Hiring a caregiver can be a crucial decision when you're living with a disability. This in-depth blog post provides you with the top five tips to help you find a caregiver who is not only competent but also understanding of your unique needs. Learn about everything from conducting effective interviews to setting proper boundaries and ongoing communcication.
Read MoreIn this blog post I wanted to explore the various challenges that disabled people, particularly wheelchair users, encounter while acquiring a modified van suitable for driving. From financial constraints to complex modifications and regulatory compliance, I think there is a lot of ignorance and misunderstanding about the realities of acquiring an accessible ramped van.
Read MoreExplore the top breeds for service dogs and understand what makes them stand out. From the intelligent Labrador Retriever to the loyal Golden Retriever, our guide highlights key characteristics and training insights to help you choose the ideal canine working partner for assistance and support.
Read MoreChoosing between getting a service dog through an agency or training one yourself involves a careful consideration into benefits and challenges of each option. This blog post explores key factors to take into account, helping you make an informed decision.
Read MoreFlying can be daunting for disabled travelers, especially during TSA checks. In this blog post I share my experience of navigating TSA as a disabled traveler. I also provide some practical advice based on lessons I have learned over the years as a disabled flyer.
Read MoreFor the past 15 years Rachel Laws has been an Elder Concierge for her company, Living Well Services. Up until that point, her professional career was in the corporate world specializing in organizational development. She discovered, however, that she much more enjoyed helping her grandmother and a neighbor and she figured there must be a way to evolve this calling into a career.
Read MoreFor the second post in my three-part series focusing on caregiving I wanted to sit down and talk with a disabled woman who is currently living through the caregiving crisis of today. Ligia Andrade-Zuniga’s life got turned upside down—literally— when 12 years ago the mini-van she was driving flipped. The accident broke her neck, leaving her a quadriplegic.
Read MoreThere has been a lot of discussions lately about caregiving in this country. The conversation has centered chiefly around it being part of the 400 billion-dollar infrastructure bill. While I was glad to see a policy distinction made of caregiving as being "human infrastructure," I often find myself frustrated that the real-life details of what caregiving actually is, get lost in the conversation.
Read MoreAh, travel! It’s all about exploring new horizons, tasting new cuisines, and making memories that last a lifetime. But when you’re traveling with a disability, the phrase “It’s about the journey, not the destination” takes on a whole new level of significance. Sure, there might be a few more hoops to jump through, but with a sprinkle of savvy planning and a dash of determination, the world is yours to explore.
Read MoreAccessible and functional storage is often overlooked in thinking about the needs of a disabled person’s living space. One place where this is very important is in your closet. Being able to access your clothes, shoes and other wardrobe items with ease will take your space to a whole new inclusive level. In this blog post I will suggest some solutions how to accomplish this goal.
Read MoreKeeping a tidy and clean home is essential for everyone, but for wheelchair users, it often requires a bit of creativity and strategic planning. Navigating spaces and reaching high or low areas can pose challenges, but with the right approach, maintaining a spotless home can be both manageable and empowering. In this blog post, we'll share practical house cleaning tips tailored specifically for wheelchair users.
Read MoreMany disabled people have a desire to live as independently as possible. We want to maintain control over our spaces, our possessions, and how we live our daily lives. And not just control for control's sake. Independent living is not just about control. It is about maintaining a degree of autonomy and self-determination: two things that are often most at risk for being infringed upon because of our disabilities.
I vividly remember being six or seven years old, having just come home from one of my back surgeries, and all I could wait to do was tidy and organize my bedroom. Rearranging my toys, making room for the new stuffed animals I got as get-well presents, displaying my knick-knacks on my night-stand in just such a way that everything had its place. Sure, my back was sore, but that wasn't stopping me. I loved what I was doing.
Read MoreIndependent living is where disabled people can participate in day-to-day life, living where they choose and making decisions that lead to self-determination. Most non-disabled people take for granted opportunities they have regarding living arrangements, employment situations, means of transportation, social and recreational activities, and other aspects of everyday life.
Read MoreWhile I don't pretend to have the greenest thumb in the world, every spring, I get in the mood to play in the dirt and do some gardening. Maybe it is the thought of growing my harvest, perhaps it sees all the garden supplies at the home improvement stores, and perhaps it is just a way to reconnect with my childhood and my father's love of gardening.
Read MoreOne of the main aspects of being disabled is learning to adapt your physical environment to meet your personal needs and wants. I'm talking about more than just accessibility here. I also include comfort, aesthetics, and affordability. Whatever circumstance brought disability into your life, learning how to make your environment FIT you is probably something you learned to prioritize quickly.
Read MoreLet's face it: meal planning and preparation when you have a disability can be challenging. There are legitimate logistical problems in the entire process that most non-disabled people take for granted. From the task of actually grocery shopping to putting groceries away, the meal prep itself, and oh, let's not forget the clean-up! Both what I eat and how I prepare it have evolved over the years as my physical limitations have changed.
Read MoreIt was sometime in 2008, and I was in the full throws of domestic nesting, having just gotten married the year before when Andrew and I agreed that maybe it was time to see about getting me some additional help around the house. Just a few hours per month to help with some of those "extra" projects. As most people do, I went to Google to see if there were any local resources.
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