Tag: Mobility Aids

My chair cut out randomly today.

On By Katy DalyIn My Disability TruthLeave a comment
Video Description: The video is of me in my electric wheelchair on the ramp outside my house. I am waving as I speak.

So this wasn’t the post I was planning to scare today. I’m still of two minds as to whether it’s time to start writing on this blog again yet. Does anyone else get the feeling after you loose someone that’s it to soon to start getting on with life? But at the same time it’ll always be to soon and you’ll have to start getting on with things anyway?

Today my chair cut out on the ramp outside my flat. It has temporarily been fixed and I am waiting on the engineer to get it fixed properly, so don’t worry I am no longer stuck on the ramp. And thankfully I had people that were able to help me with this situation.

But it kind of ruined my plans for the day. Which was only going to get my flu vaccine, so it’s not the end of the world, but still. It’s really frustrating when something to do with my disability ruins my plans for the day. It reminds me that I’m not really in control of my life, my condition is, or the technology I use is, I suppose.

This is the reality of a life spent relying on technology. Some of us have no choice in our reliance, but that doesn’t stop the technology being fallible. Something can always brake, something can always go wrong. And it stops my life in its tracks when that happens.

When it happened in all honesty I just didn’t know what to do, because it had never happened before. One advantage of this, other than at least for today not having to get jabbed in the arm, is I now know what to do if this happens again, though obviously I hope it doesn’t. And it happening today it’s not the end of the world.

My chairs being fixed now as I finish this post. But here’s an important reminder if you or someone you know is reliant on technology to live there day to day life. Technology will have faults. It will most likely stop a person being able to do what they want to with there day from time to time. It’s not their fault and they feel bad enough about it, so don’t make them feel worse about it.

Stuck in bed.

On By Katy DalyIn Blog, My Disability TruthLeave a comment

My hoist broke today. A necessary piece of equipment I use to get from my bed to my chair. So I spent the day in bed.

There are different types of hoists which enable people that are unable to transfer themselves, to be lifted safely. My hoist is a ceiling hoist, meaning it runs on tracks attached to the ceiling. This is a lot more compact than a portable hoist, which is similar but on a frame with wheels which needs to be pushed around the space.

For those of you that don’t know I have included a picture of my hoist. The first picture shows how it was broken, the second picture shows my thankfully now fixed hoist.

Image Description: A picture of my hoist on  the ceiling with the track visible. The top of the hoist shows exposed wires, and the cover is dangling above the part of the hoist a person is attached.
Image Description: A picture of the same hoist as in the first picture, above my head, with the cover now reattached.

My hoist was fixed very easily with the cover just being reattached by the engineer. It is something that a non-disabled person would likely have been able to do by themselves. However I often need help to do what others might view as a simple fix. And thought it best to get it fixed professionally to ensure it wasn’t accidentally broken more by someone else trying to fix it.

Now I could have gotten up after the hoist was fixed, but I honestly just didn’t see the point. This is why I like to get up and into my chair early every day, even if I go back to sleep because I find it difficult to find the motivation to get up later in the day. I’m very used to napping in my wheelchair or my other chair, which is also I we’ll chair I guess.

It’s important to remember that if a person hasn’t chosen to stay in bed, they’re not being lazy for staying in bed. The choice in there actions matters.

Another reason I make sure I get up and into my chair every morning is so that I don’t become unable to sit in my chair, and so that I am able to have as much freedom as possible to go out during the day. 

When you rely on technology, on accessibility aids, to live your life, them braking is a loss of freedom. And as things almost always brake at some point, you just have to live your life with the potential loss of freedom. With the reality that the world could become inaccessible to you with no warning.

This can be one of the reasons someone may have to cancel plans with others with little or no warning. Just beware that when plans are cancelled at short notice, the person may not want to cancel on you. If it’s completely out of their control, don’t make them feel guilty for it, I promise you they feel guilty enough.

We can all feel like we have a lack of control in life, and there are many situations that we do actually not have control in life. However most people will have at least small elements of conrol, which room of the house they sit in for example. But when you’re disabled, it can feel like this applies to all situations, and sometimes it actually does.

A little compassion can go a long way, this applies to everyone, not just disabled people. I’m just thankful I can get on with the rest of my plans for the week.

Somewhere else to sit.

On By Katy DalyIn My Disability TruthLeave a comment

So, as a wheelchair user, I only ever sit in my own wheelchair or on my bed. However, I was recently given another kind of chair for me to sit in, which sits me in a different position.

Prior to having this chair, if I wanted to get out of my wheelchair I would get in my bed and stay there. My bed was the only other place I was able to sit, and once I was in it, I struggled to see the point of going through all that effort of getting out again. I also didn’t want to put the pressure of transferring me, which can be a difficult task, needlessly on those around me.

