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Commuting With Disabilities




There are so many ways to commute from one place to another. You have cars, buses, trains, subways, bikes, and even walking. For many people, the period between the age of 15 and 16 is a special time for them because they get their learner's permit, practice driving, test for their driver's license, and gain that extra independence by being able to go hang out with their friends without relying on their parents to drive them. In this blog, I am going to be sharing my driving experience, tips, and other ways that you can commute around town with disabilities.

My Driving Experience


Just like any other teenager, I too was excited to get my learners to permit. I loved that I was learning a new skill and the fact of being able to have more independence; not really to go hang out with friends, but to be able to drive myself anywhere I wanted to go without relying on my parents to drive me. For a few years, I went back and forth on whether I wanted to drive or not. I loved the idea of it, but then my ego would get in the way and would change my mind because of my disabilities. when I finally made the decision that I wanted to drive for the hundredth time, I wasted no time and got on the computer to teach myself how to drive; well through games, but still I self-taught myself. A few weeks later, my mom searched around and found an online Driver's Ed course in which I started right away. It took me through everything I needed to know without having to go into an actual building. It was nice because it allowed me to work at my own pace, have fun, and let me review lessons whenever I needed to refresh on a topic. With all the studying I did I was able to complete the course in two months, scheduled a time to take my test at the DMV, and got my permit. I was so excited about my accomplishment that I started practicing twice a week with my dad. The first few times I started off practicing in a Park and Ride parking lot. I actually did a pretty good job except for the one time that I ran over the poor bush when I turned right too soon. Sorry bush, it was nothing personal. After spending a few more weeks practicing here I got better at driving around this parking lot without running over anything and moved to practicing in our neighborhood where there are more cars driving around, stop signs, multiple turns, and a traffic circle. To my surprise, I picked up on how to do everything that my dad told me to do quickly and it felt more like a fun time than a driving lesson. Then one day, when my dad and I were heading home from the grocery store he turned to me and asked if I wanted to drive? I looked at him and in an excited voice I said "yes" The next thing I know, he turns right into a neighborhood just off Woodmen, pulls up next to the curb, and asks me if I am ready? This was a big surprise to me since I just started driving in our neighborhood. There was a moment of silence as we looked at one another, then in an excited, but kind of shaky voice I said "yes I am" and unbuckled my seatbelt. I slowly get out of the car, watching for passing cars and hopped in front of the stirring wheel. I did all the pre-driving actions that I was taught which included;  putting on my seat belt, adjusting all the mirrors,  adjusting the seat, and making sure all passengers had their seatbelts on. From there, my dad told me to turn left out of the neighborhood then turn right onto the main road. I sat still parked parallel to the side of the curb feeling excited, but a little nervous about driving out onto the actual road with a lot of cars around. I leaned back in my seat and took a deep breath to help calm my mind before I put the car into gear and pulled away from the curb. I flipped on my left turn blinker at the end of the street and as I wait to make my turn, I listened to the sound of the blinker making its noise that sounds like its screaming  "turn left, turn left". It is so pushy, doesn't it know that I have to wait for traffic to be clear before I can go. I then turned left as I was instructed, stopped to make sure it was clear, and made a right-hand turn onto the main road that was overflowed with cars of all sizes. Imagine being out on the open road for the first time with a thousand cars speeding around you, you have to keep your eyes on the road while watching for the other drivers, and on top of that, you are blind in your peripheral vision on both sides and have some blindness in front of both eyes. It was pretty scary at first, but after I got used to the motion of driving it felt more like a driver's test than a practice session. We made right- hand turns, left-hand turns, practiced four-way stops, went through traffic circles, he even tested me on each of the signs we passed to make sure I knew them all.  I think I did pretty well for being a first-time driver and continued following the directions that my dad gave me as I drove down the road. At one point though, as I drove down Lexington we came across a detour that required you to go through another neighborhood in order to get around. I got in the turn lane, turned on my left blinker, and as I sat there waiting for the oncoming traffic to pass while trying to figure out where I needed to go; a guy pulls up behind me and I suddenly hear a loud " HONK" of a car horn coming from the car behind me. Unsure of what to do, I make the left-hand turn in between a large gap of cars into the neighborhood. I  slowed down a little and asked " was that guy honking at me?" My dad looks at me and said " yes, but don't let it get to you. You did everything correctly."  I glanced over at him while still keeping my attention on the road and said "ok" in a shaky voice. A few minutes later, we turned back into our neighborhood indicating that the driving lesson was over. Even though I did a good job of driving, I decided that driving was a little too stressful for my liking because of how many different things are happening at once on the road. With that being said, I never got to the point of getting my drivers license; but hey, at least I tried it, and even though I will not drive with my eyesight I at least learned a new skill, in which I can use if there is ever an emergency.

