About six weeks ago, the knife I was using to remove the label from a container slipped and severed the tendon in my left thumb. After waking up from repair surgery to a left hand swathed and immobile in a ginormous splint, the surgeon outlined a list of restrictions.

No lifting with the left hand.
No driving.
No getting the splint wet.

Those three restrictions plunged me into the world of disability. Not only was I completely dependent upon others to get to speaking engagements, appointments, and the grocery store, many simple, everyday tasks were now exceedingly complex or beyond my scope of ability. Such as:

Tying shoes.
Dressing.
Bathing or showering.
Opening plastic zipper bags or screwtop containers.
Washing one hand.
Carrying a full laundry basket.
Carrying and washing large cooking pots.
Chopping all foods.
Lifting pans from the oven.

About two days into a one-handed life, I realized how little caring for a father in a wheelchair, a son with medical special needs, and an elderly mother with dementia prepared me for living with my own disability. As the days spun into weeks and months, my temporary limitations resulted in several crucial lessons that have changed the way I view disability.

Lesson 1: “Disability” Is a Reality, Not a Dirty Word

Some people don’t like the word “disability” because to them it has a negative connotation.  But the reality of my one-handed life is that I am not able to do many things two-handed people can do, or I have to do them differently. Whatever word I choose to use to describe them, the reality of my limitations doesn’t change. The word “disability” is an accurate description. But it’s never an excuse to do less than I’m able. Nor should either the word or the situation be a cause for pity or discrimination.

To read the rest of this post, go to the Not Alone website at specialneedsparenting.net.

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