Hey everyone! Glad to be able to write for this fantastic blog again, and I have a very interesting topic in mind too!
As many of you know, the world we live in doesn’t exactly come with an accessible sign. There are many things that just weren’t designed for people with disabilities. This is why I wanted the topic of this post to be adaptations. Adaptations have enabled me to do so many things, so I thought I would share a few of my own personal life hacks with all of you!
*Please keep in mind every person is different, and just because these methods have worked for me, does not mean they will work for, or even be safe for you or someone you know.*
When I was a toddler, I was very adventurous. I also spent a lot of time, as most kids do, playing in the floor. So, in order to quench my thirst for adventure, I developed two methods for getting around the house on my own, without a wheelchair. The first I called “scooting”, and it was basically moving my hips and upper back side to side to inch me across the floor. The second was rolling, and I think you can picture that one on your own. Rolling was my favorite because it was much faster than the “scooting,” but it also had its drawbacks. The main one being that I couldn’t see where I was going. At all. So, if you’re interested in trying this to navigate your home, make sure you have plenty of room. Otherwise, you may just find yourself wedged under a coffee table.
Now having traveled far and wide, to the kitchen, the dining room, and even my bedroom, I needed something to do in all these new places. Drawing sounded fun, so I decided I would learn to do it. I still remember the day I first drew a stick figure. After watching my dad draw one, I turned on my side, took the marker between my middle fingers, and voila. My methods have changed a lot since then, as I started needing more precise movements for handwriting and more complex drawing. But it was still a good place to start, and I hope I never forget that memory!
Finally, do you wear glasses? Do you use a wheelchair? Do you ever have trouble with your glasses sliding down your nose? If you answered yes to these questions, you might want to consider “The Headrest Method.” This method originally started out as a way to get stray hairs away from my eyes, but also worked great for pushing up glasses. All I had to do was angle myself slightly in my seat, lean back a bit and then turn my head toward my headrest. Annoying hairs pushed away, and the “elderly librarian” look avoided!
Thanks as always for reading, I hope you enjoyed my post! And maybe even got a few ideas!
Located in Alabama on Lake Martin, Camp ASCCA offers campers a wide variety of traditional recreational and educational activities with a unique design for accessibility.
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