Author: John Sikon

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Posted on in disabilities

Just because you’re broke doesn’t mean you can’t spend money

There’s this perception that if you are on a fixed income, you’re not a senior citizen but live in a senior citizen home you can’t afford anything, this post is to tell you the many ways to spend money while on a fixed income and living in a senior citizen place while you’re not a senior citizen.

Spending your money wisely, remember you’re not rich

Making sure that you don’t buy things every week or every other week is important. Sure, you don’t have to live like an extreme poor person. I know people that are on fixed incomes that don’t live that way at all. Getting credit cards can help however got to make sure that you use the credit cards wisely and make sure to look at your bank account every so often and ask yourself can I afford this? Is it necessary? When it comes to shopping, look for deals and don’t be afraid to buy something used. Some use stuff can be in pretty good condition. However, I don’t really buy you stuff but it doesn’t mean I’m against it. If you want something so bad and you see something used and you want to buy it then buy it. It’s one way to save money and if you want to buy something new, put it on the credit card and pay it off. That’s what I do.

What do you do when you’re hungry?

You also should save money for eating as well because more times than not food stamps aren’t enough, you have to consider that. There’s no such thing as a rich-poor person. Getting credit cards from name brands Grocery stores are away to buy food and pay it off later. Like for instance the Kroger rewards credit card. They have a $500 limit. but know your limit too. Don’t just go spend a bunch of money that you don’t have, make sure to have a budget and don’t go over what you can’t pay off cuz that will come back to bite you. It’s always good. Look at your bank account every so often. I hate looking in my bank account but it’s necessary to make sure that I spend correctly and you should too.

Don’t be picky about where you live, it doesn’t work that way

So you have a disability and you’re not working. You’re on social security, but you’re high functioning and you’re living with your parents or relatives, but you’re tired of living with them. That’s where low income apartments come in. Living in a senior high-rise while you’re not a senior is not a bad thing. The alternative to that is living in a nursing home, which when I was 24, I almost ended up in a nursing home because my mother’s house went to foreclosure. However, I found a senior high-rise and now I’m in my forties and still living on my own. Am I married to a supermodel? Do I have a high-end job? No, but I’m independent. I found a way to live independently and I would be lying if I didn’t say that I didn’t have help with my relatives. No, I had plenty of help with my relatives. However, for the most part I stay independent with caregivers and making sure that I budget my money the best way I can and do what I can because I am a paraplegic and if I can’t take care of myself then people will come in and put me in a nursing home and nobody wants to be in a nursing home because they can be so bipolar and staffing isn’t always the best

Bingo is not mandatory, Nobody can make you play

Living in a senior high-rise means that there will be activities every so often now. Does that mean you have to join them? No, it does not. You’re there because you need a place to live, not because you want to make friends and play games. You can play games in your apartment. Sure, having activities is nice, but when you’re not a senior citizen and you live in a senior citizen apartment You’re bound to see people play cards quite frequently now. The good thing about senior citizen places are the TVs where I stay. There are two TVs in the community room, one big one and one small one and they both have cable which is another perk to have. However, if you don’t want to deal with talking to old ladies all day which is fine then just buy a TV and get Wi-Fi start streaming or get cable. I would suggest streaming because that’s what I do and just live your life not having to hear gossip from old ladies or have them talk to you to death.

Learning your surroundings, making sure you know where you’re at

Living in a low-income area means that you live close to places to buy stuff like a Best buy or a Dollar tree or a Subway. A Chinese food place if that’s your pleasure and even grocery stores, which is all too convenient. The current place that I live in. I literally have a grocery store right next to me. There’s a gate border. My apartment to the grocery store. It’s super convenient and I do believe senior high-rise apartments have a grocery store within just a few blocks of them. I’m lucky enough where I have a grocery store next door and down the road. A. Kroger. I also have a family Dollar next to me as well. Across the street is a Chinese place among other stuff.

Know your rights, don’t get taken advantage of

Don’t let the leasing office take advantage of you. You do have rights and you do have a voice. Unfortunately this world is full of bad people and good people. However, there are people out there that do take advantage of people or they just mess with people for their own pleasure. For whatever reason, don’t let that happen. Know that you have rights. Get a lawyer if you have to. Don’t be afraid to ask nobody that’s young.nobudy want to live in a senior citizen place. However, it’s not the end of the world and just because you do live in a senior citizen place that doesn’t mean people can take advantage of You, know your rights.

Posted on in Amazon, disabilities, shopping

Why Shopping on Amazon can be a game changer for People with disabilities

Having a disability can be expensive and often requires relying on others to function.

Shopping on Amazon has revolutionized the way people shop online. With the vast selection of products available, Amazon is the go-to destination for online shopping.

People with disabilities or medical needs Should consider shopping on Amazon because you literally can buy anything you want which is great for people in need like people with special needs.

When you need it most, don’t have a choice

Consider buying these Amazon products for disabilities and medical needs.

When using a wheelchair, wound care supplies are very important for someone who has issues or a history with wounds. Here are wound gels available on Amazon.