Tips For Driving With Disabilities


During the time I was learning how to drive I picked up on some tips that will help keep both you and the other driver's same while on the road. Some of these tips include;

  • Do what works best for you
In driving school, at least here in Colorado, they teach you to position your hands on the stirring wheel where you're left hand is at 10 if you were looking at a clock and the right hand is at 2. The thing is though, how do you apply this while you are driving if you only use one hand? For me, instead of following this method, I place my right hand at the 12 positions so I can control the whole stirring wheel.
  •  Your reaction time is slower, so make sure to check your mirrors often
Being a person with disabilities, I recognized the fact that my reaction time was a lot slower than other people. While driving through, I made it a habit to check all my mirrors multiple times, so I can make sure to see all the people around me. In order for me to do this with how bad my eyesight is, I slow down just enough that allows me to both focus on the road and be able to turn slightly to see out my mirrors.

  •  Always take a deep breath before driving to help calm your mind
Driving can be stressful for anyone that is driving for the first time, but in my opinion, I think that driving with disabilities is not impossible, but dependently a lot harder. You have to be more aware and alert than the other drivers, so I recommend taking a deep breath whenever you feel stressed whether it be before you even start driving or while driving.

  • Don't let what other drivers do on the road to get to you
There is a lot of things going on at once when you are driving on the open road. People are changing lanes, making sudden stops, people going at different speeds, and people weaving their way through the lanes to get where they are going a few seconds faster. The important thing to remember though is that we all have free will to do and drive how we want to while on the road. Everyone is their own person and does things in their own way; including you, but does that make how other people do things right or wrong just because it is different from how you do things? No, in life, with any situation whether it be driving or something else, the only person you can control is you not anyone else. If you know that you are doing the right thing, then why even focus your energy on something you can't control like someone's actions. It isn't worth it.

Other Ways To Get From Point A to Point B


Driving isn't for everyone, but how I look at it, is that accomplishing something gets you further in the world, but trying over and over again is what builds character. In some people's eyes, it may seem like I started a task and gave up on it, but in my eyes, I learned a new skill that I can use when I need to, I tried it, and to me, that built more on my character than anything else which is an accomplishment to me. 

Luckily for me, I am in a position that I have my family to drive me, but how do you get around town when you live on your own, you don't drive, and you don't have anyone to drive you? With a little help from google, I found a few different ways that people with disabilities can still get around on their own.

  1. ridesharing apps like Uber or Lyft
  2. Different metro services
  3. Carpool with a friend
  4. Walk or ride a bike
Here are just a few different ways you can cheaply and easily get from point A to Point B. I highly recommend that if you are in any situation that requires you to be there at a certain time whether it be work, school, doctors appointment, or any other activity, that you get the address ahead of time and on a day that you are free to get the address/ time of the place you need to go, use one of these methods of transportation, figure out what route you need to take, and how much time you need to leave in order to get to that place on time.

To Conclude

As you can see, there are many different ways you can commute from one place to another. Driving isn't for everyone and that is ok. With the help of family, friends, and the community you can still get around town with disabilities.

I Want to play, too Community







What's a better way to spend your time than spending it outside in your community. In my opinion, I think living in Colorado is so much fun. At first, many people may think there are not many activities to do here, but when you take a deeper look there are actually many different activities that you can enjoy in Colorado. From a number of hiking trails, water activities, tours, and indoor activities there is something for the whole family to enjoy.  Being out in nature to me is like the blood that runs through my body; it is a natural part of what makes up my personality. In this blog, I am going to be answering the question that has been on everyone's mind. What types of activities can I do in my community with one hand?

