Reach For The Stars With Abbie

Get Over  Yourself...We're Only Disabled      Hey my lovely  readers, hope you are well.  Chapter 13 Working In A Diverse World Going out into the world of work is a massive step towards a person’s independence.  Working can have a different meaning depending on how people look at it.  People will be able to do different tasks according to their disability, meaning that people will prefer doing particular tasks that they would be able to cope with.  Companies should make allowances for those that may find it difficult to do certain tasks.  For example, someone in a wheelchair might not be able to stack shelves in a supermarket as they are too high but they might be able to work on the tills, as this may be more manageable for them.  It’s also about gaining the skills the person needs to work on, such as finding out an easy and accessible route to get to and from their place of work, or finding equipment that would suit their needs...

Get Over Yourself... We're Only Disabled! Hey my lovely readers.... Hope you are well. Chapter 12 We’re trying to be as independent as we can   A lot of people with a disability want to get the best out of their lives, and try to become as independent as they can be.  Sometimes, this depends on what disability they have and what is limiting them.  We all require support at times but with the right assistance, we can slowly become a lot more independent as we learn how to do certain things for ourselves. I love being independent and being able to do things on my own, it gives me a sense of doing daily tasks myself and allows me to learn what I need to do and what I need adapted to be able to be independent.  For some people, this might mean they can put the washing machine on without help or for others it might just mean being able to know the difference between ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and being able to use them correctly.  It depends on the individual person and what ...

Get Over  Yourself... We're Only Disabled Hey my lovely readers, hope you are well.  Chapter 11 We can use a computer and electrical equipment in our own way Technology and electrical equipment can be catered to an individual’s needs, depending on how and why they need to use it.  There are loads of different pieces of equipment in the world today for people that need adapted software to be able to use technology. There is always something new in the market to help people to use technology despite their disability.  It is amazing how far technology has progressed over the years, becoming smaller and quicker to support individuals and make their lives easier as a whole.  But it all depends on individual needs seeing what they are able to use with their retraction because of their disability.   For instance, 10 years ago I was using a large keyboard with chunky keys and a key guard, so I was able to press one key at a time and not accidentally press mu...

 Get Over Yourself... We're Only Disabled!  Hey my lovely readers, hope you are well. 10th chapter this week... wow it doesn't feel like I've been posting for that long! Enjoy reading.  Chapter 10 We might need a little more time to do things It is likely that people with disablities, may need more time to do tasks. For example, it takes me a lot longer to brush my teeth, because I have to get my hands into the right position to brush my teeth and move the brush around my mouth. This all comes with building up our independence skills. It may take us longer at first, however, it will become easier and more natural to us if we continue to work on these skills.       When people are learning a new skill, we all need practice and guidance to do it, like anyone disabled or able-bodied.  This can feel exciting but also worrying because we don’t know what the outcome will be.  It is good for us to find our feet and do it our own way; we might tak...

Get  Over  Yourself, We're Only Disabled ! Hey my lovely readers, hope you are well.   We are entitled to have friendships As I’ve grown up, I’ve noticed that people are not that understanding towards people with disabilities and they don’t try to socialise with them as much as able-bodied people.  I don’t know if it’s because they are nervous about what to say or how to say it but people don’t always seem to have enough patience. Over the years, I have found it quite challenging to form friendships and maintain them as a lot of my friends weren't disabled  and this made it difficult to connect and keep up with others.  Everyone has similar  needs when  it comes to relationships and it would be a lonely life if we lived it alone. Having friends is part of a person’s social development.  It can be hard to make friends,  but when you’ve found the right friendship group this enhances your life.   It is nice to have frien...

  Get Over Yourself... We're Only Disabled Hey my lovely readers, hope you are well. New week, new chapter! Needed to do a lot of editing on this, so took a break from it but a new chapter is here. Chapter 8 If we want to have fun, we can have fun! “Fun” can mean different things to different people; it is very individual.  For example, what I might consider to be ‘fun’ as a  disabled  woman, others might disagree and have their own preferences and this is totally understandable and interesting.  People with disabilities will seek their own type of fun depending on their condition and needs.  One person might love to play sport or be on their X-box and another person might like to be in a sensory room listening to nursery rhymes.  It is, therefore, really important that people consider individual developmental levels as well as age.     Accessibility is another important factor to consider when thinking of...

 Get Over Yourself ... We're Only Disabled Hey my lovely readers, Happy New Year! Hope you are well. I took a small break from these blogs, but now New Year, New Start! Enjoy chapter 7. Chapter 7  Independence When Shopping  People who have a disability may find it difficult to go into a shop and purchase goods. They may need assistance to support them in the shop - this might be in the form of being supported by a carer or someone who works for the company.  It might just mean that they need help with pushing a trolley around the shop, passing an item down because it is too high for them to reach, or putting shopping onto the belt.  People with disabilities, have the same opportunity as any other person to be able to shop and buy what they want, so the building should have suitable access for people to be able to get in and around the shop easily.  Shops must follow the Equality Act 2010 to ensure that disabled people can access the building.  I th...