Amerigel Hydrogen wound dressing (1 oz) costs $28.30 for one package or $56.50 for two packs. Another Ointment would be LMNOOP Wound Healing Ointment, for 1.76 ounces (pack of one) is $59.99, and $35.99 for a 1.1-ounce package. Terrasil Wound Care gel costs $24 for one once. Coloplast triad Hydrogen wound dressing is what I use for my wounds. It’s a white gel, and it does stick to your hands; however, it’s a best seller on Amazon for wound care gels, and it works.

Shopping on Amazon to get around

Let’s discuss the importance of mobility devices for people with disabilities. Various mobility devices are available, such as wheelchairs, walkers, and canes. Here are a few examples available on Amazon.

Let’s first review the simplest ones of them all: canes. It can help people who can walk but need just a little assistance. Ispuoocti Smart Alarm Walking Cane: yes, they make smart cans. This cane has a light and an alarm on it. It’s wild to think that there is a can out there with an LED light. The C-quad model is the least expensive one at $79.99. The next can on the list would be the Healthbazaar All Terrain Walking Cane. It comes in colors black, blue, red, and pink. For the black cane, it’s $20.99. Briggs offset foam grip cane is your basic cane; they have several options. The cheapest one is what’s called purple flowers at the price of $13.07.

Let’s talk about scooters; here are just a few you can buy on Amazon. The Vive 4 Wheel Mobility Scooter is a compact basic scooter. It comes in four different colors, and the price for the scooter is $799.99. Here is the Zipr Traveler 4-Wheel Mobility Scooter Upgraded Battery; this is also compact and has a light in front of it. It’s also $799.99. Looking for a scooter with lights in the front and back, the Metro Mobility 4-wheel scooter is the sharpest scooter on Amazon. It’s also one of the most expensive scooters at $849. This Legtom heavy-duty scooter is for people who weigh 350 lb. It’s equipped with storage department rear-view mirrors and a bright LED light. This one cost $2,499.

Amazon offers a variety of products and services to improve the lives of people with disabilities.

Posted on in disabilities

It’s time for wheelchair basketball players to get there due

For years, women have been complaining about not being equal in sports. Take, for example, women’s basketball before the WNBA was formed; players were forced to play overseas. Things have got better. However, most players still have to go abroad, even though they’re getting paid.

Now, let’s talk about wheelchair basketball players. Like WNBA players, Wheelchair basketball players are forced to play overseas because the National wheelchair basketball Association (NWBA for short) doesn’t pay players, mainly because it doesn’t get the national attention it should.

You know how they say life isn’t fair? That surely applies to wheelchair basketball players.

People like to say that women’s basketball has come a long way, and people get excited about the WNBA, but is that true? Do people other than women care about the WNBA? Maybe to little girls, but as a whole, no.

It’s sickening that we all need to pay attention to women’s basketball and pretend like it’s the same as men playing basketball. Still, when it comes to wheelchair basketball, they talk about it condescendingly.

There are many great wheelchair basketball players out there, yet nobody wants to talk about them.

What is it about people? I understand if you are a woman and you have great skill on the basketball court and you want to showcase your talent, but we need to stop pretending that they are equal to men.

Wheelchair basketball players aren’t equal to non-disabled people, that’s true, but you can’t say when you have the best wheelchair basketball players in the world on one court that that’s not entertaining.

Sure, the disabled population is small, but let’s keep in mind that it doesn’t matter if you have a disability or not. We are all people, and we deserve to be treated as equals.

Posted on in disabilities

Anxiety is a disability, how it’s an unfortunate family thing for my family

Anxiety is a serious thing; I don’t think people understand how serious it is. The bad thing about it is that anybody can get bad. Anybody can be affected by it.

Along with having problems with having a congenital disability, I also have to deal with a lifelong family disorder, anxiety. I don’t know how to explain it. Anxiety is like pent-up frustration; you can feel it there but can’t let it out.

This also coincides with mental health. On my mom’s side, everybody has it, from my aunts to my uncles, my grandma, and even my mom.

From my experience, it affects not only the person experiencing it but also the people around them.

It can be mentally crippling.

You can tell yourself and others you’ll do this and that, yet never follow through.

You can hold grudges against people who never did anything to you.

You can also get depressed easily. One day, you will feel good. The next day, you feel completely numb inside and feel very alone.

Anxiety and depression is a disability because it affects everything as far as getting a job keeping a job doing something fun doing something fun consistently starting a project, and finishing the project; it just is not a good feeling, and I don’t even know why it happens it just does, and it sucks.

The one thing I can remember as a child when I did feel down was having to talk to somebody. When I say talk to somebody, I mean going to counseling and talking to a counselor or psychologist. I know that helps me very much so I can think clearly, and My overall mental health is way better than it used to be.

It’s been a long time since I’ve had counseling. I don’t know why I haven’t done any counseling because I seem to do better when I do have counseling; I feel like I should consider it.

