Early on a sunny Wednesday morning, in a classroom down a long brick hallway in Foley Hall, a young man in a mechanical wheelchair faced a wall, fidgeting with a stereo that was blaring Clint Black. He sat quietly, saliva trickling down his chin.

Bernadette Kerwin, teacher of the Severely Handicapped at Sacramento State, came to his assistance by wiping his face with a faded, striped beach towel. She smiled at him and whispered words of encouragement in his ear.

Kerwin?casually dressed in a faded red T-shirt, black jeans and worn McGreggor tennis shoes?was ready for her typical day: A day of leading, teaching and encouraging developmentally and physically disabled students of Sac State.

“I?m not a saint, I?m not special,” Kerwin humbly stressed. “I just do the job that I love to do.”

The love of her job stems from her love to work with people. Kerwin has a bachelor?s degree from Fresno State in recreation administration with a therapeutic focus, and a multi-subject and severely handicapped teaching credential from Sac State. She has been teaching special education for 15 years, and teaching this particular class at Sac State for four years.

Though Kerwin has explored different fields of physical therapy, mental health and substance abuse, she feels that her calling is to work with the severely handicapped. Severely handicapped refers to the level of the individual?s disability.

“It?s a label and I don?t like labels,” Kerwin said. “They have a wide gamete of disablilities, what I like to call little quirks.”

Kerwin?s class, consisting of students between the ages of 18 and 22, meets Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Foley Hall, Room 216.

“It?s for students who cannot go out on their own independently. They have more needs than you or I?behavioral needs, physical needs and social and safety needs,” Kerwin said.

Although they are stationed in this classroom, they typically venture off around campus in a ratio of one aide to three students. Kerwin said that the class requires a lot of staff to “walk them through the social process.”

The students take part in a variety of physical activities on campus including tennis, weight lifting, swimming and aerobics. They can also be seen hanging out and eating at the Riverfront Market, working for the football team in the weight room and working in the dining commons and the graphics center.

Kerwin said that the primary focus of the program is to teach the students how to interact with their peers in a natural setting.

“We try to immerse them in the normal lifestyle of anyone this age,” she said. “These guys just need a little more assistance.”

Kerwin said that her job is rewarding and that one of the favorite aspects of her job is to see the small advances in each one of her students.

Though the work is rewarding, it comes with a host of challenges. Kerwin?s biggest challenge?the community?s acceptance.

Kerwin rounded up the excitable, growing impatient group. The day?s adventure involved visiting the tennis courts and buying lunch at the Riverfront Market.

One student opted to stay in the classroom with an aide, while practicing drawing circles on a Magna Doodle. The rest of the class filed down the hallway.

The students piled in a padded elevator, one young man pushing another in his wheelchair.

Upon leaving Foley Hall, the student in the wheelchair led the way, barely keeping his eyes open in the sunlight. The rest of the group slowly sauntered along. Kerwin led the group the way a mother duck leads its ducklings?with pride and devotion.

A few people smiled, but most of the passing students acted indifferently toward the group, seeming as if they didn?t even acknowledge their presence.

Kerwin said that many people are not sure how to respond. Overall, she said, people have been receptive on campus.

One complaint Kerwin had of the community was that sometimes people are too cautious and that they tolerate behaviors by the disabled that they otherwise would not tolerate in others, such as invading personal space, bumping into people and taking things from others.

“It is not OK to excuse all of their behaviors,” Kerwin said. “They are in a learning environment. They need to learn to be more social.”

The group sometimes gets smirks and snickers from some students on campus, Kerwin said.

“I tend to tune the negative out, though,” Kerwin said. “It?s not worth it.”

She said that, as a whole, the community is a lot more aware and accepting than they were 10 to 15 years ago, but there is still room for improvement.

“It?s OK to check us out, it?s OK to stare. It will help you learn,” Kerwin said. “You don?t have to ignore us, but you don?t have to approach us. Just accept us.”