Journey to a wheelchair - 1. First Trial – by Ferris Knight
I’m new to Invacare, but not new to disability. I first started experiencing chronic pain when I was around ten years old. Little things at first - it hurt to sit on the floor at assemblies and kneeling at church was torturous. It was originally put down to growing pains, but over the years I collected an assortment of diagnoses that explained what I was going through. From Complex Regional Pain Syndrome to fibromyalgia to Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. My friends used to joke that people with chronic illnesses should get a ‘Spoonie’ passport with a new stamp at every new diagnosis.
A Celebration of Invacare’s Community Bloggers – by Geoff Trappett OAM
I have been given the great pleasure of writing Invacare's 60th community blog. That is 60 pieces written by disabled people for disabled people. Pieces where we could be learning from each other, we could be imparting knowledge which is common sense to a disabled person onto the 80% of the population without and ideally a little of both.
The importance of equipment for a person with a disability – by Marlena Katene
As a person with a physical disability and being non-verbal it is essential I have the right equipment to enable me to live in essentially an abled-bodied community. Literally, my day stops if the equipment is not available. The flip side of this however is that with the right equipment the world is my oyster and I can get on with living my life. While I (and many others) advocate for the world to catch up with universal design the reality is the equipment we have can allow us the opportunities we may not have access to without.
Are new year’s resolutions helpful or harmful? – by Eliza Ault-Connell AM
Who has already given up on a new year's resolution? Are resolutions we make helpful or harmful?
Each year many of us dream of the clock striking midnight and a new way of life with goals, dreams and ambitions kicking into overdrive. Are these resolutions helpful or harmful? Feeling like we have failed our new year's resolutions can be disheartening. It can make us feel like we just can't do or achieve something. This isn't actually the case. Often the issue isn't that the goal is too hard or too big but we have just not set ourselves up to succeed.
I finished Uni! – by Alicia Kapa
I finally finished uni!! 4 and a half years later and I have a degree in a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Criminology and minoring in Māori Studies from the University of Auckland! Well, not officially because Covid has something against me and graduating because it’s been postponed 3 times but fingers crossed for March.
Is the carer/support worker relationship important? – by Ian Walker
It took an inordinate amount of thought when I decided to devote this blog to carers and/or support workers and their importance. It is a subject close to my heart, so I want to do it justice. In the end, I have decided to produce it as a personal account of how my carer or support person or whatever title you wish to bestow on them, came about to assist me to live my life as fully as I am able to. They are that important, as simple as that may sound.
New Year Goal Setting for Athletes and Fitness Enthusiasts - by Paralympian, Susan Seipel
The new year has arrived! Time to reflect on the past 12 months and start to plan for the future. January is the start of the domestic competition season for my sport of Paracanoe. So, it is the perfect time to set goals for the coming year and the next Paralympic cycle. Goal setting is an important part of being an athlete and I thought I would share some of my tips.
Working Class Man – by Tyrone Cook
The last time I was employed ended in 2010 after I was unfairly dismissed, this of course added to the PTSD I already had. I lost my confidence and wasn’t sure I could work again, other than advocacy work… until that is, I moved into residential care services and the Regional Manager for our service decided she wanted to employ service users and pay them.
At the time there was no administration at the office and so they created the role of Casual Administrator specifically for me as they knew I had the skills from previous roles and that I was eager to learn new skills.
Music as Therapy - an update - by Jessica Cochran
Sometimes I hear a song on the radio and it hits me like a wave, the wall comes crashing down and I feel the emotion run through me, and this isn't necessarily a bad thing. (Cochran, 2020)
The constant worry of discrimination – by Geoff Trappett OAM
Every disabled person knows outright discrimination. From not being allowed into a space ‘because you are a fire hazard’, not providing communication in applicable formats, to refusing entry to a space due to a guide or assistance animal. These acts of discrimination are abhorrent and must be stopped through every avenue both legal and social we have at our disposal as a society.