Disability | Served First

Home Safety Guide for Vision Loss

When a loved one experiences permanent vision loss, the time comes to adapt a home to make it safe and manageable which can seem daunting. Fortunately, renovations are neither expensive nor cumbersome and require a few factors when making change: predictability, visibility, and touchability.

Predictability

Simply put, predictability means organizing the home in a way that is comfortable, simple to move around, and easy to remember the placement.

Organize a pantry or closet with like items together
Put things back in their correct place after use and cleaning spills immediately
Close doors, drawers, and cabinets
Remove small rugs that can cause tripping
Keep electrical cords along baseboards
Remove small or low placed items from pathways
Keep doors locked and have visitors identify themselves before letting them in

Visibility

Visibility means creating a visual environment that is adaptable and adjustable.

Increase or decrease lighting
Reduce glare or shadowing
Use items that are of larger print or font
Label or mark cleaning supplies and other dangerous materials to make them easily identifiable as well as storing them in safe locations
Utilize strong colors with contrast, different textures, or tangible markings throughout the household
Install outlets and covers that contrast to the colors of the wall to make them easier to locate
Mark thermostat and stove with bright dots at the settings you typically use

Touchability

Touchability requires the use of tactile (touch) senses to effectively increase efficiency and helps to reduce eye fatigue.

Place raised touch dots on the power button to remotes, switches, and appliances
Use texture changes to help navigate from room to room such as wood flooring to carpet or carpet to tile
Organize with different style containers to hold like items for easy identification

Filed Under: Disability, Health Care Tagged With: Predictability, Somatosensory system, Vision loss

Travel Tips for the Disabled

Traveling can often times be challenging and is even made especially more exhausting and difficult if the traveler is disabled. Planning ahead using a travel agent who specializes in accommodations for the disabled or making the plans independently can remove some of the stress.

Before going on the trip, plan the details as far ahead as possible. Most airlines only allow one wheelchair per plane, so call ahead before booking the flight to make sure that you can be accommodated. Contact the hotel to see if transportation to and from the airport is available with wheelchair accessibility

Research the hotel before booking a room. Hotels have a limited amount of accessible rooms so when making reservations discuss special needs including request for wheelchair ramps, in room refrigerator for medications, and lower level accommodations. Ask what services they have available for disabled travelers and have them give specific information about the room you book. Don’t forget to inquire about hotel restaurant accessibility, meals for dietary restrictions, and room service access.

Research the destination for details on accessibility. Most European cities have cobble-stone or hilly streets making it difficult to get around using a cane or wheelchair. Tall old buildings may be narrow and only have stairs to access different levels.

Pack medications with care and make sure they are part of your carry-on luggage. Request your doctor to write spare prescription using generic medicine names in case of emergency and the prescription needs to refilled in another country. Consider obtaining private health insurance that will cover you while abroad, since most carriers will only cover medical services within the US.

Make sure your wheelchair or scooter is labeled with departure information, destination information, hotel information, and home address. Call the airline at least 48 hours before you travel to ensure they have all the details of special requests that you have made. Check in early if you need help with boarding and verify that an aisle seat has been confirmed.

Filed Under: Addictions, Disability Tagged With: Disability, Tourism, Wheelchair

Exercise and Disabilities

Exercise is an important factor in our everyday lives. Those in a wheelchair or have other physical disabilities sometimes find it hard to take care of basic needs, much less try to exercise. However, it is more important for individuals with disabilities to exercise than others.

Exercise helps to regulate blood pressure, reduce stress, manage and maintain weight, build strength and endurance, and keep our body strong. For the disabled, it even affords benefits such as better self esteem while promoting a more positive outlook on life and can help reduce fatigue.

The key factor for those with disabilities is to find the best type of exercise regimine and equipment to meet their needs. Before starting any exercise program it is important to consult with a physician. The doctor can review any medical conditions and all medications, while working with the patient to determine what physical activities are most suitable.

Individuals in wheelchairs or those with limited mobility in the lower extremities should focus on excerices such as resitance that improves upper body strength and helps reduce chances for injury. There are many great exercise videos and even exercise classes such as the Seated Upper Body workout and the Seated Strength workout. Swimming and other water sports are also great ways to get a cardio workout along with muscle strength and endurance.

Consider signing up for a personal trainer at the gym or hire someone to come into your home. They can provide resistance training for the upper or lower body using resistance bands, free weights, resistance balls, and weight machines.