The Power Of Asking


There's nothing wrong with asking questions. In fact, most of the adventures I have been on have started by picking up the phone and calling the place you want to visit and say something along the lines of"I have a disabled daughter/ son or I have a disabled person in my family who wants to do the activities that you provide." Then follow that by asking " do you have modifications for a certain activity or in your opinion, do you think that they can do the activity and have fun?  By calling ahead and asking these types of questions will do two things; one it will let you know if that particular place can do modifications for that person or if you need to look at a different place and two it saves the headache of assuming that they do modifications and showing up to find out that they don't, in which you then have to find a different activity to do on the spot. Some places may do modifications and some may not; it all depends on how intense the activity is and whether it will be a good fit for that disabled person.

Activities I Participated In As A Kid

Being a kid with disabilities can be a little tricky sometimes; especially when it comes to finding activities that they can do in the community. In a kid's mind whether they are disabled or not they all want to keep up with the other kids and do the types of activities that everyone else is doing, but it can feel overwhelming, frustrating, and can even make you feel sad when you are a kid with disabilities trying your hardest to do the same activities as the other kids, but can't seem to keep up with the others or you can't see as well as the other kids so it is hard to participate in the activity. The nice thing though, is that the community has many different activities that kids with disabilities will be able to participate in and have fun. When I was a kid, some of the activities I participated in included

  1. Running/walking the Nike 5k for kids
  2. Taking tennis lessons
  3. Playing baseball with my family
  4. Playing mini golf 
  5. Going for bike rides
  6. Picnics
  7. Camping
  8. Hiking
  9. Bowling
  10. Ballet
Mini-golf

Baseball Time










After Ballet Recital

                     After Ballet Recital

Other Activities For Disabled kids

When I did some research online, I was surprised at how many different activities, programs, and sports they have out in the community for kids with disabilities. Just about every activity, sport, or programs that kids without disabilities join can be modified for disabled kids. Let's take a closer look at some of these activities, shall we?

 Programs For Disabled people Who Want To Play Sports

There are so many different types of sports to choose from around the world with each region having different sports or having their own version of how to play a certain sport. One thing that is nice about living in the type of society that we do, is that there is a lot of different sports programs for kids with disabilities that allows them to have fun choosing from a large variety of sports and being able to play those sports with kids just like them. Some of these programs include;
  1. Special Olympics
  2. Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF)
  3. Challenger Athletics
  4. KEEN (Kids Enjoy Exercise Now)- 
  5. Blaze
  6. Sports for Kids Foundation
  7. AAPM&R Directory of Sports Organizations for Athletes with Disabilities 
These are some of the sports programs that allow kids with disabilities to play different sport or there are programs available for certain types of sports.

Non- Sports Activities For Kids With Disabilities

Not really the sporty type of person? No worries, there is still a lot of activities you can do that is relaxing, fun, and easy for kids with disabilities to enjoy. Around town or even on your own you can create or participate in the following activities

  1. Nature walks
  2. Camping trips
  3. Scavenger hunts 
  4. Playing at the park
  5. Coloring with sidewalk chalk
  6. Do different art classes
  7. Splash around in a creek or river
  8. Play with legos 
  9. Play with a kite
  10. Read aloud either at your local library or on your own
With these activities, you can still have fun without going all out if you are not the sporty type or even if you love sports, but looking for a fun and relaxing activity to do with your disabled child.

Activities For Teens With Disabilities

As a teenager, you like to spend most of your time with your friends doing stuff like playing video games, hanging out and just talking, or driving someplace and having fun that way. The thing is though, is that at least here in Colorado they don't have a lot of places for teens to hang out, so what types of activities canteens with disabilities participate in. As a teenager, I still loved the types of things I did as a kid; 
  1. Spending time outdoors
  2. Hiking
  3. Camping
  4. Splashing in a creek or river



As my family explored out some and found different activities, I widen my list of what I like to do to also include;
  1. Riding on the utv
  2. Riding on go-karts 


