A Lesson in Empathy from Otero College’s LETA

On March 7, 2023, cadets in Otero’s Law Enforcement Training Academy (LETA) spent the day living in someone else’s shoes. In partnership with Otero’s Accessibility Services Office, Otero’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Council, and Sodexo Food Services, cadets in the LETA completed an 8-hour course on “Interacting with Persons with Disabilities”.

Careful planning took place to ensure the President’s Cabinet, Sodexo Food Services, and the campus community were informed about the exercise. Director Vince Fraker said, “One of my biggest concerns going into this was that without context, students, faculty, and staff would view the activities our cadets would be participating in as insensitive acts towards people with disabilities. There is not a rule book for this kind of work, so I asked Otero’s EDI Council to review my plan for the day to ensure my bases were covered and that I wasn’t missing something. They also reviewed the email I wrote to inform students, faculty and staff about the activities cadets would be participating in. They checked it for person-first language and other nuances, and I am grateful for their support of this process”.

The 8-hour course began in the LETA classroom, where cadets were introduced to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), case studies on negative police interactions with persons with disabilities, and relevant Colorado Laws. From there, cadets moved to Otero’s Learning Commons where they met with Frida Beyerl, Otero’s Accessibility Services Coordinator, and completed a white cane obstacle course to experience what people with a visual impairment may experience on a daily basis.

Next up was a panel discussion with Mrs. Beyerl and an Otero student. The discussion centered around living with a visual impairment and working with or living with children on the autism spectrum. Director Fraker said “This was a great experience, not only for us (LETA cadets) but for our panelists as they were challenged to think about things through our lens of the world. One scenario question we posed to the panel was as follows: You have a heart attack tomorrow. You’re able to dial 911 before you pass out. How do we approach your child who is on the autism spectrum? Who do we contact? How do we get information from your child so we can help you? I sat back and was amazed at the conversations that unfolded. It was a great experience for all parties involved”. This discussion led to a cadet talking about how his local fire department utilizes sensory toys and autism awareness labels to inform first responders during emergencies.Following the panel discussion, cadets participated in an empathy exercise in the Rattler Den, Otero’s main cafeteria. Fraker outfitted six cadets with blindfolds and white canes, one student with a wheelchair, one student with an arm sling covered by a hoodie, and the rest with earplugs. Cadets walked from their classroom to the main cafeteria where they had to get lunch, eat lunch, clean up after themselves, and go back to class. Their experiences were wide ranging from basic disorientation and confusion, to heightened anxiety.Fraker said the cadet placed in the wheelchair is the newly elected Sheriff of a county in Colorado. He noticed that when cadets were walking to the cafeteria, this cadet was left behind by the group and he was struggling. Fraker did not offer any help. He said, “This student was the last student in the lunch line, in front of me. After I got my tray, I turned and watched him struggle to park the wheelchair under a table not designed for it. I sat down with him and a few minutes into eating he said, ‘Vince, I’m not happy’. The student went on to share a list of things that were wrong, ranging from an icy ramp that impaired his traction, to eating with dirty hands because he could not reach the soap dispensers, and hand sanitizer was not available.”

Fraker and Dillon Martin, Otero’s Auxiliary Services Director, later watched Sodexo Food Services staff interact with cadets, and they and noticed the employees immediately adjusted their behavior according to the person in front of them. Fraker said, “They did an amazing job”. Per Victor Agena, Area General Manager of Sodexo, “I purposely did not disclose to them (Sodexo employees) what LEA was doing so I could evaluate their customer service skills. It seems as if I owe each one of them a pat on the back!”

Aside from the cadet who struggled in the wheelchair, Director Fraker observed a cadet with earplugs (simulating a hearing impairment) having trouble communicating with his partner who was blindfolding and navigating the cafeteria using a white cane (simulating a visual impairment) about what they wanted to drink. Using a notepad and pen, the cadet asked a faculty member in the cafeteria for help. The faculty member was more than eager to assist. Fraker said, “It was great to watch the learning experience spread from my students to others as well. The student body was very supportive. Several positive conversations were had between random students and cadets, and faculty and cadets. It was cool to watch”.

Director Fraker hopes the events of the day will lead to positive results in the future. Reflecting on the activity, he said, “Of course there are always things I can make better. Scenarios will be held in the coming weeks to culminate the whole program, but today was a really good day. Thanks to everyone who participated”.

After 8 hours of active, participatory learning, Otero’s LETA cadets now have a better understanding of disabilities, and more empathy towards people who are living with them. As stated by President Alvarez, “Reading about or being lectured on these topics are not nearly as impactful as developing active learning opportunities that allow students to have a visceral experience, particularly when it comes to matters of diversity and inclusion”. Kudos to Director Fraker, Frida Beyerl, Otero’s EDI Council, Dillon Martin, and Sodexo Food Services for making Director Fraker’s vision a reality.