| Celebrating Halloween | 
Every Halloween I always struggle with whether or not I should incorporate my wheelchair into my costume. Is it cheesy or is it clever? I used to think it was cheesy, but now? I'm not so sure. I've recently met some pretty creative people who use wheelchairs online, and the costume ideas they've come up with are seriously impressive. They look at their wheelchairs as a base to build from, and as it turns out, the possibilities are endless. Here are my favorite costume ideas for wheelchair-users for Halloween 2011.
Confessions Of A Halloween Baby To many people Halloween is their favorite holiday because of the fanfare of dressing up in costumes and letting loose, putting out fun decorations, and scoring oodles of candy. I have a very unique relationship with Halloween because it happens to be my birthday. For the better part of my lifetime Halloween and I have had a bit of a conflicted relationship. But the difference between next Halloween and past years is that I am much more ready now than at any point in my life to take the awesome wheelchair Halloween costume challenge head on, and thereby embrace the true spirit of my very unique birthday as well.
Costume Ideas
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Jenni's Journey
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Being A Student With A Disability
Right now, I'm attending college pursuing a degree in communications. I've been going to college since fall of 2006; just taking one or two classes at a time schedule permitting. When it came to choosing a college to go to after high school, I had to look at a few more things than just which one sounded the best. In my case, special accommodations are made so that things are easier inside and outside of the classroom. Also, I have to figure out the best approach before going into a classroom for the first time. These are just some of the things that go along with being a student with a disability. I would say the biggest tip I could give is to become familiar with what the college has to offer for support. Also, making sure that the accessibility is there and things are available if needed. I'm glad I found a school that works for me.
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Tiff's Corner
|  Dealing With Strangers, Maze Fun & SCI Advocacy Podcast
How Do You Deal With Overly-Friendly Strangers? I've been plagued by a new neighbor lady who should be the torch-bearer for "those who are nice to the crippled." Every time we cross paths she asks me some pretty darn condescending questions. How would you deal with this? Mazes, My Visual Therapy Ever since I was a little girl I've been obsessed with mazes. After I landed in this wheelchair, mazes still prove to be one of the "real" interests of mine I can still fully participate in. To me, coming to this maze is the same as attending a rock concert. Podcast: The Latest Greatest SCI Advocate Tiff talks with David McCauley, a successful businessman in NYC before his diving injury in '08, who has founded a unique non-profit celebrating artists with spinal cord injuries to help find a cure. Read Tiff's Posts |
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Disability Life
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Go Outside Of Your Comfort Zone!
Whether you have a disability or not, I would be recommending that you go out of your comfort zone, but I am emphasizing it more for my fellow friends with disabilities as well as their parents and/or caretakers. We are becoming too complacent, sedentary, and used to saying, "Nothing, same old, same old." When someone poses the question, "So what's new," take a moment, think about it, and welcome to your comfort zone! The time has come for us all to shake things up a little bit and move away from our comfort zones...knowing full well that we can always return to it if or when we so choose. When was the last time that you did something out of the ordinary? Leave Your Comfort Zone |
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Clinician Resources
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Need a Lift?
A standing program is only as good as the ability of the individual using the stander to transfer or be transferred in and out safely, ensuring consistency of the routine. Use of improper transfer techniques or lifting excessive amounts of weight repeatedly can result in injury, and I need the staff members and caregivers who get excited about standing to stay healthy for a long time. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends that those directly handling patients should lift a maximum load of 35 pounds. That means once students approach kindergarten size, it needs to be determined how much they can participate in transfers and how much staff assistance is needed. Planning needs to take place regarding provision of more manual or mechanical lifting help when a need is identified. Transferring Techniques |
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