Exercise should not be all work and no game. For those with a competitive nature consider the option of an organized sport. To find an event nearby that includes archery, basketball, and the likes contact Wheelchair Sports. The National Center on Physical Activity and Disabilty offers assisance to locate local fitness programs.

Living with a physical disability can be a challenge and exercise thought as a burden, but with a little guidance and support the individual can be on their way to a less stressful and healthier life.

Filed Under: Addictions, Disability Tagged With: Disability, Physical exercise, Sport

Designer Cloths for Disabled Women

Designer Louisa Summerfield calls herself a very feminine woman. Even though she has been in a wheelchair since she was nine years old due to Rheumatoid arthritis, Louisa has never let herself feel unattractive due to her illness. Her positive attitude and outgoing nature probably helped her when it came to creating he clothing line, WheelieChix-Chic, for women in wheelchairs.

Louisa launched herself into the fashion world in late 07. At her opening, which was held at one of hippest night spots in London, she had nine models who were all wheelchair bound. Even though her company is based out of the United Kingdom, buyers can still purchase her clothing from anywhere.

So what is it about Louisa’s line that makes it such a brilliant company? Louisa designs clothes with the same intentions that other designers have, which is sex appeal. She say that simply designing cloths for a disability isn’t good enough. With all of that in mind it comes as no surprise that the most sought after part of her line would be the black Maya dress. The dress can be shortened or lengthened by drawstrings that are located on the sides of the dress. The goal is to come up with clothes that compliment the frame of a woman who is sitting down.
Summerfield feels that disabled women shouldn’t have to deal with a lack of style when it comes to clothing. After all, these woman already have to manage being disabled; it should not cost them their girly side. Her clothing line will soon even include lingerie, not to mention that their designer also does wedding gowns and consults on wardrobes based around disabilities. It is easy to understand how awesome it is to have clothing options that carry both class and style. Summerfield has definitely impacted the fashion world in a very outstanding way.

Filed Under: Disability Tagged With: Clothing, Disability

Disability in the Arts

Finding employment in the art industry has become much easier for people with disabilities. There are more than two million disabled artists working in the United States, and more than 500,000 businesses that employ them. These jobs are not restricted to the performing arts either; there are jobs in many other vocations like visual art and writing. Employment within the arts can refer to teaching dance, managing a box office, stage tech, office assistance, and even working as a lawyer. The National Arts and Disability Center has become a vital resource to the art community, in this case helping disabled artists become more included in the art field.

Another great resource for disabled artists would be VSA arts. VSA is a nonprofit organization that aims at teaching through arts. VSA offers many different programs and job-related opportunities, all of which are nation and worldwide. They also offer an online registry for artists that has both art and information from more than a thousand artists who have disabilities. Disabled artists can find tech support through the National Endowment for the Arts Office for Accessibility. There artists can find out about career offers in the art field, as well as other accommodations like sources for the media. On top of providing wonderful services to artists with disabilities, the NEA also assists aging artists, veterans, and those who are in living facilities.

The teamwork between the National Arts and Disability Center, the National Endowment for the Arts, the VSA, and the Social Security Office have assisted in forums throughout the states, helped overcome difficulties, and offered extended opportunities for artists nationwide living with disabilities. They also offer the chance to mingle within networks and discuss the happenings in the art field with well known leaders in the industry. The VSA provides a great service to any artist willing to take the opportunity to get involved.

Filed Under: Disability Tagged With: United States

The Disabled Employment Statistics

The disabled community has long known the hardships of job hunting. In June of 1990, they had reason to believe that their hardship would decrease, due to the Americans with Disabilities Act being signed into law. Now it is more than apparent that those beliefs have proven to be fruitless.

In a survey of around 870 representatives of the disabled community, in an unscientific survey at the University of Texas Health Science Center by Lex Freiden, a professor at the University, a majority of those survedy reported that there have been major improvements with the quality of living for disabled people. There is more accessibility to shopping areas and public facilities, not to mention better transit assistance, housing communities, assistance programs through the state, educational opportunities, and means of communication. On the other hand, nearly half of those people reported that employment was one of the places where the act had failed to improve things. Frieden claimed that the current employment situation was still an improvement in the act, and yet also called it “a big disappointment” and said that “They [disabled people] expected more.”