I find it very helpful, at least to me, is just take a day to myself. No one around, just taking a day to watch TV, play games on my phone or Xbox, and not think about anything but relaxation and making sure my mind is clear. Believe it or not, if you are heavy set like I am, drinking water helps as well, making sure your body, as well as your body, can be essential to having good mental health.

If you are reading this and you are feeling hopeless, then don’t hesitate to get help in any way you can. Always remember to do what makes you happy. As long as you’re not hurting anybody else, then as the saying goes, do you and forget the rest.

Posted on in disabilities

What is a joystick module, and why do people need it?

Not many people in electric wheelchairs think of their joystick and what they can do.

Not many people know this, but a joystick is not just called a joystick; its actual name is a joystick module, and different types of it do other things.

There’s a simple module where you do basic things like drive, turn on or off, and adjust the speed.

Another one is where if you have lights on your electric wheelchair, in addition to having all the general buttons, you also have ones for headlights, turn signals, and hazard lights.

There are also ones where you can connect to Bluetooth.

Every wheelchair company has an LED screen joystick module; you must ask for it.

All joystick modules have horns, but they’re not like the horns of a vehicle; they’re soft-sounding horns. They also tell you the battery percentage of the wheelchair as well.

The best thing you can do is to ask your wheelchair vendor about what type of joystick module choice you have. You could also google it or even search on YouTube.

Be aware that insurance companies do not cover some joystick modules.

You could think of a joystick module because it controls the functions of the electric wheelchair.

Posted on in disabilities

What I’ve learned living with Spina Bifida

I’ve had to live a long time with Spina Bifida; it’s been quite the journey.

I’ve had to deal with a lot of surgeries, hospital stays, pain trying to figure things out, all of that plus coping with personal issues as well. It hasn’t been easy at all.

I feel like, as a kid, I was going through the motions. I don’t know how to explain it other than going through the motions and, I guess, trying to be a kid with a disability.

One of the things that sucks about having Spina Bifida is the cognitive issues. I can’t get it sometimes, even today, and I’m 41. Back then, I didn’t get it, which delayed my development. It just absolutely sucked to struggle to understand what’s going on.

Another thing to deal with was my bladder issue, meaning that I was leaking at ages when normal kids were non-disabled; kids don’t leak and are typically potty trained. Still, because of my spina bifida, I leaked a lot and didn’t get treatment until after school ended. I could have used treatment while in school but ended up getting treatment after school. I can’t change it now. I lost friends or had difficulty making friends because of my bladder issues. I wasn’t always confident, either.

Luckily, when I was 36, I finally found a treatment that helps with leaking. Botox is a life-changer.

I also had digestive issues growing up and had to learn how to eat as a person with a disability. Unfortunately, when you have a disability, at least from my perspective, you can’t eat like an average person because it messes up your digestive system. You have accidents, and accidents are very embarrassing. I would rather have a bladder accident than a bowel accident because if you drink plenty of water, then your urine won’t smell, but if you have a bow accident, well, you know what can happen when poop is involved.

Growing up, I had only one sibling, my sister Crystal. It was not easy. She did not make it easy on me. I’m not saying I’m perfect or that I treated her perfectly at all. Still, it was hard because she was not born with a physical disability, so it was hard for her whenever my mom would visit me in the hospital and take me to doctor’s appointments all the time. I felt like she felt she wasn’t getting enough attention, so like siblings do, they take it out on you, so that was tough. We are both middle-aged now, and she has a 4-year-old girl which I rarely see. She doesn’t like to come to my apartment because she thinks I’m dirty, which is frustrating for me. After all, I love my niece. I want to see her before she grows up and does her own thing, but that’s life. I’ve learned that just because somebody is related to you doesn’t mean they will treat you as you should. Unfortunately, other people related to me make me feel like total shit, which hurts very much. Still, I don’t think about it, and I do my own thing. I don’t think about it because it hurts too much to think about it, so I surround myself with electronics and do what makes me happy.

When it comes to my other relatives, I don’t think they mean to treat me like shit, at least I like to think so, but I also believe they don’t know how to talk to somebody with a disability. I guess because I’m related to them, they feel guilty.

So, as I said in my previous blog post, I grew up without a dad, which affected my relationship with my father today. He lives in a different state and has a family of his own. I also have a half-brother and a half-sister from his side, but I rarely see them; I only see them every few years or so. They have kids. My sister has daughters that I’ve never met before.

So yeah, I’ve been through a lot in life, but at the same time, I think that’s made me the person I am. I think it’s made me see things clearly and not see things the way I want to see them, but for what they are, I’m a Loner, but that’s okay. I think it’s okay to be a loner because to be a loner, you do not see things all the time, but sometimes being a loner is a good thing because you don’t have feelings attached to anyone, and you can think clearly.

Purpose of John Sikon Writes

The purpose of John Sikon’s writings is to highlight people with disabilities. People should know that they don’t need to be afraid of people with disabilities regardless of their disability. People need to understand that even though a person has a disability, they are still people, no matter what they may think about people with disabilities!

Adaptive Sports are another purpose for this blog. People should be aware of adaptive Sports; there’s much to choose from. It’s not just good for kids to know about it but for parents as well.

