it was recently held at a Vancouver public library and was “intrigued.”
She said she contacted the Human Library organization and had to agree to its guidelines before she was given permission to host the event.
“As part of the event, the participants were not to try and convince our students of their views on any subject or issue but to talk about their own challenges, struggles and successes,” Sansoucy-Jones said.
“It’s meant to be all about increasing our students’ understanding of the many diverse ways of living there are and reduce stereotypes. The day went well and the students were very engaged in their sessions.”
Staddon, a 2003 graduate of John Barsby Secondary School in Nanaimo, answered many questions about what it’s like to live every day being blind and the challenges he must overcome.
“People have many assumptions so it was great to have the opportunity to answer questions and openly talk about my life,” he said. “It was a great exercise and I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.”
Tom Rose, a 92-year-old who lived his entire life in Nanaimo, was at the event as a “senior curmudgeon.”
He said there were many questions from the students about living life as a senior citizen. “But a lot were too shy to ask anything and I just ended up talking to them,” he said.