As part of Drexel Avenue School's Disabilities Awareness program, where students are taught about the needs, concerns and problems of disabled individuals, fifth graders assembled in the auditorium to hear guest speaker Dennis Oehler provide first hand experience on what it is like to have a disability. Oehler, a para-olympian had to have his leg amputated in 1984 after he was struck by a car, just weeks before he was to sign a professional soccer contract. He later turned his tragedy into triumph when he received a specially designed prosthetic running leg and began to participate in the Para-Olympics (an Olympics for disabled athletes which is held two weeks after the Olympics in the same city) where he would go on to win three gold medals.

During the presentation, Oehler talked to the students about some of the misconceptions that people have about the handicapped, such as they are people who should be pitied or that they are too mean and bitter to discuss their disability. He then went on to recount the story that led to his amputation and how he became involved in the Para-Olympics, trained with track and field star Carl Lewis (at a time of 11.73 seconds he runs the 100 meters only a little less than two seconds slower than Lewis), and went on to set world records in the 200 meters and the quarter mile.

In discussing the problems of the disabled, Oehler goes through much of the program before he lets the students become aware that he is wearing a prosthetic leg. "Educating the students about the feelings of disabled and then suddenly informing them that I am disabled has a lasting effect on the kids," said Oehler. "Dennis has been coming to Drexel to speak for several years now and the students are always very enthusiastic," said Drexel Physical Education teacher Ron McKay. "Of all the speakers we have come for this program, Dennis definitely has the biggest effect on them."

In concluding his talk Oehler ran a lap around the auditorium to the cheers and applause of the students. He is entering retirement and will not be participating in the Para-Olympics in Sydney in the year 2000. He will continue to visit schools to speak to students. "Speaking to people was an important part of my transitional period of learning to cope with being an amputee," said Oehler. "Now when students that I talked to years ago come up to me and tell me how my talk affected them positively, I realize that speaking with the students has been the highlight of my career."