“How hi-tech is your apartment?”

It’s not, really…

When I was about a year into living on my own, someone had asked me that exact question. I live in an “accessible unit,” compared to the neighboring homes. But that does not means “Star Trek replica.” Although I am a huge fan of the ever-advancing technology - and Star Trek props are becoming today's accessories, - my apartment is not that exciting. 

Here is what's standard:

1. Wider doorways
2. Sinks with wheelchair leg room underneath
3. Lower counter tops
4. Flipper-style door handle and sink handles
5. A roll-in shower
6. A roll-in closet
7. And knob on the drawers

Those are modifications that fulfill the ADA requirements. The following are requests I’ve made for greater independence:

1. Acceptance of a remote controlled door lock (which I posted a picture of in one of my earlier blogs)
2. Lowering my mailbox to my level
3. Leaving packages received in my apartment, as opposed to outside the door
4. And communication/messages left via flyer in the door, to be done through email.

I’m pretty sure the most techie/out of the ordinary thing about my apartment is my coffee maker; pour the water, scoop the coffee, power it up, wait 90 seconds, and a cup awaits you… 

Home accessibility/adaptations options don’t stop with my list above. Check out some other great ideas on P2P's Roadmap to Success!

Social Sukie

I'm not the "all work, no play" type. You know little bit about what I do for work – let's talk about my social life. But, first, allow me to touch on how important it is to have a life [of your own] outside of work. 

 

With just two words, the reason is simply explained: "self-discovery." The Sukie five years ago and the Sukie today are definitely not the same person. I used to be even more complacent than I am. I would go with the flow. Now, I choose to do things that I want. Not everything I tried was something I stuck with or enjoy, however. But determining what continued to do was based on my interests and my motivation to continue. 

Since moving to Georgia I've done so much that I probably would not of done if I weren't on my own. Here's a few those things: 

Food shopping,

Cooking/baking at home,

Taking photos in the city,

Stand-up comedy,

Adaptive rock climbing,

Joining an accessible gym,

Considered being on a swim team,

Emerging myself into other diversity communities that I identify with...

The list goes on, but those are the experiences worth sharing because they are where I have discovered and accepted new attributes about myself.

TSA: Get A Room!

Traveling for work to a location that isn't your residence? Where do you lodge? You can either stay with a friend or family member. Or stay at the hotel hosting the event. The latter would be recommended by your employer, to avoid transportation costs. Works for me! The host hotels are typically quite fancy. But are they accessible? Accessibility varies for each individual. And hotels have their own criteria that, by law, must be followed. The process is simple. Just call the hotel, and ask about what you need. Of the ADA's list of accessibility regulations, this is what I try to ensure is standard or an option, when getting an "ADA room:"

1. Wide doorways - My wheelchair's width is about 32". So I ask if the width measurement of the doorways are 36". That gives me space for hanging bags on the back of my wheelchair.
2. Hosed/corded shower head - Bathing is one of the activities of daily living (ADLs) when I need full support. Having a shower head that can be brought down from the wall, allows the water can be aimed; which has been proven be much easier and dryer for the PCA helping me out.
3. Walk/roll-in shower - Related to the shower head modification, this type of shower provides ease when supporting me. The perimeter of a tub is very difficult to compete with during a transfer.
4. Shower bench/chair - Often, one is already in the shower or tub. I double-check, still, because there is absolutely no alternative for me. Standing time is very minimal for me. Five minutes a day, perhaps?
5. Sink flippers - I believe these are becoming more common everywhere because they're so convenient for everyone. With short arms and limited dexterity, I use a dressing stick  to reach/grab things. In this case, I use the dressing stick to open the faucet, by pushing/pulling the flippers. It's much easier than finagling with a knob. Then, brushing my teeth is one of the [few] ADLs I will be able to maintain independence while away from home.
6. Bed height - I will own a wheelchair that elevates. Until then, for me to get in and out of bed independently, I need the bed to be at or very close to my wheelchair's height (from the seat cushion to the floor.) I inquire about this so I can gauge in advance the time I will need with a PCA.

Remember, it is the law that hotels have accessible rooms or provide the reasonable accommodations requested at no additional cost!

TSA: Dude, Where’s My Wheelchair?

This past week, I participated in the National Council on Independent Living Annual Conference, in Washington DC. 

Living in Atlanta, I had to book a flight to get to DC. The only difference with how I do that, as a wheelchair user is, I indicate that I need assistance. Here is what I’m referring to:

One-on-one security check – My wheelchair gets thoroughly checked too. So I request assistance with my carry-on items (backpack, wallet, phone, etc.) Even if I am flying with someone, I always ask for help from an employee, to avoid the assumption of suspicious activity;

Pre-Boarding Pass – Along with whoever is flying with me, I board before other passengers because it takes so many additional people and things to get me situated;

An aisle chair to board the plane – My power wheelchair is a very delicate, 300-pound piece of machinery that is far too wide for me to drive onto the plane to transfer into a passenger seat. An aisle chair is what a person who cannot walk the distance from their wheelchair to plane seat would use. It’s a manual wheelchair narrow enough for the aisles;

Me being two-man transferred.

Two-man lift/full transfer – I am not as delicate or heavy as my chair, but I still require trained help from airline employees to go from one seat to the other;

Check-in/claim tags – While I sit in the airplane seat, my chair gets loaded into cargo. To get past the gates, the wheelchair gets claim/identification tags hung on it. But I ask that I be able to leave and meet my chair as closely to the aircraft as possible... And that means no farther than the plane’s door.

Something I highly recommended for people who fly with their medical equipment is to take before and after photos of the items. If anything is damaged in any way, the airline is responsible for taking care of it!