I have many
supports in my daily life that allow me to get through my days. The first and foremost support that I
receive daily is from God. I rely
heavily on my belief in God to give me the emotional supports I need. My husband and family are all available to me
whenever I need to talk with someone. In
my work, I rely heavily on my cell phone, I keep all of my consultation
appointments, trainings, meetings, etc. on the calendar. I use my phone to give me directions to the
various locations of my visits, this is an imperative tool for my ability to
perform my job. My phone also allows me
to access my e-mail while traveling on the road. My car is the other tool I count on for
support in doing my job, it allows me to travel throughout the 3 county area I
work in.
My
support from God and my family will always be there so I have no fear of losing
those supports, which is good because without my family life wouldn’t be worth
living. When I think about the work
supports my phone offers me, I can tell you that a little over a year ago, I
still didn’t have a smart phone and could not access the internet. It was so hard to be able to stay in
communication with my regional office and other emails. It caused me to miss time sensitive
emails. I had to carry my laptop, my
gps, and my paper calendar to replace everything the phone that I have now can
do.
If
I had physical disability, such as being wheel chair bound, there would be many
impediments that would be a constant challenge.
Any type of stairs or elevated surface would unmanageable unless there
was a ramp or an elevator. Toilets would
need to be higher and have grab bars as well as enough room to maneuver my
wheel chair around. If I had the use of my hands and arms but not my legs, then
hand-controls installed in the car would be a support. Any vehicle I would
drive would need to be equipped with a wheel chair lift. I would not be able to do the job I am doing
right now because of all the home programs I have to visit and they do not have
ramps or elevators. Doorways in most homes would not be wide enough; the
counter height would be too high for me to reach so adjusting the door width
and counter heights would be a support. It is really scary to think how hard it
would be to go anywhere these days if there were not a law requiring equal
access.