Keeping fresh ideas when it comes to disabilities, we need better ideas so people with disabilities can have better lives.

We are talking about people who help people with disabilities, from EMTs to physical and occupational therapists to doctors and nurses, public transportation workers, and caregivers. They all deserve to be noticed as well. A person with a job to help the disabled community has a challenging job. It’s far from easy.

Some people have health issues from taking of people with special needs. They need a voice to speak for them because no one will.

Finally, if you find this blog helpful and valuable, share it on social media; the more people view my posts, the better I can write content.

Posted on in disabilities

A guide for Future parents of a disabled child

I don’t know everything; I don’t have kids, I do not have a wife or a girlfriend. However, I am a man with a disability who is a single mom raised without a father.

My family consisted of my mom, sister, my grandparents, my two aunts, and my two uncles.

However, I am a blogger, and as a blogger, and as a blogger with a disability, I do think about how the United States and people could be better towards people with disabilities.

This post goes out to families who are expecting or have a baby with somebody who has a disability.

Don’t get me wrong, nobody is perfect, and I don’t have all the answers to everything; however, as a person with a disability who grew up with a single mom without a father, I feel like my life could have been better if my biological father and my mom did things differently.

Let me share with you all what my mom and parents, in general, could do to make kids with disabilities lives better.

If you find out that a kid has a disability and you’re not sure you can handle taking care of a kid with a disability, consider adoption. I mean, we know you might find a person or a couple out there who can’t have children that want somebody to love and care for.

Regardless of what kind of disability a kid is born with, they still have a chance to have a fulfilling and productive life.

Reading is essential in life. Read books with your kids and use a dictionary so they can sound words out. Dictionaries are a game changer.

Get them involved in adaptive Sports. There are several adaptive Sports out there that are great for meeting people and keeping in shape.

It can be tricky looking for adaptive Sports, so look up adaptive Sports in your area.

When it comes to siblings, if you have a non-disabled kid with your disabled kid, make sure that the non-disabled kid understands what’s going on with your disabled kid so they have a chance to have the best sibling relationship they can have.

The last piece of advice I can give to families is to treat your kids almost as if they were non-disabled. Treating them like any other kid will help them in the future.

Now, I want to talk to all the single mothers out there. If you’re going to date, then find someone who not only accepts you but accepts that you have a disabled child and has a natural bond with them. Don’t just date anybody because that person could be the worst in that kid’s life, and people with disabilities already have obstacles.

Okay, one last paragraph. This time, I want to talk to all the men out there. If you knock up a woman, act like a man and stay with that woman regardless if that woman is going to have a kid with a disability or has given birth. If you find out that your son or daughter has a disability, remember that it’s not about you. It’s about ensuring they have the best life possible, so man up. Not having a father figure in a kid’s life can hurt a kid emotionally.

I feel like I had to say something to all the men out there. Not having a positive male in my life affected me as a child.

I’m not saying I know everything; I think about things, maybe too much.

Posted on in disabilities

What lesson I’ve learn from Zion Clark

Man, disabilities are weird. For some disabilities, you’re born without an arm or a leg or sometimes with no legs, like Zion Clark, Zion Clark was born with a rare disability called Caudal regression syndrome, Caudal regression syndrome is a disorder that impacts the development of the lower (caudal) part of the spine. The condition can affect many parts of the lower body, including the lower back and limbs, the genitourinary tract, and the gastrointestinal tract.

He was in foster care from birth to the time he was 16 years old.

Clark says he was abused in foster care until he found a woman who gave him the kind of love we all want and deserve.

Zion is very active; when I researched this brother, I couldn’t believe the stuff he’s done, and he’s not even in his 30s. Here is a list of what Zion Clark does and has accomplished.

He’s wrestled, wheelchair track and field, did MMA, and won his first fight. He even knows how to play drums.

When you see a person like Zion, you can’t help but appreciate and think, is anything possible?

When thinking of Zion, I can’t help but think of why people can’t accept people with disabilities.

Why don’t people care for people with disabilities? Why is it so hard for people to honestly care for one another regardless of disability?

I feel like parents, in general, don’t know what to do with a disabled child.

My mom did the best she could but was not prepared for the kind of obstacles and setbacks I would have in life.

When it comes to Zion Clark, I would like to think that with a little bit of love and caring in a child’s life, anything is possible.

Posted on in disabilities

People with Down syndrome are misunderstood in a world that should care

Growing up, I was always around people with different types of disabilities. That made life difficult because I have always had a physical disability, but I was high-functioning.

Just because I was around people with lowered functioning disabilities doesn’t mean I was better than anyone.

Regarding lower-functioning people with disabilities, I want to talk about Down syndrome. A disability that not only affects chromosomes but is also visibly detected in the face.

Over 400,000 people in the United States alone have Down syndrome.

Down syndrome occurs when an individual has a full or partial extra copy of chromosome 21.

Down syndrome occurs when an individual has a full or partial extra copy of chromosome 21.

