The question of attending school is an important one, as education is an important aspect of personal development. Students with disabilities who are under 21 Children are always expected to receive schooling, including children with disabilities. Most children with disabilities have an Individualized Education Plan(IEP), which spells out parent and teacher expectations for the…
Traveling on disability is simultaneously an attractive idea and a serious challenge. The idea of not needing to live in one place and developing a nomadic lifestyle feels appealing to me, and I am sure to many others as well. Once you’ve gotten over the initial shock of your condition, and once you have…
Most people have regrets over choices made(or not made), and many people wish their lives were in some way different. Mindful self-compassion is the practice of being self-aware in the moment and practicing kindness and empathy to yourself while you are there. What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is the ability to live in the moment –…
We are in the midst of wedding season. Weddings are generally beautiful affairs where two people commit to one another, announce their love to the world, and celebrate their relationship with family and friends. I attended two weddings this year, one for my cousin in Ohio, and another where a long-time friend of Al’s got…
Nearly 20% of the global population has a sleep disorder. Sleep disorders can be debilitating, and sleep disorders make other conditions worse. With our daily patterns and routines disrupted, the only thing that would be surprising would be if our sleep cycles weren’t affected by our disabilities! Why is sleep so important? When you are asleep, your…
One of the big differences between ’being sick’ and dealing with a chronic condition is how your relationships and activities are affected. If you’re sick, staying home and resting up IS a great idea. Sure, you may miss one or two activities you were looking forward to, but you’ll feel better and get back into…
I tried to stay focused on my game. Really, I did. But every couple of minutes, I would scan the room and double-check what number they were helping now. I knew the time would pass more quickly if I could lose track, but there were a lot of sounds by a lot of people. The…
The short answer is: probably if you are “disabled enough”. Supplemental Security Income(SSI) is a needs-based program specifically designed to help people who do not have a work history to apply for SSDI. Generally, these are people who have been affected by their condition since birth or childhood, or who have spent long periods of…
Most people spend much of their lives living within societal structure. By this, I mean that most people went to school as children, had scheduled work hours as an adult, and otherwise had discrete blocks of time set aside for specific activities. One of the social problems with a disabling condition is that those of…
I was fortunate enough to never need to ask that question. When I applied, I was physically unable to work due to symptoms and had lost two jobs in the previous three months. My parents helped me through the wait financially, and I focused on my treatments and healing process. I did not even think…