When you have a physical disability, you often require more help than a non-disabled person would because there are some things your disability prevents you from being able to do independently. Every disabled person requires different levels of assistance, and it depends on what disability you have because some disabled people need more help than others. I am always willing to let people help me do a task that I am incapable of doing, but I don’t always need or want your help. Sometimes I want to do a task independently, but non-disabled people often won’t let me because they see my physical disability and assume I am incapable of doing anything for myself. Non-disabled people sometimes don’t know how to help someone with a physical disability and will force help on them because they think we need help. I am always willing to accept help, but sometimes people aren’t being as helpful as they think and are making my life harder. How can you help a physically disabled person? In this post, I am sharing how you can help a physically disabled person that is actually helpful.
Ask how you can assist them- Every disabled person has different access needs, and it depends on what disability you have because not all disabled people will complete tasks in the same way. A full-wheelchair usher who can’t stand is going to do transfers in a slightly different way than someone like me who can walk with crutches. Non-disabled people often don’t ask disabled people how they can assist and start doing the task for us. If you want to be helpful, it is so important that you ask disabled people how you can assist them because the way you think we should do a task is not always the safest option for us. Some disabled people have very fragile bones, and you have to do a transfer in a specific way to prevent injuries. No one knows their access needs better than disabled people, and you should never ignore disabled people because you think your way is better. Asking disabled people how you can assist them keeps everyone safe because not all disabled people will require the same level of assistance.
Don’t grab onto my shoulder when I am doing a transfer– Non-disabled people sometimes get nervous when they see me do a transfer because I often look like I am going to fall. Sometimes people will grab onto my shoulder because they think they are helping me, but what you are actually doing is adding resistance and getting in the way. Lending a hand to a non-disabled person who is struggling to walk down a flight of stairs often is helpful, but it is not helpful for someone with physical disability. I can’t let go of my assistive devices and grab onto your hand like a non-disabled person can because I need to be holding onto my assistive devices at all times. When I am trying to do a transfer, and you put your hand on my shoulder to help, the only thing you are doing is giving me anxiety and creating more barriers. I need space to do transfers because I have to accommodate my assistive devices, and if you don’t give me that space, I will fall. If you want to help, the best thing you can do for me is to get out of the way because inaccessibility is what causes falls.
Remove any potential barriers- As a child, I was taught how to fall because when you are physically disabled, you have less stability and will fall. I don’t get serious injuries very often because I was taught how to fall, but you can still get injured when you know how to fall. I am always looking on the ground for things that could trip over, but sometimes I trip over things because I didn’t see them. One of the best ways you can help a physically disabled person prevent falls is to remove as many barriers as possible that could cause a fall. If you see a puddle of water, don’t just leave it; clean it up because my crutches will always find water. As soon as it does, I am going down most of the time because I don’t have as much stability, and when my crutches get slippery, it’s very hard to prevent a fall. Removing potential barriers before I fall is one of the most helpful things you can do for a physically disabled person.
Walk away if we say we don’t want help- Non-disabled people sometimes will ask a physically disabled person if they need help, but will still do the task even if we say no. You are not helping a disabled person when you don’t listen to disabled people and force help on them, but are only making us more stressed. There is nothing wrong with asking a disabled person if they need help, and you should do that if you see someone struggling. If someone says they don’t need help, respect their answer and walk away because they probably don’t need or want your help. I love it when people help me do tasks I can’t do, but I can’t stand it when people assume I am incapable. I struggle with most tasks because of my physical disability, but that does not mean I always need help, and sometimes I want to do a task independently even though it’s a little hard. Don’t assume I can’t do something, and if I say I don’t want your help, walk away and let me continue doing what I was doing.
When you have a physical disability, you will need more help than most people, but having a physical disability does not mean you are incapable of everything. Some tasks may take longer to complete, but I can still do them and don’t always need someone to do them for me. You should always ask disabled people if they need help because you may learn that we don’t always need your help and are capable of doing a task ourselves. If a disabled person does require assistance, you should always ask how you can help them because you aren’t going to help all disabled people in the same way. Disabled people always appreciate help when we need it, but it needs the right kind of help. When you do a task for a disabled person in the way you think we should do it, it often makes our lives harder and sometimes causes injuries. These are a few ways you can help me personally, but I do not speak for everyone with a physical disability because everyone is different. How do you help someone with a physical disability? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
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