It has been cited that the job market “is still the area where people with disabilities seem to be at the greatest disadvantage compared to the rest of the population.” In a survey done by Harris Interactive. statistics were stated that, of those people who are disabled and old enough to hold a job, only 21 percent reported that they had either full time or part time employment. This is in comparison to the 51 percent of working people who are not disabled. Also, of the people with disabilities who report themselves as unemployed, more than 70 percent listed being disabled as a reason for their unemployment. Among other reasons were difficulty finding placement in their line of work, and work areas that do not have the proper access or accommodations, making it more than just a tough working environment.

Filed Under: Disability Tagged With: Disability, Employment

ADA and Interviews

Anyone can tell you that the American with Disabilities Act is aimed at protecting those who live with disabilities, and specifically from discrimination within the job market. However, what people often wonder is: what can employers ask you during the hiring process? And what questions could keep people out of a job?

To begin with, the questions an employer asks must be aimed at a job-related need rather than in an attempt to figure out if you are disabled. For example, if you are applying to be a driver for a company a question like “are you visually impaired?” is off limits, but asking “do you have a license?” is fair game.

Interviewers are not allowed to ask you if you are disabled, if you have ever been evaluated or seen by a psychiatrist, if and/or how much you drink, or if you are on medications. They are also not allowed to inquire about any workers’ compensation you have received in the past or about the number of sick days you have previously needed.

Interviewers can ask if you are able to do a list of essentials for the job, how you would carry out those essentials, if you will need to be accommodated in any way, and, if you specified being disabled, they can ask how many breaks you might need. If you have been charged with a DUI, they can ask if you still drink, and they can also ask if you have ever done drugs.
If you are asked a question that is inappropriate, you can choose whether or not you want to answer. If you state that you are no longer interested in the job, you could also file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Better Business Bureau. One way or the other, it is good to know what rights you have while being interviewed.

Filed Under: Disability Tagged With: Disability

Hints for Job Hunting

Job hunting during a recession is difficult for anyone. Throw in a disability, and something that was once just relatively hard becomes tasking. Here are helpful hints for those who might need a leg up in finding a job.

1. If You Can Network, Then Network!
When we are younger we are told to grab a newspaper for the jobs section. The irony behind this is that more than 80 percent of jobs are not even being advertised. Effectively, many job openings, including those appropriate for people with disabilities, are skating by unnoticed. How can one get in on this hidden job market? Talk to people! Contacting friends, family, people who you work with or have worked with in the past, specific companies, or maybe even a teacher at school could help you find a good place in whatever field you are looking for.

2. Set Up Interviews
If there is a company in the line of work you are interested in, look to see if they are willing to interview you, even if they are not hiring at the moment. It might benefit you later to have talked with someone, not to mention it can also serve as good practice for the companies that are hiring. Research the mission statements, ask what people enjoy within the company, and ask what the company needs out of their employees. Ask to submit a application even if it is just to keep on file. However, be careful not to be pushy, as that could cause you to lose the job before you have it.

3. Emphasise What You Can Do For The Company
Most of the time, if you have a disability it won’t really be relevant to the job. Therefore, instead of focusing on what you can’t do, emphasise strengths that you will bring to the company.

With these simple tools, you will be on the right track to find the perfect job.

Filed Under: Disability Tagged With: Job hunting

Tips to Find a Perfect Workplace

Starting a new job is always difficult. Learning the ins and outs of a company can be quite a task, and to go through everything just to find out that you will never fit in can be more than frustrating. Here are some quick tips to help you figure out if the company will work for you.

1. Search to see if the the company is disability friendly. Go to the company website and find out if they are listed as an Equal Opportunity Employer. Look to see if the company has any programs that assist with disabled employees. Look for handy-capable access ramps.

2. When You Interview, Ask Revealing Questions. Find out if there are other people who have disabilities within the company. Ask about the programs the company has to offer people with disabilities. Find out what kind of assistance they can offer you to help you do your job. And make sure to find out if the company has any special policies that impact disabled people.

3. Ask To See The Work Area. Make sure that the place that you would be stationed will meet your needs. Make sure the restrooms are accessible for you as well. While you are looking at the station, take notice of other people and if they seem friendly towards you.

4. If All Else Fails, Use You Gut Instinct. Smaller companies who operate without the same conveniences that larger companies can provide can still often offer a good job environment. If the company lacks in accessibility, it can make up in other areas, such as customer service and knowledgeable employees. People who treat their customers well will most likely treat their employees well. Judging how you feel when you are around the people who would be working with you and the customers you would be serving can make for a great guide to find out how much you will enjoy working there.