Adaptive Everything
Woah it’s April already! How did that even happen? I’ve never been a winter person and now the cold seems to bother me even more. Thank the Lord for spring, sunshine and the ending of my own personal hibernation season.
Ever since my accident, there has been this ongoing narrative that sounds something along the lines of, “before my accident I loved to do _______, but now I can’t do that anymore.” Whether I’m saying it about myself or someone else is saying it about me, the conversation is pretty consistent.
I feel pretty lucky, however, to be living in a time where there are lots and lots of incredible people living with a disability who are demanding a change in narrative. Demanding a change in the mainstream media and in the fashion industry and in our national laws, etc. They are demanding that there shouldn’t have to be a battle just to be included. This is where adaptive everything comes into play. But why would mainstream anything think about adaptations when it doesn't affect the majority of their clientele? Instead of saying, "most of my customers can come into the store" or "most of my customers can wear this" or "most of my customers can use this product" why not say "all of my customers can do this"? Seems like good business sense to me!
One thing that I will say about people living with a disability is that they are resilient. It’s not a stroll in the park to have to figure out different and creative ways to live your every day life. I’m a member of a Facebook group that is just for quadriplegic women and every single day people are posting either questions or answers about life hacks for those living both in a wheelchair and with limited hand dexterity. These adaptations range from hair care to cooking to having children and parenting to hiking and water sports. I love being a part of this group because they are constantly thinking of adaptive ways to both complete their everyday tasks as well as just have fun! Most of their adaptations, however, are hand made and not bought. But imagine what could be accomplished if major companies were thinking of people outside the box!
I’ve been meaning to show off probably the coolest thing that I own for awhile now!! My sister in law, Kristen, her parents, and grandfather (who I have never met) selflessly made this adapted cutting board for me for my 26th birthday!!
Scotty and I made some homemade chicken noodle soup a while back so I thought I’d video how this bad boy works! The main idea is that, theoretically, I can’t hurt myself while doing some chopping. The tip of the knife is attached to this wooden block that can slide up and down a little metal pole. The metal pole is attached to the cutting board so the knife cannot fall down, but it can go up and down as well as swivel side to side! The wooden block can come all the way off of the pole so that be knife can be washed up after all the cutting is complete. It truly is a masterpiece!!
The bad news is that I have to have the cutting board on a table instead of the kitchen counter because the counters are too high and our kitchen is a little tight. One day we will have the kitchen of my dreams where everything is accessible to me, but for now I’m happy that the narrative isn’t “before my accident I liked to help with the cooking, but now I can’t do that anymore.”
- C.
