Lately I’ve been experimenting with some new accessibility aids and here’s one of my favourites. A cord organiser to help me not loose my bed control and the control for my heated blanket.
I miss swimming
I used to do a lot of hydrotherapy as a child but of course it’s only paid for when you’re a child so I haven’t been able to go in 10 years. But I loved being in the water, and I miss it so much.
Swimming or simply being in the water is something everyone should get to enjoy and pools being accessible is a big part of this. All pools should be as accessible as possible to everyone. And it should be common sense that any equipment needed to make them this way should also be functioning.
Busy bus days
So after long days which really tested the battery of my chair, I had to get specific routes home which meant I wouldn’t have to travel long distances in my chair. The video above shows me doing so on one evening to be blocked at the bus stop by a vehicle parking where it shouldn’t.
Family was in the hospital.
So obviously while someone was in the hospital I wasn’t focused on this blog. I basically came home and slept then went out very quickly again. So I’m going to do some backdated posts to get me back on track.
Sleeping in my wheelchair.
Sometimes you’ve got to do what you can in a situation. Even if that’s sleeping in your chair.
Open housing
How would you design the city of the future?
Obviously, if I were to design a city of the future I would design an accessible city, as accessibility benefits everyone not just disabled people.
The best way to design accessible housing I believe would be to design open housing, then give those living in them an allowance to design things which can easily be changed in the person’s home.
Completely accessible public transport systems would also be a must. And all businesses must be accessible as well. I am also a big fan of 15 minute cities, so would design something like that.
People who misunderstand 15-minute cities think that they would be trapped in them, but in reality, it would just mean that the necessities are close enough for people to easily travel on foot (or by wheels) or via public transport. You can still travel to other areas if you wish.
Accessibility for all would be my biggest priority in the future if that wasn’t very clear. But I would also focus on building a tech-focused city, as this is the way society seems to be going anyway. As well as this technology can also help to make a city more accessible. Think of lights at the crossing as a good example, and how much easier and safer this makes things.
I could go into a lot more detail about the way I would design an open city, and I may do at some point in the future. But right now I’m really struggling to write more than this, due to energy and everything else going on right now.
It’s been a crazy few days.
So I’m back dating some posts.
Life happens sometimes and there just isn’t time for you to do everything in the day that you want to. So I’m backdating some posts, writing this on Friday the 23rd August, that’s the beauty of the internet.
I haven’t worn shoes in 10 years, but that changes tomorrow.
Okay so there were a few times I’ve worn shoes over the last 10 years. But I did stop wearing shoes with any kind of regularity after an operation I had after high school, so that was 11 years ago. There was the odd occasion where I was made to wear shoes in order to appear “professional”.
But I haven’t willingly or consistently worn shoes, for longer than I’ve had Bella, who is 11 thus years. And that’s all about to change if these shoes are able to keep my feet on my footplates tomorrow.
My footplates were recently quite dramatically highered, becauae apparently they were in a very wrong position for me for a few years. However no one decided to tell me or my body that. To avoid going straight to straps I’m starting with just adding some grip in the form of shoes, or shoe like slippers, and seeing if that solves the problem.
Technically I’m starting with slippers because you’ve got to start somewhere, right? And they won’t change the position of my feet, this is particularly scary for me on my right foot an ankle which was wrongly placed in the cast after that surgery and so is now no longer straight.
This feels like a dramatic change to my life, and the way I relate to my disability. But hopefully it works and ends up being good. And at least I won’t go through shoes, or slippers, that quickly, as they won’t touch the floor.
Wish me luck.
Sometimes you’ve got to try different, right?
Check out my brief Tiktok about it here – if you like.
“Last thing”
It might come as a surprise that I still need help whether or not you are tired. I don’t like it, I wish there was something I would be able to do so that I didn’t need your help for things, but there isn’t.
Sometimes I need your help when you are tired, and sometimes I need your help for multiple things, and I might also need your help for multiple things when you are tired.
I don’t get to choose when I need help, and you did already agreed to help me. You had other options for life that did not involve me so why do you have to pretend like this is something that just happened to you and not something you chose?
We all have off days, but when you care for someone you also live with the days can be very personal. You agree to help them whatever your mood.
I’m sorry this was going somewhere, but the fatigue is kicking my ass as i try and write so this is all I’ve got.
Potatoes.
What foods would you like to make?
To be fair I was going to write something a lot more interesting than this, but despite everything going on in my head I’m struggling to put words to screen as it were. So I looked through my drafts and decided to answer this old writing prompt, so potatoes.
I would honestly like to do anything with potatoes. I honestly don’t think there is a bad way you can cook potatoes, they’re h just amazing foods.
In convinced if it wouldn’t kill me I could live off them.
But as you’ll know by now cooking is difficult for me. So while I would like to make some lovely potatoes I can’t, and that’s a bit sad. They’re so good.
How would you cook potatoes?
My Inaccessible Life 