Being around people with disabilities can get overwhelming and challenging in more ways than one. You can’t help but get stuck at a certain point where you want to shield them from all the negativity and harm of this world. At the same time, you want to help them be more independent and socially active.
You’re not the only one in such a predicament. Other people have family members or friends with disabilities, and they, too, feel a range of emotions. But before you get lost in the middle of your challenges, keep in mind that the predicament mainly lies in how you can help disabled people live their life to the fullest despite their condition.
Empowering People With Disabilities
Most physically and intellectually disabled people find it hard to blend with others and adapt to a regular way of living. It could be that they’ve been so accustomed to being isolated because they think and feel different from other people. It could also be that whenever they think of going outside to enhance their life skills, they won’t be able to fully adapt to the prospect of making changes in their routine.
If you want to help them ease into the idea of being in the real world living on their own, one of the best ways is to introduce them to support groups and developmental services that aim to improve the lives of disabled people. There are organizations and institutions where they can know how to develop life skills that they can use as they navigate through life.
One of these services and groups is the cds life transition, where people with disabilities and their families are provided with education, training, job opportunities, career counselling, and many more services that they can use and apply in different aspects of their life.
Health And Life Skills
You may also want to keep another significant factor in check: their health. In some cases, persons with disabilities may have difficulty developing life skills that heavily impact their quality of life. Some of these life skills include exercise, healthy eating, and personal hygiene.
Take personal hygiene, for instance. This is a life skill that can make a difference in boosting confidence, especially in social situations. Smelling and looking good can foster confidence and a sense of personal pride, which people with disabilities significantly need to interact with other people. When you help them develop good personal hygiene, you’re somehow helping them feel more self-reliant and accepted by others along the way.
Teach them the importance of daily habits such as brushing their teeth, showering or taking a bath, and getting dressed in a tasteful way. You can help them make such habits by involving yourself as you teach them how to do those tasks properly. For example, you can brush your teeth with your disabled family member so they can see how it’s done. Doing so can also prove to them that it’s relatively easy and fun to do.
Improving Their Lifestyle
Their day-to-day activities may have remained monotonous over the years, but perhaps it’s about time you introduce them to a more interactive lifestyle. Start with simple activities such as going to the mall or buying groceries for the household. You can teach them how to ride the bus from your home, that is, if they’re physically able to leave the house on their own. If not, remind them not to go alone. Instead, ask any family member to drive them if they need to be outside.
Additionally, a trip to the mall to do some shopping is a great way to teach them to be more independent and socially interactive. It can also improve their communication skills, not to mention how they can be more responsible in handling their own finances. What’s more, shopping is a form of exercise that prompts them to be physically active.
Entrusting Them With Household Chores
It can empower disabled people more if they know that you trust them in doing household chores. Doing so will significantly help build their confidence while also teaching them essential life skills that they can use in the future.
Showing that you rely on them in several things, such as gardening, ironing clothes, doing the dishes, or cleaning the yard, can inspire them to learn new things.
Takeaways
People with disabilities deserve to live a fulfilling life just like anybody else. As their friend or family member, you can take it upon yourself to help them develop life skills that’ll get them through anything that they need to face in their lifetime. Find ways to empower them every day so they’d feel more confident and excited to learn new things. Believe in them so they can eventually start believing in themselves, too.
