You are not defined by the aids you use. Set realistic goals—and be patient. A disability forces you to learn new skills and strategies. You may also have to relearn simple things you used to take for granted. Setting overly aggressive goals can actually lead to setbacks and discouragement. Be patient with yourself. Every small step forward counts. You may be tempted to withdraw from others and isolate yourself. But staying connected to others will make a world of difference in your mood and outlook.
Nurture the important relationships in your life. Now, more than ever, staying connected is important. Spending time with family and friends will help you stay positive, healthy, and hopeful. Sometimes, you may need a shoulder to cry on or someone to vent to. Joining a disability support group. One of the best ways to combat loneliness and isolation is to participate in a support group for people dealing with similar challenges.
Just that realization goes a long way. Support groups are a great place to share struggles, solutions, and encouragement. Refusing to seek out needed assistance can delay your progress or make you worse, either physically or emotionally. Let go of the fear that asking for support will inspire pity. Allow the people who care about you to pitch in. Not only will you benefit, it will also make them feel better.
Consider talking to a mental health professional. While loved ones can provide great support in this way, you may also want to consider talking to a therapist. A disability can take away many aspects of your identity, leaving you questioning who you are, what your value is, and where you fit in society. There are numerous opportunities out there—many of which can even be done from home.
Develop new hobbies and activities that make you happy. A disability can make the activities you used to enjoy more difficult, or even impossible.
It might take a little extra effort to remember to face the user rather than the interpreter. If you will be speaking for some time with a person in a wheelchair, sit down so that you are at eye level with her so she doesn't have to strain her neck to look up at you. Speak normally. Some people have a tendency to talk louder and slower to people with disabilities; don't.
Don't assume that because a person has one disability, that he also has a cognitive disability or is hard of hearing. For example, a person with cerebral palsy might use a wheelchair, have uncontrolled upper body movements, have difficulty speaking, and yet have very good hearing, cognitive abilities, and intelligence. Use normal language including "see" and "look. People who are blind often make comments such as, "I can't find what I'm looking for," and "I don't see it on this [web] page.
Use "people-first" language when referring to people with disabilities, unless they prefer different wording. People-first language means put the person first and the disability second. For example, say "a man who is blind" rather than "a blind man," and "a woman who uses a wheelchair" instead of "a wheelchair-bound woman.
Note that some people prefer different phrasing. Ask what phrasing and terminology the person you are working with prefers. Avoid potentially offensive terms or euphemisms. Note that accepted terminology is different in different regions. For example, in Europe "handicapped" is an accepted term, whereas many in the U. To find out about terminology in your area, contact a local disability association. Larry King asked that same group of people with disabilities about terminology.
King: Do you use the word "handicapped"? Rugby player: No, I hate that word. King: All of you hate it? Side note: It bothers me a bit when people use "mobility impairment" as a disability classification when talking about computer use. Mobility refers to walking and doesn't impact most computer use. Instead, use "physical" or "motor" disabilities, which do impact computer use. Be aware of personal space. Some people who use a mobility aid, such as a wheelchair, walker, or cane, see these aids as part of their personal space.
At one point we even both fell over out of our chairs because he was dragging me with his power assist and we took a sharp turn and I fell and took him out with me.
Once we brushed ourselves off and made sure our dings were minor we laughed about it and continued on our way happily. I cannot adequately describe how positively compassionate moments like this have shaped my own disabled identity. On the complementary flip-side of the disabled experience, there is the question of how entitled should we feel to accommodation and accessibility.
No able-bodied person wants to brazenly call out a disabled person like that out of fear of being branded as a bigot. Of course, there are very few people, if any, that are in a position to make that designation. Especially with a disability that you struggle with on the daily, it gets easy to rely on help and not push yourself to aspire to do more and accomplish more. There are many disabilities that result in fatigue from certain activities or certain domestic tasks like washing dishes for example just take exceptionally longer for the person to accomplish.
In fact, you will undoubtedly meet people both able and disabled who will stand by these justifications until their dying day and get mad if you challenge it. Some people believe very deeply in the right to independence as a disabled individual. They believe that disabled people are obligated to maximize what they do for themselves without help, for themselves as an individual but also for the disabled community at large.
Another deaf friend has lost her no-claims bonus on her car insurance due to communication problems with insurers. All four agree that the process of keeping a diary led to a spark of recognition: for the first time in their lives, they were consciously noting the inequality they regularly face. One of the defining issues that runs through the disability diaries is access. The difficulty of access can even mean missing out on a social life.
In one diary entry, Cobb chronicles a train journey from Leeds to Hull. For Fowkes, overcrowding on our rail networks presents him with a painful predicament on his daily commute in the West Midlands. Travelling around the country is little better for people with non-mobility-related disabilities.
In the same way, disabled people still routinely encounter negative reactions from other members of the public — ranging from being patronised to outright hostility — simply for going out. Some even imitate his walk. At its worst, it can create the uneasy feeling that those around you are monitoring your disability and behaviour, waiting for you to slip up.
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