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When you have a physical disability, assistive devices often are not a choice and are necessary for disabled people to move and have some level of independence. I live with a physical disability and have been using assistive devices my entire life because I have never had the leg muscles required to walk independently and cannot walk at all without my crutches. Assistive devices get a bad rap because most people see them as something bad that we should pity disabled people over, but you shouldn’t be pitying my assistive devices and praising them instead. Assistive devices sometimes get in the way of things, and it would be nice if I didn’t have to use them, but without my assistive devices, I would not have the quality of life that I do, and would be completely dependent on others. I am grateful for my assistive devices because they allow me to do things that I would not be able to without them. Why do I celebrate assistive devices? In this post, I am going to talk about why I don’t pity my assistive devices but praise them instead.
They give me independence- As a disabled person, sometimes I have to ask for help because my physical challenges make some tasks more difficult or even impossible, and my crutches do not completely eliminate all of my challenges. However, they do give me some level of independence, and I don’t have to ask for help on as many tasks as I would if I didn’t have them. There are some tasks I will never be able to do easily, but because of my assistive devices, I am able to make a sandwich without needing to ask someone to do it for me. I have independence because of my assistive devices, and you should be praising them instead of telling disabled people to get rid of them, because I would not have independence without my assistive devices.
My assistive devices give me the ability to exercise- Exercise can be difficult for disabled people because fitness is not accessible, and not all disabled people have the ability to exercise. Fitness is more difficult for me, but because of my assistive devices, I am able to exercise. I am able to go on walks because of my crutches and have more options when I do strength training because I have the use of my legs. I would not be able to exercise to the extent I do if it weren’t for my assistive devices because they make it possible. Walking is not my favorite form of exercise because it requires more effort, but I am grateful that my crutches give me that ability.
They give me the ability to have longer conversations – As a disabled person with a physical disability, I am not able to stand as long as a non-disabled person can. However, my assistive devices do give me the ability to stand and have longer conversations because I can always sit in my wheelchair. I can’t stand for longer periods of time, and I will start to experience a lot of pain after about half an hour of standing. because I am not built to be able to stand for long periods of time. My wheelchair gives me the ability to have longer conversations without putting extra stress on my legs. When I have access to my wheelchair, I am able to talk to someone for hours because I can sit down and am more comfortable. I would not have that ability if I didn’t have assistive devices that give me breaks.
Assistive devices are not something that all disabled people are going to want or need, but unless there is a cure for my disability, which I don’t see happening any time soon, I will always need them. My assistive devices give me independence, but needing to use crutches to walk is not the hardest part of my disability because my crutches have cool colors and add to my outfit. I am not bothered by the fact that I need to use crutches, but I am bothered when people shame my assistive devices without knowing anything about my disability. People should praise assistive devices instead of shaming them because they give disabled people the ability to do things with their non-disabled friends that they wouldn’t be able to do without their assistive devices. It is hard to navigate the world with assistive devices because we live in an inaccessible world that is designed for non-disabled people. If you need to use assistive devices, you should not be ashamed or embarrassed about using them because they will make your life easier. Choosing not to use assistive devices only hurts yourself and does not change your disability. It is frustrating navigating out in public sometimes, but I am grateful for my assistive devices because they give me experiences I wouldn’t have without them. Why do you celebrate assistive devices? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
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