Happy new year everyone! 😘🤗

Happy new year everyone! You’re all absolutely amazing and I hope that this year brings you wonderful things and beautiful times with your loved ones!

I know many people make new year resolutions. I don’t but I’d love to hear yours. I feel like putting it out there motivates you more. It really helps to have an accountability partner because you’re more likely to quit something when you only have yourself to answer to but the success rates double when you’re trying not to disappoint someone else.

I apologize for not writing for awhile. I experienced a personal tragedy. I’ve been through some tough things and always push through but this really threw me and I haven’t been handling it very well.
I’m going to try to write more regularly.
I’ll update you on some things that have been going on.

I filed a report against my building, with HUD and the human rights department. I’m a patient person and very understanding but they’ve refused to put a wheelchair emergency exit downstairs, where the laundry room and other amenities are, for 11 years. I think I’ve been so patient. Last straw, I kept asking and the manager got mad and said- if there’s ever an update, we’ll let you know. I said – I’ve been figuring out other inconvenient ways to do laundry to avoid going downstairs and I don’t have another option right now so I really need to know if we can come up with something or if I should go elsewhere for help and she said- you do that! -So I did 🤷 Don’t dare me to do anything.

For every disabled person you see brave enough to go out, there’s so many stuck in their houses. It’s so difficult to do many things or get to a lot of places but disabled people are usually so starved of socialization and need to be able to do more or even access the healthcare they desperately need. When you have a disability, it can be terrifying to go anywhere because, unfortunately, this world isn’t very accomodating. This makes physical and mental health decline very fast. Everyone assumes that since there are laws, people follow them but they don’t very often.
I’ve had to turn around and go home because someone didn’t shovel, bushes blocking the sidewalk, no ramp, been through back alleys by dumpsters, through storage rooms, carried up or down stairs, had to do gymnastics to use public bathrooms (sometimes the doors don’t close with the chair in there and I’ve been stuck with my back to the toilet and an inch or two on each side so you can’t turn around) etc….
A lot of places use the garbage ramp for wheelchairs and it’s so disheartening to literally be treated like garbage.
People shirk many laws but to avoid laws that allow people to be more independent and enjoy life is absolutely disgusting and those people should be ashamed of themselves.

On my way to physical therapy, I decided to see the average amount of accessible housing. Over a hundred houses and around 2 had ramps.
I know people think about aesthetics and money but most of the people living in those houses will eventually need those accommodations. Even though most probably won’t need a wheelchair, just old age and arthritis will make those stairs very difficult. So it makes so much sense to make these adjustments when building anything. It also adds so much to the value of your home. Most people don’t add those accommodations until they HAVE to and it’s very unfortunate. Even if you don’t need it yet, odds are that there’s someone in your life that does and it would make it feel safer and more welcoming to them. Plus it really makes people assume that you’re good, caring and loving people.

Most people don’t notice things that they don’t have to worry about but next time you go anywhere, look at all the houses you pass and notice how many are accessible by a disabled person. I can stand and walk up stairs with help but a lot of people can’t even get out of their chair or have such bad arthritis or other health issues that make them unable to bend their legs much.
There are so many issues people might have and not thinking about these things definitely doesn’t make you a bad person! I just happen to think about this stuff because I face certain issues daily and I also see people with so many other issues often and I think about how difficult things must be for them.

You wouldn’t think that anyone in my position often thinks I’m lucky but I always say that to myself. Lucky that I can stand, walk with help, be independent, have strength, be able to use the bathroom and shower alone, go places alone, wheel my own chair, don’t need medication, no aides, clean my house, etc….
I never imagined being so thankful to do my dishes 😂
Many people in my position think- why me? – but I think – why not me? Bad things happen every day & I’d much rather it be me instead of a child or someone who really couldn’t handle it.
That’s one reason I started this blog. So every difficulty I face is not for nothing and I can hopefully educate people better through my experiences.