Activities For Adults With Disabilities

How I look at it is that the first 18-20 years of life is just practice for when we become adults. During that time we are learning life skills, making mistakes, and learning from those mistakes. As we get into adulthood, we then put those life skills into play, start figuring things out for ourself and living life to the fullest. As I talked about in one of my other posts, each of us has two small lives ( work and personal) that make up our whole life. As many of you know, my family is always exploring new and fun activities to try when we have free time. We are a pretty outdoorsy family spending our time hiking, UTVing, Splashing around in rivers, and camping. Last Friday though, we took our outdoorsy nature to the next level when we went white water rafting at Echo Canyon River Expeditions for the very first time. It was so much fun. The people there were super friendly and were handicap friendly.  When we arrived at the river where we were going to spend 6 hours rafting level 1,2,3 rapids, my mom talked to our tour guide and told him about my disabilities and told him that I wouldn't be able to hold the paddle and hold on. She then asked if there was a spot on the raft that I could sit and just hold on. Our guide was super nice and understood  my situation;in which he gave me the option of two different seats in the front of the raft were I could hold onto a blue rope that was tyed to the front of the raft. During the trip, there was a lot of laughter amongst everyone on our raft, tons of getting soaked by cold river water, and a bunch of storytelling when we weren't slashing down the rapids. If you are up for an adventure, I highly recommend trying white water rafting.







Other Activities I Want To Try With My Disabilities

There are so many different activities out in the community for people who love a good adventure. Some other activities that I haven't done yet, but defiantly want to do include;
  1. Ziplining
  2. Going on a hot air balloon ride









These activities I still have to do some research on to see what places can accommodations for people with disabilities, but when I find more information I will let you guys know.

When you think of it, there are actually a lot of different activities that you can do with disabilities. Who knows, your next adventure could be one phone call away.

Making Friends With Disabilities






For many kids, making friends is as easy as walking up and saying hi. They seem to connect with one another without even having to give too much information about themselves, but that is not the same case for kids with disabilities. It takes more time and effort to make friends. Let's dig deeper and see how I made friends at your age.

Gaining Friendships 


The first day of school is always a little scary. Am I Right? For some, it is a totally new place that they have to figure out, for others it is all about getting used to being back at school with a new teacher and new classmates. One thing I noticed at your age is that most if not all kids have one mission on their first day of school. They wander around to see where they fit in and start making friends that they will stick by for the rest of the year. Someone they can go to when they need help, someone to have fun with,  someone they can trust or someone they can go to when they just need a friend.

My Experience

Making friends with disabilities is not something that comes easy for us. Trust me, I know. For many years, I had one friend that I made, but unless we arrived at school at the same time or sat at the same table at lunch we didn't really play with one another while at school. During the times when my best friend wasn't at school or when I couldn't find her on the playground; which was most of the time, I would end up playing on the swings alone. More than once, I had kids that would come up to me and ask if I wanted to play with them. I always said yes, but as soon as they saw how I walk and that I was much slower than them, they would change their minds and run off to play with their other friends. With this happening over and over again, I started to think things like what is the point? Why are the other kids so mean? And No one is going to want to be a friend with someone who has disabilities. After getting excited and let down so many times I gave up on making friends. From that point, I decided to make friends with myself. It seems like a pretty lonely way to live life, don't you think? Actually, it wasn't so bad. Yes, I wanted a friend that I could go to when I needed help, have fun with, and count on that we would find each other on the playground, even if we sat at different tables at lunch and went out to recess a few minutes apart from one another or arrived at school at different times, but to me being alone was better than getting let down constantly.



Ways To Make Friends With Disabilities

  1. Don't try to be someone that you are not 
  2. Recognize your inner gifts
  3. Be open to talking about all parts of your life
  4. Other kids aren't being mean

Don't Try To Be Someone That You Are Not





Many times when kids don't fit in with a group of kids they try to become someone that they are not by changing the way they dress, their hobbies, and how they interact with other kids. Even though I spent a lot of time on the playground alone, I never changed the way I acted or what I liked to do just so I could fit in with the crowd.
 Recognize Your Inner Gifts


There are so many great things about you that make up who you are in this world. These are the gifts that are hidden within you and the only person that can unlock that box of gifts is you. There is this one saying that says " you have to love yourself before you can truly love someone else." I believe this saying also applies to making friends. During the time that I kept to myself; not only did I make good friends with myself but I also unlocked that inner box of gifts in which I learned a lot about myself  including what my talents are, what i like to do for fun, and what I wanted in a friend.

