So many have misconceptions about those who are considered to be disabled. One of those groups is those with Cerebral Palsy. Watch this video! It was produced, and the host is a young man with Cerebral Palsy.
Able bodied people often misuse and misunderstand terms such as disabled, disabilities and special needs. These terms have been replaced by the term of “handicapped.” One who is confined to a wheelchair, due to a medical problem such as multiple sclerosis which prohibits them from walking, may be denied disability benefits by the Social Security Administration. There are those who cannot walk, yet they go water skiing and participate in various athletic events that amazes most of us.
By definition, disabled simply means that a person is unable to perform one or more tasks with the ease, if at all, that the majority of the population is able to perform without any assistance. Those with a short term memory loss due to a head injury or a stroke for instance, are disabled to a certain degree according to the definition, yet we may not look at them as disabled simply because their impairment cannot be seen.
Disabilities that cannot be seen are often the cause of comments made in parking lots when we see, what appears to be an able bodied person getting out of a vehicle that is parked in an handicapped spot. There are those with respiratory diseases, heart conditions, circulatory problems that qualify them to be able to obtain handicapped parking stickers, that permit them to park in the handicapped parking spot. We may not see these conditions that affect individuals who may have difficulty walking a long distance due to their medical condition.
There are those with sight impairments, which may not be severe enough to consider them being blind, yet they may have difficulty seeing things that many of us are able to see with or without corrective lenses. To help those with sight or hearing impairments, mobility issues which can be as simple as not being able to lift a leg far enough to climb over a picnic table bench, or over the sides of a standard size bath tub, may be able to have their life made easier by using various products which will enable them to perform daily activities with less difficulty or risk to their safety.
Even those of us who who cannot read small print, may not be considered to be disabled, yet we also have an impairment to some degree. We may use a magnifying glass to read that small print. Therefore, we may not be considered to be disabled, while we need an assistance device, the magnifying glass, to read fine print, or to thread a needle.
The adaptive products or assistive technology products are for anyone, disabled or not, that enable those with an impairment which may prevent them from opening a door easily, opening a jar, or reading those small numbers on our kitchen utensils that are used for measurements that we use from our recipes or see well enough to dial a traditional telephone.
Special Needs
Children are often labeled as “Special Needs Children.” A child, like an adult, may have a genetic disorder which prevents them from doing various tasks, such as sitting up due to lack of muscle tone. However, with the proper devices, and therapy, in some cases, these children are eventually able to perform, although with difficulty, various tasks that they had not been able to do previously. A child with Downs Syndrome has various issues with health and learning levels, yet they run and play just like any other child, although their movements may be a bit awkward.
Lack of Differences Between Disabled and Able Bodied
There are some characteristics of both adults and children, whom society labels as handicapped, disabled, or with special needs, that are exactly like those of us who are considered to be normal, able bodied people. Their physical needs for shelter and nutrition is the same. Most importantly, they have emotions, are able to express their emotions, and they also have their feelings hurt just like the rest of us. They laugh, smile, cry, get angry just like the rest of us.
Maybe it is time that society, as a whole, takes a different look as to how they see and treat those who may be a little different than the general population. The irony of this is that those with impairments do not see themselves as disabled, not in the sense the able bodied community does. Most see themselves as having an issue which causes them to perform daily tasks in a different way or that they may need a bit more time to perform a task than most of us do.
 Adaptive Products Make Life Easier Indoors and Outdoors For The Disabled.
Toys help develop various skills such as motor skills for all children, including those with special needs. There are great interactive toys for under $20 which will help those motor skills among others , develop and improve.
Indoor as well as outdoor furniture that is wheelchair accessible is available, and perfect for those who may be injured, or have other mobility problems which prevent or make it difficult for an individual to climb over the benches of the traditional picnic table. | Do you need more information about adaptive products such as choosing bedside or over bed tables, outdoor furniture, safe dinnerware, and glassware to stop those potentially dangerous spills or utensils which allow your loved one to feed themselves with less difficulty? Read my articles on these topics.
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Purchasing A Stroller For Special Needs Child
When that new baby comes, a stroller makes a great shower gift or a relatively inexpensive cost to the family. However, when parents have a child with special needs, the traditional stroller may not be enough or appropriate, depending on the child's needs. There may be a mom or dad who is disabled and may need a stroller which will accommodate their needs as well. There are numerous types of strollers for children with special needs.
