Air Travel

So I am going to Alaska in a couple of weeks for some work training.  They are sending my husband with me to assist, which is super nice and so greatly appreciated!  However, I have not been on a plane since I was two.  I am so paranoid that they are going to damage or lose my wheelchair!

We always hear stories about people losing their luggage.  We had one friend who went to San Diego for a week and didn't get his suitcase until it was time to go home.  What if the airlines lose my chair?!  What will I do? 

Also, I understand that they have an aisle sized chair to get on and off the plane.  What if I need to use the restroom while I'm there?  Will my husband have to pick me up and take me?  The restrooms are tiny on a plane....  Do they have handicapped restrooms and does that aisle chair come with the plane just in case?

These are all the questions running through my mind.  If anyone has answers, let me know!  I will update after the trip:)

Steering a Wheelchair with Your Tongue?!

Yep.  New technology is allowing people with spinal chord injuries to use a magnetic tongue piercing to control an electric wheelchair.  The user has to wear a headset to detect the movement.  Apparently the idea is that the tongue is not easily tired and not generally affected by spinal chord injuries because it has a direct connection to the brain via a cranial nerve.  Check out this article for more!

Less expensive car repairs

Let me start by saying that our van is 10 years old and has seen many better days.  With that being said, we have had a chronic problem with the automatic sliding door since day one.  Had I known what I do now, I would have turned it in for Lemon Laws, if that were an option.

For the second time in as many years, the plastic chain that runs along the bottom of the door track has broken into about 5 different pieces.  I have made many a phone call and I found that the local conversion place wanted to charge me $130 for the part plus labor totaling about FIVE HUNDRED dollars!  What?!  I asked why so much for the labor?  I was told that it would be roughly three hours worth because they would have to remove the door panel in order to install the piece.

OK, so the panel has to be removed.  Never mind the fact that this part looks like it just plugs in on both ends and "voila" it should be finished.  That means that I am now being charged $123 per hour for labor!  Again - What?!  

My personal mechanic (for non conversion repairs) naturally tells me that this is ridiculous.  Even the local Mercedes dealership only charges about $90, according to him.  So I took the car in to my local body shop.  Guess what?  He only charges $40 per hour for labor.  Guess what else?  The part is a Chrysler part - not a conversion part: and for the record, it is $130.  

So to make a long story short, I have now just saved myself $250 (if it really does take three hours of labor).  Thankfully, my part is on order and I am hoping to get the repair next week.

The moral of the story is: Check with your local mechanic (or body shop) before going to your conversion shop. You may save yourself a ton!

Raising kids to have positive self-esteem

I have often wondered if my kids will be made fun of because their mom is in a wheelchair.  So far, this doesn't seem to be an issue, but my oldest is only seven.

I believe that raising kids, disabled or not, with a high level of self esteem is critical.  My parents always told me that I could do anything that I wanted, if I put my mind to it.  They never treated me with "kid gloves" or discouraged me from trying anything simply because I had a disability.  I was in Girl Scouts, school plays, piano lessons, played the clarinet in the high school band, etc, etc, etc.

I think that raising all children should be this way.  If your child wants to participate in soccer, but is incessantly clumsy, let him play anyway!  Encourage them to have fun and enjoy the time outside.  He may just surprise you and grow to be an excellent player.  However, if he doesn't, it's most important that he made friends and had fun doing it.  Most coaches and teacher will encourage the same.  Along the same lines, if my daughter (5 years old) decides to do her own hair, I often will let her leave it in just the way it is.  I tell her how good of a job she did and let her go to school.  It may not be nice and high or pulled perfectly tight, as I would do, but she is proud of the work she did.

I guess the point of my story, is encourage your kids - don't DIScourage them.  They are stronger than you think!  As long as you help them to maintain a high sense of self esteem, they will pull through all of those awkward stages in life.

As a parent (disabled or not), you need to follow the same advice.  When you see something that your kids are doing that makes you proud - remember that they are a product of your great upbringing!  If you continue to be upbeat and hold your head high, so will your kids.

Your children will adapt to your disablities - no matter what they are.  If you are the parent of a disabled child, do not cater - instead push them to be all that they can be!  Sure, you can make adaptations, but make them so that the kids can do things on their own.

For more interesting reading, check out this great blog article from a fellow blogger.

Handicapped Parking

Growing up in California, I rarely had a problem finding a parking space.  There were usually plenty of spaces, and they all had a nice sized loading zone (some larger than others).  On occasion, that loading zone may be on the opposite side of what I needed, but that was easily fixed by parking backwards in the spot.

Since moving to Utah, I have noticed that this is something the state is definitely lacking.  Sometimes, there are not enough spaces.  Most often the spaces are narrow and the loading zone is no more than 3 feet across.  This may seem like a decent amount of space to exit your car, but if have a van with a lift or ramp, as I do, there is barely enough room to get that ramp out - let alone manuever the wheelchair off of it.  On the rare occasion that there are an abundance of spots to park, there are many spaces without loading zones at all!