For centuries, people with Down syndrome have been alluded to in art, literature, and science. It wasn’t until the late nineteenth century, however, that John Langdon Down, an English physician, published an accurate description of a person with Down syndrome. It was this scholarly work, published in 1866, that earned Down the recognition as the “father” of the syndrome. Although other people had previously recognized the characteristics of the syndrome, it was Down who described the condition as a distinct and separate entity.

In recent history, advances in medicine and science have enabled researchers to investigate the characteristics of people with Down syndrome. In 1959, the French physician Jérôme Lejeune identified Down syndrome as a chromosomal condition. Instead of the usual 46 chromosomes present in each cell, Lejeune observed 47 in the cells of individuals with Down syndrome. It was later determined that an extra partial or whole copy of chromosome 21 results in the characteristics associated with Down syndrome. In 2000, an international team of scientists successfully identified and cataloged each of the approximately 329 genes on chromosome 21. This accomplishment opened the door to significant advances in Down syndrome research.

As always, when it comes to conjugal disabilities, they are not all the same.

People who have lower-functioning disabilities like Down syndrome are and have always been an essential part of Society. By the way, people with Down syndrome aren’t always low-functioning members of society.

Here are some people who did and who have made significant contributions to society who have Down syndrome.

Actor Christopher Joseph Burke was in a popular ground-breaking TV show in the late ’80s and early ’90s, playing Charles Chorky Thatcher on Life Goes On. He lives in New York with his parents but has a weekend home in Long Island. He works for the National Down Syndrome Society, advocating for people with disabilities, and occasionally Acts.

Puerto Rican native Sophia jirau, who’s in her 20s, became the first woman with Down Syndrome to appear in an issue of Victoria’s Secret advertisements, and it was launched on Valentine’s Day.

Grace Strobel is the first model with Down Syndrome to be signed by a skincare line. She is also marked with three different modeling agencies. She is nothing short of remarkable.

All of these people should be celebrated for their accomplishments and for leading the way for people with disabilites.

Posted on in disabilities

Hey, disabled men, just because she’s disabled too doesn’t mean she has to like you

Dating can be a pain in the ass; finding somebody that you connect with is very hard. To some, it comes easy; to others, well, some people search for what could feel like a lifetime.

Some people expect too much, some don’t look hard, or enough.

Let’s face it: dating can be a game; when it comes to dating, some like to play games.

To some, dating while you have a disability is challenging.

To all my disabled men out there, I’m here to tell you if you want a date, you have to be excellent, and well, the truth is that just because a woman has a disability just like you doesn’t automatically mean she needs to date you.

Don’t you get me wrong, Everybody has had unrealistic expectations at a time or two. But men can take the cake when liking somebody similar to us.

I’m speaking from experience.

I will say if you do find who does have a disability similar to yours and you have the same feelings, then don’t let it slip by you. You could miss out on something special.

Believe it or not, women of all types of disabilities can think for themselves, especially in today’s social media world.

I’m no relationship expert, nor am I in one. However, don’t think just because a woman has a disability, she’s so desperate that she wants or needs your love or attention.

So disabled men listen just because you have something in common with women. Say hi if she acts like she doesn’t care or not giving you that vibe, let it go.

Posted on in disabilities

Life is hard for people with disabilities, so the disabled community put on your big boy pants and just deal with it

I used to know a kid named Sam Zink. Sam was a kid I did track and field with, did karate with, and I even went to school with as well.

Sam was born without a disability until one day his parents found out he had a brain tumor, well the doctors were able to cure him but he was never the same.

You see Sam did what people with disabilities should never do. Feel sorry for themselves.

Sam would always act weird around non-disabled people, he would act in a way that at least I think that people would feel sorry for him.

Nobody in this world unless they are dying of cancer or are in a wheelchair stuck on a breathing tube unable to use their arms and legs should feel sorry for themselves.

Let’s face it: people with disabilities like myself have and will endure a lot. It sucks, but going around being miserable isn’t going to change a damn thing, not today, not tomorrow, or any other day. It’s just not going to happen.

The way I look at it, if you do what makes you happy, like watching TV shows or playing games, if you enjoy it and are not hurting anybody, then do it.

Some people lie to themselves because they think they’re making themselves feel better, but in reality, they’re just putting a Band-Aid on something that will haunt them later because they didn’t deal with it then.

Accepting something negative is very healthy and needed for mental health and to live a better life abiding by the shit that happens. Believe it or not, we’ll make you a better person.

Pretending like everything is okay when it’s not, it’s not good at all. However, being miserable all the time is not a good thing at all, either. That’s why doing something you like rather than reading a book, working out, or watching TV shows, whatever it may be, is necessary and very important for dealing with adversity.

If you don’t have anybody to talk to, call your insurance to find out what counselors you can go to that take your insurance to speak to somebody about what’s going on in your life, all the bad things that are going on in your life, it’s worth it better than just pretending like things are always good nothing terrible ever happens.

If you have a hard time finding somebody to be friends with or to have a significant other, being alone is not such a bad thing if it will help with coping.

