Results: When disability becomes worse
Today I went to visit a friend. He used to work for an Israeli special military unit. Very strong man. 56 years old. A couple of years ago his back required a surgery. It didn't work very well. He spent three months in a therapy unit, unconscious. When he woke up he had another surgery. It went worse. Another five months in therapy. Finally, he managed to leave the hospital. Despite losing his health, his wife left him two days after coming home, took his daughter, and every penny he had. He was left on the first floor, unable to go down the stairs to get any food. I don't know how he managed to survive. He has a pretty bad disability now, but he can still walk with difficulties. He told me something that made me think: he talks to a lot of disabled people from all over the world. Almost none of them gets ready for their disability getting worse. He mentioned this because he bought a car he will be able to drive even if he can't walk in the future. He told me that most disabled people don't want to accept that they will require a lot of previous training to handle a worse situation. For example, he told me that someone who is legally blind but can still see something, should start training to walk with a stick and learning other skills in case the visual disability gets worse. I know there are a few of us with disabilities here, and people who have disabled family members too. Let's see what you think about this topic.
1.
1.
Are you or anyone close to you disabled?
Yes
38%
•
759 votes
No
62%
•
1214 votes
2.
2.
Are you, or the disabled person close to you, getting trained to deal with this disability in case it gets worse?
Yes
12%
•
232 votes
No
28%
•
553 votes
Undecided
8%
•
155 votes
Not Applicable
52%
•
1033 votes
3.
3.
How are you, or your loved one, getting ready to handle the limitations this disability might provoke in the future?
Saving more money
23%
•
445 votes
Adapting their home to the new condition that might appear
14%
•
269 votes
Getting a vehicle that can be suitable for a handicapped person
6%
•
113 votes
Taking special classes to know how to better deal with the inconveniences that might show up
7%
•
129 votes
Getting a guide dog or a service dog
5%
•
106 votes
Moving to a place where being disabled is not such a hassle (for example, moving from the mountains to a city)
9%
•
175 votes
Getting a walking stick for blind people
4%
•
75 votes
Learning how to read braille
4%
•
80 votes
Getting to know how to use special software to use a computer
4%
•
76 votes
Going back to college to study a new career that will not be limited by your disability
5%
•
96 votes
Educating your loved ones on how to help you or another family member to get a better life quality while the disability gets worse
26%
•
504 votes
Other (please specify)
29%
•
574 votes
| Other Answers | Percentage | Votes |
| na | 6.85% | 181 |
| n/a | 6.13% | 162 |
| 3.67% | 97 | |
| none | 0.79% | 21 |
| not applicable | 0.76% | 20 |
| Nothing | 0.76% | 20 |
| not disabled | 0.15% | 4 |
| none of the above | 0.11% | 3 |
| Does not apply | 0.08% | 2 |
| dont know | 0.08% | 2 |
| none of above | 0.08% | 2 |
| using cane and walker | 0.04% | 1 |
| kdti | 0.04% | 1 |
| learning new therapies | 0.04% | 1 |
| there are other disabilities that should be considered here. I for example am disabled and I have end stage kidney failure and have a had a stroke. | 0.04% | 1 |
| already said I didn't know anybody. | 0.04% | 1 |
| Not much money, I have bought crutches, going to buy a walker... at Goodwill. | 0.04% | 1 |
| can't afford to do anything | 0.04% | 1 |
| not available | 0.04% | 1 |
| have not thought about this | 0.04% | 1 |
| Downsizing | 0.04% | 1 |
| nothingnow | 0.04% | 1 |
| not making any plans | 0.04% | 1 |
| don't know | 0.04% | 1 |
| walking without a cane | 0.04% | 1 |
| no one disabled in family | 0.04% | 1 |
| not getting ready | 0.04% | 1 |
| NA being born deaf is not really a "handicap" | 0.04% | 1 |
| zzzzzzzz | 0.04% | 1 |
| nil | 0.04% | 1 |
| I learned to walk again on my own. | 0.04% | 1 |
| none you get what you expect so I expect health and fitness | 0.04% | 1 |
| n/a, which should have been one of the choices | 0.04% | 1 |
| umm...n/a | 0.04% | 1 |
| none she just deals with it her landlord made her get rid of her dog | 0.04% | 1 |
| Just dealing with it | 0.04% | 1 |
| She has been disabled and wheelchair bound since the age of 15 | 0.04% | 1 |
| not your business | 0.04% | 1 |
| She is in denial and doing nothing | 0.04% | 1 |
| don't have anyone | 0.04% | 1 |
| not that kind of disability | 0.04% | 1 |
| Not doing anything | 0.04% | 1 |
| Not disabled, but anticipating difficulties of old age | 0.04% | 1 |
| Its a friend, not family | 0.04% | 1 |
| unsure | 0.04% | 1 |
| ............ | 0.04% | 1 |
| none/ NA | 0.04% | 1 |
| not sure | 0.04% | 1 |
| No one close to me is disabled. | 0.04% | 1 |
| No need...yet | 0.04% | 1 |
| U | 0.04% | 1 |
| other | 0.04% | 1 |
| I am fine | 0.04% | 1 |
| neither I or any one I know is disabled | 0.04% | 1 |
| Hi imm | 0.04% | 1 |
| no | 0.04% | 1 |
| . | 0.04% | 1 |
| accept it like anything else in life | 0.04% | 1 |
| There are different types of disabilities that might only require minor adjustments. | 0.04% | 1 |
| nursing home | 0.04% | 1 |
| not in this position, as of now | 0.04% | 1 |
| L.p. | 0.04% | 1 |
| jmkn;l/ | 0.04% | 1 |
| This does not apply to me. Please include N/A options in your surveys, when appropriate. | 0.04% | 1 |
| friend has disability not family so doing none of these | 0.04% | 1 |
| I have enough training for now; if it gets worse then I'll get more | 0.04% | 1 |
| Disability is, hopefully, only temporary. | 0.04% | 1 |
| none of these | 0.04% | 1 |
| learning coping skills | 0.04% | 1 |
| no idea | 0.04% | 1 |
| Dealing with it day by day | 0.04% | 1 |
4.
4.
Do you know someone who neglected taking preventive measures to deal better with a disability in the future while they still have time? If you do, please share your experience in the comments below.
Yes
13%
•
262 votes
No
87%
•
1711 votes
Comments