Hmmmm....I think I may start looking into the laws here to see what I can do.  Anyone from other states have similar experiences?

Accessible Cars

Why, oh why must accessible cars cost so much?  We have a 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan IMS conversion that we purchased new.  Needless to say, this has been our primary family car for nearly 10 years now, and it is in desperate need of replacement.  The door has never quite worked properly; and in this cold Utah weather, it certainly hasnn't gotten any better.  Our goal is to try and make this one last as long as possible, praying that the engine won't give out on us after 146,000 miles.  Then, we would like to try and pay CASH for the next one.  Now, we are not a rich family, so this feat of saving around $50,000 is going to take a lot of time, energy and discipline.  Anyone have any ideas on how to cut the costs?  Buying used is not an option - they usually have high mileage and are not very cost effective...  I have thought about purchasing from a company that converts used cars after market, but I honestly don't think that the quality of the conversion is as good as the vehicles that are converted as new.  Is there any assistance out there for purchase that I don't know about?

Baby Bjorn

When I had my babies this was my lifesaver.  I have a muscle disease that makes it difficult for me to lift, which is obviously a problem when you have an infant!  Thank goodness for my amazing sister in law, who was a huge help during the first couple of years.

But for those times when I did need to be home alone for short periods with my babies, this worked amazingly.  I would make sure that we had a fresh diaper change and a feeding before my husband left and put the baby in the carrier for up to a couple of hours.  Its easy to put on by yourself, as it fastens in the front.  The best part is, you can use it from newborn and up.  Before they had good head control, I would put the baby facing in, and help to support his/her head with my hand if needed. 

My babies loved this carrier.  My son would sit in the Bjorn all day, if I let him.  He liked to look out and see the world!  This was also great for shopping and running errands.  We used this thing more than we used the stroller, even.

You can find these at various retail stores, and often even at consignment stores.

Accessible Cribs

Oh, how this would have made things easier for me when my kids were babies!  I have heard of people making an accessible crib, but this one is already done for you.  This company has been around for years, and I never knew.  But for all of you that are looking for a crib - here is your answer:  The BabeeTenda crib.  It's convertible and comes complete with the mattress.  It has a latched gate system on the side, which is meant for toddlers to be able to climb in and out, but would work perfectly for parents with a wheelchair.  Plus, it comes in a variety of colors.  So, you have style and practicality!  They do not sell in regular retail stores, nor on their website.  I did find some on Amazon and eBay.

Oh Frustrations!

So, as we know there are LOTS of businesses that are still not caught up to comply with ADA.  Well, a couple of weeks ago our family attended a community festival here in Ogden, Ut called the Winterfest.  Having two kids, naturally, one of them had to make a potty trip.  We happened to be in front of a large historic hotel, so I thought that it would be no big deal to bring my four year old daughter into the hotel to use the restroom.  Boy, was I wrong!

We entered into the main lobby, and the first thing that I noticed was that there was a set of steps to go to the main desk.  The restrooms were located across the lobby.  No big deal, there should be a ramp or elevator here close by - right?  WRONG!

An employee walked up to us and apologized profusely and explained that they were currently working with a person to get them into compliance, but they did not have any access to the main lobby yet.  What?!  How can this be possible?  Instead, she had to lead us around the block to the back of the hotel, where there was a "less dignified" motel.  We had to go through the motel office and she had to tell the counterperson to buzz us into another door.  Then, we had to go through a maze of narrow hallways to an elevator, and then down an elevator and back to the main lobby.

By now, we had spent an extra 10 minutes to get to that bathroom - and thank goodness I didn't have to go.  It wasn't accessible either!  Thank goodness for having a smaller wheelchair, or there would have been no way for me even to get into that room.  The doorway was narrow and there was little space for people to even stand to wait.

That's my rant for the day.  Anyone else have a frustrating story? 

Diving With Disabilities

I recently came across this website.  It was so inspirational to me!  I would love to try SCUBA diving sometime, and yet I never realized that it was an option.  Anyway, what a great opportunity that this organization is providing.  Check them out next time you're visiting San Diego, or click here for Yahoo search results for other areas.  Sound like fun:-)

....And Here We Go!

Hi!  My name is Christina, and I am a mother of two, ages 7 and 9.  I have always wanted to somehow give back to the disabled community.  However, there are so many ideas running through my mind -- and not enough cash to fund them!  This is a cost effect way that I can contribute.  So...welcome to my blog!

My plans here are to be a resource to parents with a disability.  I want to share ideas, ups and downs and fun.  There are not very many resources out there -- so let's put one together!

I have lots of ideas, tips and tricks and stories to share.  Hope you enjoy being part of our life!