When you are disabled, it’s easy to focus on all the things your disability prevents you from doing well because you live with a disability and are very aware of what your disability limits. My disability prevents me from doing a lot of activities with my non-disabled friends, but it doesn’t limit everything, and there are some things I can do just as well as a non-disabled person. Non-disabled people often think disabled people can do anything, but the reality is our disabilities only limit some tasks, and there are some activities we don’t struggle with. Disabled people do not struggle with the same types of tasks, and it depends on what disability you have because not everyone is going to have the same limitations. Non-disabled people often assume we can’t do something because of how the media portrays disabled people and you may be surprised by how many things I can do that you think I can’t. What things does my disability not prevent me from doing? In this post, I am going to talk about five things my disability does not prevent me from doing well.
Having a conversation with someone- When you are disabled, sometimes it can be difficult to make friends because it is often believed that you need to talk slower to disabled people and that we can’t have a normal conversation like everyone else can. You may have to talk more slowly to some disabled people, but the belief that you have to talk more slowly to all disabled people is simply not true. I have a learning disability, and if you were to give me a math problem, I might struggle to understand it, but my disability does not prevent me from being able to have a conversation with my friends. I can have a conversation with my friends just as effectively as a non-disabled person can because my disability does not prevent me from being able to have a normal conversation. Disabled people are not less intelligent than non-disabled people and that is something that the media has taught people to believe. Some disabled people are not able to complete the coursework required to get a college degree, but a lot of disabled people do become engineers. People need to stop assuming that disabled people can’t have normal conversations because a lot of the time, we can!
Go for a swim- Exercise can be difficult when you have a physical disability because fitness is not accessible and there are a lot of forms of exercise that is physically impossible for me to do. Swimming is a great form of exercise for people with physical disabilities because it’s low-impact, and a lot of the time, our disabilities do not prevent us from being able to do it well. If you were to watch me swim, you would never see me kick my legs because I don’t have that ability, and it’s all arms, but it is possible. I don’t always want to go for a swim, but I am a pretty good swimmer because my disability does not prevent me from doing that well. Some disabled people are not able to go for a swim because they don’t have enough strength, but as long as you have gotten lessons and learned how to swim, people with Spina Bifida usually can. Swimming is one of the best ways for me to get a good cardio workout because my disability doesn’t prevent me from doing it.
Working a job- There are some jobs I physically could not do, but if I could find a job that was willing to make reasonable accommodations, I could work. The only reason I am not employed is because I looked for a job for ten years and couldn’t find one, so I eventually gave up. There are some careers, such as a saleswoman, that I would not be good at, but there are also a lot of jobs, like a receptionist, that I could do just as effectively as a non-disabled person because my disability doesn’t prevent me from doing it. Some disabled people can’t work, but I can and don’t because I faced a lot of discrimination in job interviews and couldn’t find a job, I am limited to how much money I am allowed to make because I get disability benefits, but I could work if I found the right kind of job.
Taking a shower independently- Some people with physical disabilities who have less stability than me may need assistance to take a shower because there is a lot of wetness that can cause falls, and it wouldn’t be safe. I have not always been able to shower myself, but I have learned how to shower independently, and the only time someone helps me take a shower is after I have had a surgery and am weak. When I shower, I have to sit at the bottom of my tub because my physical disability makes standing while washing my hair impossible, but I can take a shower without help. It sometimes takes me a little longer to take a shower than a non-disabled person because I have to be extra careful not to fall, but my disability does not prevent me from being able to do that task.
It does not prevent me from living on my own- I am in my thirties and still live with my parents, and sometimes people may think that it is because I am not able to live on my own. People with physical disabilities can have their own apartment, and the reason I still live at home isn’t because I am physically unable but because I can’t afford it on my current income. The only money I make at the moment is what the government gives, which is not enough to survive off of. I could live on my own if I made more money because I can do most every day tasks without any or minimal assistance, and there are services that can help disabled people live independently for the things I can’t do.
Making the bed- It is more difficult for me to make my bed, and it usually takes me twice as long and if someone is available, I will have them do it for me because non-disabled people can do it faster. My disability does not prevent me from being able to make the bed, even though it is more difficult and I make the bed independently all the time because sometimes I have accidents on my sheets, and no one is around to help me.
My disability prevents me from being able to do a lot of things, but despite what people often believe, it does not prevent me from doing everything. There are some things, such as painting my nails, that I don’t struggle with as a physically disabled person. You should never assume that a disabled person can’t do something, and you should always ask us because a lot of the time, the things people think we shouldn’t be able to, we can. Some disabled people require more assistance than others, but disability does not mean someone is incapable. Disabled people are capable of doing more things than people think, and sometimes, we just have to do things in a slightly different way. This is not a complete list of everything that my disability doesn’t prevent me from being able to do well because there are a lot of things that I can do just as well as a non-disabled person, and I couldn’t possibly list them all. What things does your disability not prevent you from doing? If you liked this post please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
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