One of the unfortunate things about life that I found out is that if people aren’t related to you, they’re not always going to be there to help you. They’ll tell you that they’ll help you, they’ll say this and that, but unfortunately, more times than not, they will not be there at all. That’s why it’s always good to do things on your own and figure things out on your own. And depend on people who get paid to help people; you’ll be better off. The unfortunate thing about life is that sometimes, even people you are related to will never be there. We’ll say they’ll do this and do that but never show up or hardly, not necessarily because they don’t care but because they have their own lives to worry about or business they have to take care of.

Bottom line, don’t feel sorry for yourself. Stop making excuses. Please don’t depend on people unless they get paid for you to rely on them and help yourself.

Posted on in disabilities

I spend way too much of my Social Security check: how to do the same opposite of what I do

When I first turned 18 I became eligible for social security, my mother who’s a social worker helped me apply. The first few years of having those checks were golden. I didn’t have to worry too much about bills, although after a while my mom told me to contribute so I paid the cable bill. I was the only one who watched the most TV in the house anyway.

So fast forward to when I started living on my own, and boy did I have to learn how to learn the hard way.

When I first got my apartment I had to get a checking account. This was before cell phones were smart and you could do anything on them.

In my first year of living on my own, I had to learn a very important lesson, as I was late on my rent twice and bounced my checking account as well. I couldn’t blame anybody by myself. I was spending more than I thought I had. I didn’t use my checkbook the way I should have.

I started living on my own when I was 24 and now I am 41, that makes almost 17 years.

Things have changed in 17 years. Streaming is now a thing which, depending on what you like to watch on TV can be very cost effective.

Let me tell you about my impulse to spend money.

So I’m 41 years old, don’t have a significant other, nor do I have any kids. So I have some leeway when it comes to money.

Don’t get me wrong I’m not rich but I do have this impulse to spend money or to buy something just because.

I have to admit that I bought stuff that I never use I’m not proud to say that but I have indeed bought stuff that I have never used or seldom use just because I have the money again I’m not rich but if I have the money to buy something and I see it then I’ll buy it.

That doesn’t mean that I’ll spend hundreds of dollars buying something usually ends up 50 to $60 or on payment plans for like $60 a month or something like that.

One thing I need to do and haven’t done is to have a budget to wear I know what I can buy and can’t buy each month that’s my problem though is that I haven’t done it yet and I’m 41 years old and I don’t have a job on Social Security the one thing I did do smartly was put a no overdraft on my bank account so I can’t overdraft my account after a certain amount is taken out.

Here’s some advice for people with disabilities who are just moving on their own and they’re on Social Security and moving into a low-income apartment.

If you aren’t on Social Security apply for Social Security as soon as you can before you even apply for low-income housing you must have something financially to fall back on.

After you apply for Social Security you’ve been approved and you receive your first check go to the bank and open the checking account after you open that checking account ask what you need to do to put a no overdraft restriction on your account so you don’t overdraft and owe hundreds of dollars on your account.

The second thing you should do if you don’t have money for a deposit is to see if you have family members who could help you out with a deposit for the apartment you applied for.

Once you’ve moved into your apartment and you’re settled and you’re getting ready to make your first rent check and getting ready to pay other bills that you may have make sure to pay those bills before you do anything else because that will dictate what you can buy and how you can spend your money the rest of the month.

If you have a smartphone make sure to get your bank’s app and download it so you can check and see how much money is in your account periodically it’s important to keep checking it periodically so you don’t overspend on things and that you have at least some money towards the end of the month.

So just to be clear I’m not trying to be a note at all and I’m certainly not an expert at saving money or even spending money wisely however throughout the years I’ve learned how to manage my money better I make mistakes I’m human but I’m just trying to help people live their best life while being on a low income budget it’s not easy it’s never easy but it is doable.

Posted on in disabilities

Why America’s Got Talent Has a Positive Impact on the disabled community like No Other

America’s Got Talent has had a positive influence on people’s lives. People from all over the world, very talented people from all over the world have come to the show to show off what makes them special.

You can make the argument that America’s Got Talent is the only platform where everybody is equal.

Yeah, people do judge you but not in the way that Society does with everybody. Looking at it from an outsider’s perspective, watching at home on my TV contestants may be competing against one another but they all support one another.

The one thing that I love as a person with a disability is seeing people with disabilities represented like no other show sitcom, talk show, or what have you.

This past season of America Got Talent was well-represented by people with disabilities.

Every year there has been at least one person with a disability representing the disability community.

However, 2023 was different meaning the amount of talent that came from the disability community was outstanding.

There have been five comedians four singers and one guy born without legs who has done amateur wrestling, he has also done wheelchair racing for track and field, learned how to play drums, and has done MMA. He won his first fight.

Codi Lee won America Got Talent in 2019, the 14th season of America Got Talent. Now he’s got his show in Vegas and won $10000. What makes Codi so cool is that he’s blind and autistic yet still sings and plays the piano.

In the season that just ended Putri Ariani who is also blind and blue judges away when she plays piano ultimately winning the golden buzzer.

