Everyone has to face growing old and grey, but with the right preparations it can be a satisfying, productive phase of life. Whether the colour of our skin is vanilla, caramel, toffee or chocolate, we all have something in common: as we grow older our hair turns silver. Spiky silver,...
Regulars
Sexual rehabilitation: a journey of rediscovery
Sexual intercourse can still be enjoyed greatly after a spinal cord injury, but it might require some experimentation and assistive devices. An SCI changes your life in many ways, and sexuality is no exception. The most obvious limitation that needs to be taken into account is how your body reacts […]
First-years: young and restless
Accommodating first-year students studying to become a prosthetist might be exciting, but it is also a great responsibility. When the university sends us first-year students, we are always a bit excited. What makes first-years so special is that they have had little contact with patients, doctors and the workings of...
Bon voyage!
There are a few things to consider when planning an accessible holiday. With this basic checklist, you’ll be sure to have the trip of your dreams. With my daily work, I’m often contacted by people with disabilities asking for assistance with planning a holiday. Here is one of these requests […]
Budget speech woes
After the 2019 budget speech there is very little to celebrate, but with the upcoming elections South Africans have the opportunity to effect change. The new year has brought about many early challenges and opportunities for us all. There are some things we can change and others that need political...
Managing temperature control and abnormal sweating
Among the many challenges spinal cord injured persons need to deal with are body temperature regulation and sweating. Both are controlled by the autonomic nervous system of the body. In order to understand the challenge experienced by SCI patients fully, let’s review how normal control of these bodily functions is […]
Easing the transition
The second article in our series on integrating children with disabilities into inclusive classrooms in mainstream schools focuses on the importance of a meeting between learner, parents and teacher. We know teachers aren’t always trained or experienced in accommodating learners with disabilities in their classrooms. In addition, all children with...
Anything is possible!
There’s no such thing as impossible – and it’s time for the South African government to do more to include people with disabilities so that they might achieve what was previously thought impossible. As someone with a disability you are not meant to believe it is possible to be independent […]
Sona: lest we forget the disabled
In the 2019 state of the nation address, President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke about the empowerment of women, youth and society as a whole, with no mention at all of people with disabilities. Why should people escalate their concerns before something can be done about it? Why don’t individuals who are […]
Universal access: the first pillar to empowerment
In the second article of a series on implementing the White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, I take a closer look at how removing barriers to access plays a role in empowering people with disabilities. The first Empowerment Pillar of the White Paper on the Rights of...