1.
Accept that you are disabled and find a good listener - Facing the reality that you have a lifelong disability is
daunting…If you hold on to the past, you will never move forward…The
conversations I needed were ones that were not going to be pleasant and would
force the listener to accept the harsh reality that I had to face…Accepting you are disabled doesn’t mean you
are not capable…
2.
Mourn the losses of what you no longer can do - This is a tough, but also a necessary step… Instead of
dwelling on what I could no longer do, I had to mourn the losses and focus on
what I could do. I also needed to focus on different ways of doing things…Skiing,
as I once knew it, was not possible…I ended up skiing with my arms…My arms did
all the work, and my legs went for the ride…
3.
Find the proper tools and accept them - Don’t let them define who you are. If your disability
requires a device to enable you to live a fuller life, then use it…No matter
what anyone says or thinks, being in public and using walking devices carries a
stigma…
When I finally
had the epiphany that I needed to use crutches all the time to live a fuller
and more active life, I did my due diligence and found superior forearm
crutches…I felt like a normal human…”Leave
your ego at the door.”
4.
Look for people who can inspire you - Look for people
who inspire you, and let them teach you that anything is possible…These
are the people living their lives with disabilities of all kinds. They push
forward and accomplish things…with such a positive attitude...These people
became the force that kept me moving forward…
5.
Allow yourself to be sad - Suppressing you feelings will never allow you to heal
emotionally…It is not possible to be happy all the time… The key is to be able
to pull yourself out by giving yourself permission to be sad once in awhile…If
you suppress your sad feelings, they will be released in the wrong places and
at the wrong times…
6.
Exercise regularly
- Exercise is…beneficial to your physical health [and] your mental health…The
hardest part might be finding exercise that you can do. The best way to do this
is through your doctor or a physical therapist…It truly helped me to accept my
situation…Find a way to exercise that
works with your disability and push yourself. It will completely change how you
feel about yourself…
7.
Find things to do that make you feel good about yourself - …Find ways to
volunteer. There are so many needs out there, and many can be done from your
home. Volunteering is a fantastic way to make you feel productive and good
about [you].
8.
Retrain for a new career - If your
disability no longer allows you to continue working in your career, you need to
retrain for a new career. This was a very difficult thing for me…Honestly;
working with the population of students I excelled at would just be too
difficult to do on crutches. I would just be putting myself through stress and
pain.
So, I finally
“mourned” teaching and enrolled in a program at a local community college…Suck up your pride and do what you need to
retrain. In the end, you will feel good about yourself…
9. Phrases not to say to the disabled –
§ “What’s wrong/what happened?” or
“Were you born that way?”
§ “Oh, if you just have faith, you
can be healed.”
§ [Do not speak] slowly or loudly to
someone who is in a wheelchair.
§ “I don’t even think of you as a
person with a disability.”
§ “How do you go to the bathroom?”
§ “But you look so good.”
[i] The term “snow blindness” refers to the
inability to remember important things or have the motivation to complete
necessary tasks because of the presence or anticipated presence of snow. Urban Dictionary
[ii]
Adapted from the articles,
“8 Steps to Accepting Your Disability” by Darryl Partridge and
“7
Things Never to Say to People with Disabilities” by DiversityInc staff
No comments:
Post a Comment