Hello Ability Hacker Friends! It’s been a while, and I’ve missed you. Just as our life started getting back to normal after a year full of medical challenges for our family, the Novel Coronavirus entered the picture – throwing life sideways once again. This past week has been full of stress for me (as I’m […]
Posts with the Disability tag
School Emergency Planning for Kids with Disabilities
About a year ago, I had an “aha moment” during a work safety meeting when a police officers said the best thing to do in an active shooter situation is to run. Run, run, run … as far and as fast as you can. My mind went to my daughter and her school. Her disability makes […]
Best helper cart for kids who wear AFOs, use crutches or use a walker
When my daughter was 4 years old, she was eager to help. We wanted to find a way that would enable her help set and clear the table for meals. However, at the time she needed her walker or crutches to move around, meaning she couldn’t carry anything in her hands. We tried having her push an […]
Adapting Jump Rope for AFOs and Crutches
When the fundraising paper came home from school for the Healthy Heart Challenge (sponsored by the American Heart Association), I thought it was important for my daughter to learn about the importance of being active and to raise money for heart health along side her peers. We worked with her gym teacher and physical therapist […]
One by Kathryn Otoshi will help you talk with kids about inclusion, acceptance & courage
The book “One” by Kathryn Otoshi reminds readers that everybody counts, and is a great tool for facilitating conversations with kids about inclusion, acceptance & courage. The story highlights the message that when one person is brave and confident enough to stand up to a bully, their actions can give others the courage to stand up along […]
How “Jessica’s Box” by Peter Carnavas helps readers connect with the character and see past her wheelchair
The book “Jessica’s Box” by Peter Carnavas is my favorite type of inclusive book because it shows a child with a disability experiencing the same feelings and concerns that all children have, without making the disability a central aspect of the story. By not making the story about Jessica being in a wheelchair, it helps all children connect with […]
Why you should read “Can I Play Too?” by Mo Willems to promote inclusion & acceptance
The book “Can I Play Too?” by Mo Willems promotes acceptance of people different from ourselves, demonstrates creative problem solving, and helps kids see the importance of resilient perseverance. It’s a great book for talking to kids about disability and inclusive play, especially when a peer uses equipment such as a wheelchair, walker, or crutches, has […]
Halloween Costumes & Industrial Strength Velcro
Below is a link to great advice from Easterseals on Halloween costumes for kids with disabilities or special needs. The article mentions that doing a trial run with the costume is a good idea, and that learning tips on how to attach costumes to wheelchairs and other devices will help along the way. When doing […]
How Spina Bifida influences how I dress & shop for my daughter
At the beginning of summer, I realized my son had grown out of his 18-24 month clothes, and it was time to upgrade to the next size. Shopping for him was surreal. What is this uber-easy experience of walking into a store, looking for a size, seeing something I like, and… buying it? Good-ness. SO. SIMPLE. When gifting […]
Fear was holding me back from giving my kids an awesome summer
When Lily was first born, one of the things I struggled with the most was approaching a child care center and asking if she could attend. I wrote a post about it here, and what this experience taught me about bravely asking bold questions. These last few months I’ve been struggling with something very similar. […]
Deep thoughts about dancing…
This Mother’s Day weekend, I kept finding my mind flittering back to our 20 week ultrasound with Lily, and the time before she was born. The ultrasound tech mentioned Lily’s long legs and pointed toes, and my husband made a comment like, “maybe she will be a ballerina!” I remember seeing a look flutter across […]
Ladies & Gentlemen… we’ve gone all terrain!
From the moment my daughter started using her Kaye walker full time at 2 years old, I have had a dream. A dream of an all terrain walker that glides smoothly and easily over grass and dirt and mulch. A walker that doesn’t require muscle and struggle to cross uneven surfaces. Isn’t that a beautiful […]
Zubits – Adapting Shoe Laces – Open & close with magnets!
Tonight I came across a new product that I think could be life changing for many people who have trouble with their fine motor skills, or who have to wiggle and squish bulky braces (AFOs, etc.) into shoes. My daughter has challenges in both of these areas, so I’m super excited (and hopeful) about this new […]
A fabulous day for clothes & shoes!
When I think of all challenges we’ve faced over the last 4 years, the two that rear their ugly heads over and over again are clothes and shoes. Clothes: Over AFOs & twister cables Every day when I pick out Lily’s clothes, my mind is running scenarios. “Hmmm… I know these pants fit over her braces, but […]
Approaching Disability: In many ways, we are the same
One of my passion areas is educating people on what disability looks like “behind the scary curtain.” Disability is a topic people have a natural tendency to avoid, but this natural tendency has unintended consequences like separating people with disability from the rest of society. This is partly why I blog, why I share so […]
3 Signs You Might be an Ability Hacker
Sometimes when I tell people the name of my blog, they look at me sideways with a slightly puzzled expression. Eventually, the question comes: “What exactly is an Ability Hacker?” I decided it’s high time for me to put pen to paper (or fingers to keys as the case may be) to put together a formal definition. […]
A Summer of (too many) big ideas
I often find myself wondering how much I should push Lily with extra therapies, new skills, and new equipment versus how much I should step back and let her simply enjoy being a kid. I want to help her grow stronger and gain more independence, but not in a way that makes her everyday life […]
What does a peanut have to do with special needs parenting?
When tackling a herculean task, the people I work with will sometimes say “we just need to push the peanut forward.” I know, it’s a strange phrase, but I love the concept. What the saying means is that when a challenge is overwhelmingly large, and it feels like ultimate success may not ever be achieved, we should focus […]
3 Lessons I learned about bravely asking bold questions
One of the tasks I found the most difficult when I was pregnant with my daughter was calling a daycare center to inquire about her attending. I simply could NOT make myself pick up the phone and dial. I delayed… and delayed… and delayed. At that time, it felt like the many pieces of me were […]
5 ways to build hand strength and fine motor skills with everyday objects and activities
When my daughter passed the 6 month mark, I noticed that she kept her left hand in a fist most of the time. All the reading I did told me we should be concerned, so my insides kept knotting up as I obsessively watched her to determine whether her actions were typical or atypical. A few weeks later, […]