When you are physically disabled, everyday tasks that come easily to most people can be difficult because your physical disability sometimes prevents you from being able to do certain tasks. Non-disabled people sometimes think that disabled people can’t do anything for themself and need help with everything, but that could not be more wrong, and we only need help with some things. I have a physical disability and require more help than a non-disabled person, but it does not prevent me from doing everything, and I can do most everyday tasks without assistance. Disabled people often have to do tasks in a slightly different way than non-disabled people because we have to accommodate our disabilities and can’t always do things in the same way. I may do tasks in a slightly different way than non-disabled people but that does not mean I am incapable of doing something and always need help. How do I complete certain tasks? In this post, I am going to talk about how I complete certain tasks with a physical disability.
Making a sandwich- When it comes to cooking, I am a little more limited than a non-disabled person because a lot of kitchen appliances are not accessible to me and would be unsafe for me to use. Non-disabled people often believe that people with physical disabilities need to have someone cook all their meals for them, but that is only true for some people. You can use a microwave and oven safely while living with a physical disability, and the main reason why some people can’t cook is due to the lack of accessibility. I am able to use the microwave in my current home because it sits on a countertop that allows me to sit and cook my food. I am not able to use the stove because there is not enough room for me to navigate with my wheelchair, and standing to cook on a hot stove is dangerous when you walk with crutches and don’t have great stability. All of my big meals are made by someone else, but at lunchtime I am able to make a sandwich without needing help because it’s one of the easiest meals for me to make. How do I make a sandwich? I don’t make a sandwich in a completely different way than a non-disabled person would, and the only difference is that I grab my ingredients and sit down to make it, while a non-disabled person may prepare it while standing
Load/unload the dishwasher- Loading and unloading the dishwasher can be a difficult task when you are physically disabled because there is a lot of water involved and it requires more effort. I very rarely unload or load the dishwasher, but if I had to, thankfully, my physical disability doesn’t prevent me from doing so. If I were going to clean dishes and put them in the dishwasher, I would pull up a chair and sit while washing dishes to save energy. Unloading clean dishes is a little more difficult, and if I were going to do that, I would have to stand with crutches and put them away one by one. It does take me about a half hour to unload; that would take a non-disabled person ten minutes, which is why I don’t do it often. If I have to put something away in a cabinet that is not accessible to me, I will leave it out and wait for someone else to do it. You can unload the dishwasher while sitting in your wheelchair and speed up the process, but my kitchen isn’t fully accommodating of my wheelchair, and it’s easier to do it while sitting with my crutches. I don’t load or unload the dishwasher very often, but it is a great workout when I do.
Taking a shower– Non-disabled people often will stand when they are taking a shower, but because of my physical disability, standing is impossible because I need my crutches to be able to stand. When I take a shower, I sit at the bottom of the tub and shower while seated instead of standing. I have a longer shower hose that I bring down and hold when I am washing my hair because I am short and have found that when I leave it up, water doesn’t reach my head as easily, and sometimes I don’t get all the soap out of my hair. Some disabled people use shower chairs or may require assistance to take a shower, but I prefer to sit on the bottom of the tub. I will use a shower chair to help me transfer out of the tub, but I don’t use them to take a shower.
Getting dressed- Some disabled people are completely dependent on someone else and need help dressing themselves, but fortunately, I am able to get dressed independently. Dressing myself is a little more difficult, and the way I get dressed will depend on what type of outfit I am wearing that day. I wear dresses a vast majority of the time because I need to wear loose clothing to prevent my endometriosis pain from flaring. When I put on a dress, I am not doing it in the same way as a non-disabled person, and the only difference is I have to sit down to put the dress over my head. I do have to wear leg braces and wear shorts under my dress, which I will also do while seated on the ground. Sometimes I will have to physically take my hand to lift my leg in my leg braces because I lost a lot of mobility and don’t have the strength to do it any other way. I put my socks and shoes on in the same way as a non-disabled person.
Getting a drink of water– When I get a drink of water, I will go to my fridge to fill up my cup because we have a dispenser on our fridge. Once my water cup is filled, I will put it on my countertop and slide it to where I want it to be because I can’t walk with an open cup without it spilling. I can drink water while standing, provided there is something to hold onto, but I usually don’t and sit down when I am drinking because it’s a more enjoyable experience. During the day, I usually will fill up a water bottle that I carry to my room because I have found that I drink more water the less I have to move. Water bottles can be difficult because sometimes they are too big and become too heavy for me to carry when they are filled, or they have no handle and aren’t accessible to me. I sometimes will ask for help when filling a water bottle because other people have an easier time, but I could do it independently if I had the right water bottle to accommodate my access needs.
Make the bed– My bladder and bowel muscles do not work properly, and sometimes I will have to change the sheets more often because I don’t have the control to be able to hold it. If someone is available to help me change the sheets, I will ask for assistance because although I technically can, it’s not an easy task, and a non-disabled person can do it twice as fast. If I were going to put sheets on my bed, I would have to sit on my bed and move around to each corner and put them on that way. Non-disabled people are able to stand and lift the mattress, but I can’t do that because of my physical disability. I would rather have someone else put my sheets on my bed because they always end up falling off when I do it.
Walking up a flight of stairs- In my current home, there are no stairs and don’t have to navigate stairs on a daily basis but there are instances when I have to. If I was going up a flight stairs, I would sit on the step and scoot all the way to the top, once I was on the last step I would stand up while holding onto the railing and walk up that last step. Stairs are more difficult when you are physically disabled and not all disabled people will be able to but thankfully my physical disability doesn’t prevent me from being able to do so.
When you are physically disabled, every day tasks become a little harder, but even though something is hard, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. There are some tasks that my physical disability prevents me from being able to do, and I have to ask for help, but most tasks I am able to do without needing to ask. Sometimes I have to do things in a different way to accommodate my disability, or the task may take me twice as long, but even though something is hard, that doesn’t mean you give up. Physically disabled people have to pay their bills and keep their house clean just like non-disabled people, and we have to find ways to do household chores. I am constantly learning new, easier ways to do tasks because life with disability is all about learning how to adapt your life. Some physically disabled people will do tasks in the same way as me, but not everyone will because we all have different access needs. I am able to walk with crutches, but not everyone with a physical disability has the ability to walk, and some people may require more help. How do you complete every day tasks? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
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