WheelLife in India

by Amy Saffell

Sarmistha Sinha

I have a pretty sunny outlook on life, but, at times, I still find myself lamenting about certain aspects of having a disability. Accessibility issues, wheelchair malfunctions, healthcare, insurance, transportation issues, attitudinal barriers…there is a lot to deal with sometimes. I do try to put it all into perspective, and one of the things that I think about is how different my life might be if I lived in another country, particularly one where the resources for people with disabilities are scarce and the society’s views of people with disabilities aren’t positive. I’ve always wanted to know what life was like for someone with a disability living abroad, so I jumped at the chance to interview Sarmistha Sinha, a woman living in India with a spinal cord injury. Her struggles and the way that she has persevered have certainly left an impression on me, as I hope it will you.

Accessible Camping with KOA

by Rebecca Sanchez

Summer has at last arrived. My husband and I have been discussing where to take the kids on vacation for the last couple of days. We both know that picking a vacation spot also means spending time doing research to find out about accessibility for any trip we're considering. However, we have learned that it does not matter how much research we do because once we arrive at the destination, it may not be as accessible as was expressed to us by phone. For instance, one hotel described their bathroom as having grip bars, a shower chair, and an accessible shower. When we got there, there were no grip bars, the shower chair was not stable, and the shower was definitely not accessible. But setbacks like these don't stop my family and I from venturing out of our comfort zone to find new vacation destinations and ideas. 

Last Labor Day weekend we’d planned a family trip to San Antonio, Texas. My cousin had suggested that instead of staying at a hotel in which the kids would be cooped up, we stay at the KOA (Kampgrounds of America) campsite. I had never heard of the KOA campsite and was weary about the idea of the bathroom being in a separate building than our cabin. Nonetheless, we gave the idea of camping a try!

Parenting with a Disability: Overcoming Society's Expectations with Love and Confidence

by Christinne Rudd

Being a mom is a challenging role for anyone. Add having a disability to the mix and the adventure has just begun. Getting to know how your limitations are going to affect your ability to parent and finding out what's available to help you get the job done combined are like solving a puzzle. Then once the baby arrives, you have to get adjusted to him or her at each stage of life, all the while finding ways to meet the everyday challenges of parenting.  

Even though these aspects of parenting may sound overwhelming, the role of parent can be lots of fun because it allows you the opportunity to have a hand in our society's future viewpoints. When it comes to the topic of our society's viewpoint in today's world, in my experience, people seem to automatically discount your ability as a parent just because of the physical limitations you exhibit to the rest of the world.