This chair gives me somewhere else to sit, that’s easier to transfer to. I will hopefully give me a little bit more of my physical mobility back and be generally more comfortable, simply from spending more time sitting in a different position.

Using this chair is something that it will take time getting used to. I am also aware that there will likely be a point in the future where I have to make a conscious effort to sit in the chair, but I’ve done well so far. That said I will not be able to sit in it tomorrow, as I have places to go so I won’t have the time. I haven’t been told I need to sit in it any particularly length of time, so we’ll just have to see how it goes.

New equipment and / or mobility aids can take time to get used to, and they should be worth it, I hope. So please stick with the things you need to help you if they’re difficult in the beginning. Things should get easier, and I am hopeful that sitting in this chair will.

Below is a picture of me sat in this chair with my dogs on my knee, because of course they had to try the chair out with me as well.

Image Description: Myself sat in my new chair, with both my dogs, Immy and Bella sat on my knee.

Staying anywhere else.

On By Katy DalyIn BlogLeave a comment

So I spent the weekend with my boyfriend, with an interim visit home to walk the dogs and to receive personal care. And with his permission, I’m going to explore the Inaccessibility and the Accessibility with adaptations of staying with him, and by extension anywhere that isn’t my home.

It’s honestly difficult to list every adaptation an element of accessibility I implement to stay somewhere other than my home. I’m just so used to do it without thinking. So I’m going to cover a few of the adaptions of the way I adapt while staying out of my home. But the chances are I will miss some, still, I’ll do my best.

In order to stay anywhere other than my own home I have to spend the night in my wheelchair. That’s the first adaptation. While it’s not particularly comfortable, it’s my most comfortable option. My chair tilts which does help comfort wise, and my chair is the second most comfortable position I could be in outside of my bed. So it logically makes sense that I’m somewhat comfortable staying in it.

The second adoptions I make to sleep somewhere other than my home is to go without my personal care. This can make me incredibly uncomfortable or it can be barely noticeable depending on what state I’m in, without being to personal about it. This is something I’ve done on several occasions, and while I can’t say always gladly I can say they’ve been worth it. But just think for a second is this something you would be willing to do to do what was necessary or something you enjoy? It’s become the norm for me. I’m almost used to it.

Another adaptation I make is not changing my clothes. While this would be in someway possible, it would require help and would not be completely possible anyway.

This leads me to another adaptation I have to make, accepting help. This has always been a struggle for me, despite how much of it I need. To accept the help of others when I need it. I accept the help of my family and carers, reluctantly, but as a necessity. I do it. That said I still do struggle even with taking this help. And accepting the help of others in general is still very difficult for me.

Staying with the person I stayed with meant that I needed there help to plug in my chair. And also that I had to remember to bring my chair charger which I thankfully did. Though they were more than willing to do this one small thing for me, it still felt like a big problem. I still worried I would get in the way.

I think this in part my biggest problem with accepting things from others. I get used to my help coming from certain places and certain people. Changing this feels like I’m somehow putting myself in the way.

These are just a few of the small adaptations I had to spend a night or two away from home. To live with some sort of freedom from my care and I suppose my disability. And I can say with confidence that the specific time I stayed away from home that inspired me to write this, was definitely worth the sacrifices I make.

There’s a lot more than Three.

On By Katy DalyIn Writing PromptsLeave a comment

What are three objects you couldn’t live without?

So this question is obviously supposed to be light-hearted. And if you asked me it that way the answer would probably be my phone, my electric blanket and probably my teddy.

But I can also answer this question in an Accessibility aid way, this would be my phone, my wheelchair and my bottle. Happy to explain the bottle if you would like me to in another post. I hope the wheelchair is self explanatoritory and my phone is necessary for me to get help if I’m ever in need of it, this happens fairly often.

There are also other assistant aids I use, which are technically objects that I could live without, but my life would be more difficult.

There’s my electric blanket which is one of my main methods of pain control.

My grabber so I can pick things up when I inevitably drop them on the floor, and my other grabber to pick that grabber up.

My lanyard which prevents me dropping my phone when I remember to use it.

My wheelie tray which enables me to have drinks in bed.

My hoist and sling which enables me to get into bed or my chair.

My shower chair and shower sling, self explanatory I think.

My door camera, as I’m to short for the peep hole in the door.

The ramp at my door.

The post box to stop poat being put through the door, so I can actually get in the house.

I think thats everything I can think of for now, but the list goes on I’m sure.

I know everyone has objects they can’t live without and objects they feel that they can’t live without, but I think as a disabled person my list of necessary items might be a little longer than some non disabled people.