Month: July 2020

Practical Solutions to get Through the Pandemic

by caste551, posted in Uncategorized

During these difficult times most of us are spending a lot of time at home. Because of the importance of social distancing to help flatten the curve of the spread of the coronavirus, everyday tasks like going to the grocery store or the bank are important, but now carry a level of risk that didn’t exist before.

In one of my older posts, I talk about how assistive technology helps people with disabilities live independently. Devices like smart speakers, automatic locking devices for front doors, smartwatches and smart thermostats are now available. They add a level of ease to everyday life. These modern conveniences are great resources for people with disabilities too. They offer a level of accessibility that has not been available before. Now more than ever, it’s important to share some solutions to help us all get through the pandemic safely and offer people with disabilities useful information on getting their day to day chores done.

Online shopping has existed for quite some time. The upgrade to this is on-demand shopping services. There are many options to consider based on individual needs. They offer same day delivery of grocery items, essentials from drug stores and even Target. I talk about this alternative to conventional shopping in a previous post and even provided a review of one service. Since then, demand for similar services has increased. One positive aspect of utilizing this type of delivery, particularly in the case of Instacart, is that the person assigned to putting your order together will communicate with you if your requested items are out of stock. They do their best to find comparable replacements to fill your order so you can get what you need.

The way we handle our banking needs has also evolved. Mobile banking is now available through most financial institutions. It’s as easy as using your smartphone to download the app. Once you have it installed, you can do things like check your available balance, deposit a check, or even transfer money with just a swipe of your finger. There’s no need to worry about sitting in line at a bank drive-thru or getting in line to complete a transaction with a bank teller anymore.

Along with contactless delivery now being offered by places like Dominos, it’s easy to monitor who is coming to drop things off at your home. Services like Ring and Blink are now available. They make it easy for you to see who is at your door and let you communicate with the person without ever being face to face. Additional conveniences of both products is they each have motion detection and night vision capability. This allows you to monitor activity going on outside your home anytime, day or night. They both have pros and cons so, it’s best to research each one before deciding which one to choose.

Although these solutions are available to anyone, it’s always important for people with disabilities to have different resources at their fingertips. Having information on different options allows people with disabilities the opportunity to plan alternative and safe ways to get things done. Compiling this kind of information helps reduce stress and stay focused on what you need to do while keeping you and your family safe. That is a win-win situation for everyone involved.

“Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution” on Netflix Gives a Glimpse into Disability History

Featured by caste551, posted in Uncategorized

During the recent coronavirus quarantine, I found out Netflix had a documentary called “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution” available to subscribers of the streaming service.

The documentary piqued my interest. I had to find out what it was all about. Upon further investigation, I found out this documentary had won the Audience Award for U.S. Documentary at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.

Camp Jened, a camp in the Catskills for disabled campers during the 1970’s, is where everything begins. We are introduced to Judy Heumann, who not only leads campers, but organizes them to bring the disability movement to life. Ms. Heumann is a well-respected advocate for people with disabilities even today.

The documentary brought me back to a great childhood memory. It was one summer when I was about 4 years old.  A bunch of friends from school and our parents went to a sleep away camp. This was special because we were a group of kids that used wheelchairs. We had never had this kind of experience before. This was before the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and as I think about it now, I am amazed that the organizers of the outing were able to find somewhere that could accommodate people in wheelchairs. We had the best time together, playing video games and just being kids. We had our wheelchairs to help us get around and didn’t even give it a second thought.

The documentary talks about struggles the disability community has endured and how the group of campers who kept in touch after camp, were able to make change in their community. They organized peaceful protests to get their message across to lawmakers. The changes they were able to make not only helped them as individuals, but future generations too. The changes implemented because of their efforts opened many doors for disability inclusion in society. It also talks about the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The most interesting part of that segment was learning about the resistance that resulted after the law passed when implementing the changes that were required.

After watching it, I realized it was a good crash course in disability history. For someone who does not know very much about disability history, it gives various snapshots of what it is like to live with a disability in American society. One of the main messages laced throughout the documentary is that people with disabilities are just like anyone else who live with out a disability. That is something that is important for people to understand, even in today’s social climate.

I have said many times before that there is still work to be done toward disability inclusion. This documentary adds a human aspect to people with disabilities that isn’t seen very often.

“Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution” is a step in the right direction for more exposure of disability issues in the media. It also gives people the opportunity to see that people with disabilities lead full lives and are agents of change who can make a positive impact within their communities.

If you have Netflix, it’s a documentary you should definitely check out. I highly recommend it for anyone who is curious or interested in disability history. You don’t want to miss it.