Simply put America Got Talent is one of the leaders for helping people with disabilities reach their dreams regardless if they win or not.

The rest of the world could learn what America’s Got Talent has done for the disabled community.

Posted on in disabilities

What words to use when talking to someone with a disability

There’s somewhat of a debate about how words should be used when referring to people who have disabilities.

The word handy caped is an appropriate word to use when talking about people with disabilities. Some might say that being physically challenged is a more appropriate word. What about the word crippled, most people would say that’s offensive to use. The word retarded is very offensive to the disabled community but it also could be how you are using the word retard.

What gets lost in all of this is how you say it in the manner you say it.

Yes if you call somebody a retard or cripple then yes that is offensive and it’s not right to talk about somebody with a disability like that.

If you tell somebody to walk and they’re a paraplegic. Didn’t, that’s not good. That’s also very mean as well to sell. Somebody can’t walk to walk somewhere.

The problem with this debate is that people are either too sensitive or too harsh when talking to somebody with a disability.

Yes, words do matter but also how you say it matters as well it is never appropriate to ever call somebody a retard a cripple, or a nothing just because they have a disability.

A very important factor to keep in mind when talking to somebody with a disability is that not all disabilities are the same almost every disability is different and every person with a disability is different as well it all depends on their IQ and the degree of their disability.

One thing to keep in mind when talking to somebody with a disability is that you can easily make them feel like crap I know from experience that’s why I hated High School and well School in general because kids did a very good job making me feel like crap.

Part of the problem why kids are so mean to people with disabilities is that they’re not educated enough and to some degree the parents aren’t educated enough on how to talk to somebody with a disability and to talk to them and not make them feel less than.

Believe it or not, it can be a problem with family members as well especially when it comes to aunts and uncles they don’t know how to talk to their niece or nephew who is disabled they don’t know a positive way to get through to them it a way that’s productive for the aunt or uncle, even for the disabled child. The reason for this issue is that they’re not emotionally involved as a father or mother would be who has a child with a disability.

To be fair there are kids out there that do make an effort to talk to a kid who has a disability but they just don’t know the right words to say or how to say it is it a problem yes it is but that also falls on the parent to a certain degree.

Adults like kids should be educated on disabilities and what they are and why not every disability is the same which is what I said before in other blog posts is a problem with Society a problem with the government not a lot of people pay attention to two people with disabilities or the issues surrounding people with disabilities which is another problem.

The problem with disabilities is that they don’t make stores out there where you can go out and buy a book about different disabilities and what they are and where they came from luckily the internet exists where you can look up stuff and educate yourself that’s one of the good things about the internet is that you can look up stuff like that positive stuff to educate yourself and loved ones about disabilities.

When talking to somebody with a disability ask yourself how would you like to be talked to would you like to be referred to as a retard or stupid dumb. When you think about it it’s not that difficult.

Posted on in disabilities

How do you make love work when your significant other is your caregiver

Love is hard, love is complicated. At least that’s what I’ve heard. I’ve also heard it takes a lot of work.

What do you do when the person you love, the person you are intimate with is your caregiver?

Believe it or not, some able-bodied people have relationships with people who have disabilities and their caregivers as well.

Love or to be in love isn’t easily defined it all depends on the person or persons. It depends on what kind of relationship you want to have, and what you think love is. Also, you can meet that one person who can change another’s mind. It could happen and has happened.

When you are the caregiver and significant other you’re like a nurse or nurse aide but you are also a lover at the same time. It’s not for everybody.

Some able-bodied people turn to religion to get them through. However, some people accept other people for who they are they’re hard to find and there are not a lot of people out there who accept other people for who they are and regard people with disabilities or disabled people.

When you are a caregiver and a significant partner of somebody and you live together you’re together all the time because that’s what it takes when you take care of somebody who needs to get taken care of and who can’t do things on their own.

The drawback to having a significant other who has a disability is that when you get married in some states you don’t have benefits anymore or they get significantly altered.

When it comes to Cole and Charisma Syndor has a YouTube channel called Roll with Charisma and Cole. Cole was disabled in a car accident, his wife was an aide were he rehabbed which is how they met. they had to move to a different state for Cole to have benefits.

Shane and Hannah Burcaw are a little different than Cole or Charisma. Shane has muscular dystrophy atrophy. Shane is very independent he has written books and has also written for a newspaper as well. They have done videos about their lives and Shane’s disability. They are currently doing a podcast.

When it comes to love and disabilities you just have to find the right kind of people to come together and make it work.

Posted on in disabilities

What every adaptive athlete should do while developing

When I was younger, as a kid with a disability I played adaptive sports.

I first played baseball as a young kid. Well, after that, I did track and field, and I played wheelchair basketball.

One of the things I wish I did was keep myself in better shape.

When I was a teenager I made three mistakes as a adaptive athlete.

My first mistake was that I ate what I wanted, and I ate multiple times a day. Not good when you have spina bifida and you’re trying to play sports and stay in shape at the same time. I never sweat but still, I was not in shape to play sports to begin with.