Be Open To Talking About All Parts Of Your Life


In my opinion, being open to talking about all parts of your life; including your disabilities is an important part of making friends. I remember one time when I teamed up with one of my classmates to work on slideshow presentation for different study skills that we were learning in class. At one point as we worked to complete our project; my partner looked over and notice that I was typing with only one hand. She looked up at me and said " if you don't mind me asking, why do you only use one hand to type?" The next thing wI know we started talking about my disabilities as I filled her in with some information about myself and answered any questions she had for me.

Other Kids Aren't Being Mean

Having disabilities is hard, but I think it is a lot harder as a child. For many kids being open to accepting new people into their life is something that comes easy for them. They know exactly what to say in order to make friends with that person. I feel that when a kid sees another kid with disabilities; they are at a loss of words and turn to making fun of the disabled person because they don't understand why that person is the way they are and dont know how to talk to the person with disabilities. They arent being mean, they just need some help understanding you.

To Conclude

Making friends with disabilities can be as simple as following these four steps. You are amazing and have a lot to offer. The perfect friend will come at the right time.

Playing Games With Disabilities





What types of games do you like to play? Video games, board games, or maybe even card games? It's a tough decision to make when trying to choose what type of game to play; especially since there is such a big variety of games to choose from in these different categories. Many people these days have some sort of gaming system in their house, whether it be Xbox, one or all of the many play stations they came out with over the years, Wii, Wii U, or even the most recent invention the Nintendo Switch. With keeping this in mind, what types of games are out there and how can people with disabilities join the fun world of playing games. Keep reading to find out.




Types of Video Games You Can Play  With Disabilities


 Playing video games with one hand can become a little challenging at first; especially if you play a game that has a bunch of action and involves you doing many different things at once in order to keep your character alive.

My Favorite Video Games


I have never really been the one that was really into playing games on the Xbox or play stations. I enjoy the types of games you would find on the Wii, Wii U, and the Nintendo Switch which include

  • Wii sports
  •  Mario Cart
  • Super Mario Brothers
  •   Luigi's Mansion
  •  Donkey Kong Country
  • Animal Crossing New Horizons.

My Strategy

Over the years as I found and played different games I developed a strategy that I can use to play any video game. When I play video games my lap or the side of the couch becomes my controller holder. By having the controller laying on something where you can reach it allows you to stretch your fingers to the different buttons on the remote to move your character without having to try to hold the remote at the same time.




Types Of Board Games You Can Play With Disabilities



Playing board games is one of my favorite activities to do with my family. Not only is there a wide variety of games to choose from, allows you to spend time with your family, but they are actually very easy to play with one hand.

My Favorite Board Game

When playing board games I normally choose one of the following
  • Any of the Sorry games
  • Rummikub
  • Monopoly
 With all these games having a board as the main part of the game and a little piece you move on the board makes playing these games not only extremely fun, but they are also games that I can easily play with one hand.

Tips and Tricks for Playing Card Games With Disabilities

Card Games Are A Lot More Challenging To play Than Board Games

Card games, on the other hand, are not as easy to play with one hand. There are many things you have to consider when choosing to play a card game. Some things you may ask yourself include; how do I hold my cards while taking my turn? Or how do I take my turn without letting other people see my cards? These are questions I have asked myself on a few different occasions while playing card games with my family; until we found some tips and tricks to help me easily play card games.

Tips and Tricks

  • Use part of the game box and lean the cards up against it right in front of you
  • Place your cards face down on the table 
  • Get a cardholder at Walmart. 

My Favorite Card games

Some of my favorite card games that I absolutely have a blast playing with my family include
Uno Attack
Unstable Unicorn
Apples to Apples
Apples to Apples Sour
Bubble Talk

To Conclude

Playing games whether it be video games, board games, or card games can be tons of fun to play with your family and friends. With just a little help of the strategies I provided you within this blog and by creating one on your own; there is no reason why you couldn't join the fun world of gaming.