Journey to a Wheelchair 2 - A Day at the Zoo - By Ferris Knight
My nephew is at that adorable age where we can take him out on adventures. I hadn’t been able to participate up to now though, as my latest direction from my doctors was that I could walk seven minutes in a row, twice a day. That made it difficult to do much of anything really.
Mid-year goals – by Alicia Kapa
It’s June already, the year is flying by! Most people set New Year’s resolutions but others live day to day, going wherever life takes them. For me, I’m the latter but that does not mean I don’t have goals and aspirations in life. Over the last 6 months, life has given me a few challenges but the one thing I didn’t lose throughout my trials is the willingness to achieve my goals.
Navigating public transport and getting around in your community in a wheelchair – by Lindsay Nott
Can we still get around? Yes, we can! Thanks to the inclusion of accessibility for public transport, improvements and new facilities rolling out across networks.
There are a multitude of options for people to use. Yes, you need to live close to a station, and or a bus stop. If you have the pleasure of being located close by, you can use bus, train, ferry, light rail/tram and taxis.
Taking action on burdensome muscle spasms - by Ian Walker
Hey everybody!
For a fair portion of wheelchair users due to sustaining a spinal cord injury (SCI), especially the 67% or so whose SCI is determined ‘incomplete’, muscle spasms are a constant. The only things that are not are the severity, the consistency, and the painfulness of said spasms. So, what causes these spasms?
What’s in a word? – by Marlena Katene
We have all heard the saying: “Sticks and stones may break our bones but words may never hurt us”, but I think that saying is a little outdated.
As a woman with a disability, I am resilient and can handle a little political incorrectness when it comes to words but words truly can hurt. While I care more about the person’s attitude behind the words there are still many times I don’t know how to respond when people throw some words around.
Here are just a few words thrown around the disability community and my thoughts on them:
Why having the right support is crucial – by Tyrone Cook
As a person who has multiple co-occurring conditions, I require support staff with me almost all the time (except at work).
Independence vs Interdependence - by Kylee Black
I have been pondering the concept of “independence vs interdependence” for some time. Somewhere along the line we have become fixated on independence like it’s the ultimate aspiration. But I have to wonder — who is ever truly independent?
Discovering my neighbourhood at a snail’s pace - by Bill Fuller
I am an ambulant wheelchair user having suffered negatively from two surgeries on my left hip. My right leg is still ‘workable’ and my doctor has requested I exercise my ‘good’ leg so it does not lose strength and movement as my left leg has.
Renting and disability - by Ferris Knight
I don’t need much. There’s only myself and my cat, Atlas. Just Pepsi Max, medication (yes, that is second to caffeine), pears, and cat food. If you asked him though, I’m sure he’d ask for a castle and then still wouldn't be happy. On the Disability Support Pension (DSP) though, castles are out of our budget.
Woodworking from my wheelchair – by Bill Fuller
I’ve always enjoyed working with wood, regardless of how rough some of my pieces would turn out. I expressed to my lovely wife that wood is a product of nature and as such having a wobbly table was quite within keeping with imperfections in nature. I’m not sure I’ve ever convinced her, however.
As we know, disability leads us to being creative and adapting everyday items to our situation. The ability to think outside the box and improvise is a common thread for those with disabilities and these traits were definitely required in making a working woodworking setup.