Another mistake I made was not drinking water as I found out in my thirties leading into my 40s helps tremendously with everything it helps with skin care bladder care it helps with the digestive system as well and taking the extra weight off of you if you do have extra weight but I was too young and stupid to understand that but I think I paid for it too. I didn’t understand the importance of drinking water at that age but now that I’m 41 I realize that now. The problem was that I drank too much Pepsi, and to be completely honest the majority of the time I never drank water.

I also wish I catheterized myself better than I did. My entire life I’ve had bladder issues which affected everything in my life.

Being overnight and having a weak bladder is not a good combination, plus not drinking water. It just leads to a lot of problems.

Another issue was that I didn’t practice with the team as much as I should of.

I believe every adaptive athlete should practice whatever sport they’re in drink water and try to eat right whether it be just eating less or eating healthy foods.

If I could tell anybody anything to do the opposite of what I did when I did Sports as a kid I feel like I would have been better off.

Posted on in disabilities

Why people with disabilities should use a physical therapist as a trainer

Some people do think working out is a must-have, a lot of people sometimes can go a little crazy if they don’t work out.

The one thing I’ve noticed about working and being in a gym is that there are a lot of different types of characters that go to the gym.

Depending on the person people with disabilities might want to work out but don’t have the money for a gym membership. Here’s a way to work out and kind of get a trainer. Let me explain.

As a person with a disability, you are entitled to get physical therapy at home, all you need is a script from your doctor and the doctor’s office handles the rest.

The good thing about working with a physical therapist as opposed to a trainer is that a trainer most likely has never worked with people with disabilities.

However, if you do want to work out in a gym you can look for a gym that’s for people with disabilities, the trouble with that is that not a lot of them exist, and the ones that do exist you have to search for a theme which is not that easy.

Now, like everything, there’s a good and a bad to having a physical therapist as a trainer.

You can only have a physical therapist every few months. You can always pay for a gym membership but that could and most likely get expensive.

When thinking about working and you want a trainer ask yourself do you want a trainer? Can I do the exercises on my own? Is it worth paying for a gym membership? What goals do I have for working out? Is any of it worth it? Ask yourself these questions and if any of them is yes then go for it.

Posted on in disabilities

Why being a social worker is one of the worst jobs in the world, why they are important to people with disabilities

Almost my whole life I’ve known that being a social worker can be very difficult because my mom is one herself.

I hear it all the time from my mother about how hard it is to find the simplest thing for somebody can be so difficult. Rather it be her bosses or the company she works for.

Part of the problem is that the programs that are being funded to help people are helping the wrong type of people.

If you’re a drug addict and or an alcoholic there are many resources out there to help. So why do alcoholics keep fucking up? Kind of makes you wonder don’t you think?

I will say if you are a lower-functioning person with a disability then you have almost all the resources that a person can ask for.

I’m not saying don’t ever become a social worker because there is a real need for them. People do need them. It’s just stressful dealing with a limited amount of resources out of the plus dealing with the company that you’re working for.

If you are a medical social worker, then for sure you’re stressed out because of how bad the medical field is in the United States medical system.

Part of the issue is that nurses and social workers have so many patients to see, never mind in one day but in a week. It can be very overwhelming.

The money isn’t bad however there’s a lot of responsibility that comes with that money.

Being a non-medical social worker is difficult as well.

Some social workers leave their jobs to go to another job and they don’t even know what the job entails.

This is where the people congressman and House of Representatives rather it means federal or local government who have some sort of medical degree step in and make changes for more resources out there.

You would think that in the good ole US there that there would be more resources out there that people would care enough to create a better way. Nope. For whatever reason it’s still very tough to get things done for people.

My mother is 62 years old and has done the job for over 30 years, she keeps talking about retirement.

I can’t help but think that if there were better ways to help people and to not give social workers so many patients that means the social workers would want to stay in the field longer.

Posted on in disabilities

Stupid people stay away from people with disabilities, please

Sometimes I wonder why people ask questions, particularly stupid questions. It’s mind-boggling how ignorant and stupid people can get especially when they’re curious, because man people can say the stupidest things.

People can say stupid stuff to their kind. It’s the one stupid thing about humans in general. Let’s face it we all have something to say at times, that can be a good thing and a bad thing.

One of The old sayings is it’s not what you say but how you say it. It also depends on the question you ask as well.

Here are some ways not to look like an idiot in front of somebody who has a disability.

Don’t assume somebody has a guardian, yes Embarrassing things can happen to somebody who has a disability. Anybody on any given day can get embarrassed. Another thing is just because somebody is different from you doesn’t mean they need a guardian.

One of the things that really piss me off is when you go to an event and the event staff want let you sit in a certain place because your in a wheelchair and they think you’re unsafe. It’s a good thing people can record crap like that on there phones. Nobody likes to look stupid in front of the world.

Do people with disabilities a favor don’t talk down to them like they’re a child. Nobody deserves that kind of treatment at all. Not to mention it makes the person talking like that incredibly stupid.

At the end of the day we all can do better.