Access to the outside

Things that make my life easier/better: access to the outside 

The simplicity of access to my garden

Independent access to your garden becomes far more important when

you have none. When you can easily access it you have a choice to simply

go out or not to go out - I used to use my garden all the time with the kids.

I was not (because of various problems to do with thresholds and steps

which aren't interesting) able to go outside or in my garden unaided by

friends and family for  3.5 years so now I go out all the time unless its raining.

I have new flush patio doors, a new & lovely patio and my garden all sloped &

secured  so there is no steps for me and it is safe for the children (and my 2

house cats that can't jump the fence!).

A handle on my front door and electric garage door: independent access to

my scooter

It's the first time in 5 years I have been able to lock the front door before this I

have always had to rely on someone else doing it. It sounds so simple but being
able to lock up is a huge thing if you can't do it then you can't go out on your own!

I now have an electric garage door- it's amazing I can open it, get my scooter

and close it again. Since having this independence I have used my scooter (which

I hate) a lot more- it's Wednesday and I have been to the post box twice on it since

Monday (As there is no where else to go, everyone is getting letters & cards).

My mobility scooter (That I am trying very hard to embrace and not hate…)

I picked up my children from school for the first time ever using my mobility

scooter this week . My eldest child is in Year 4. When she was little I used

to wait near the top of the drive of my mother in laws (where we lived) so actually

going to the school, and I have been twice this week, is a huge deal for me.

I think having independence with it has really helped.  I can think ‘Yep I hate using

it but think how happy x will be by getting a card/letter or how happy my children

will be” that's the difference I couldn't do that before it would have always seemed

more important how I felt (I hate to say but my embarrassment - I know you are thinking

she shouldn't be embarrassed but I was. I have discovered I am really vain!). There

is a large element of thinking ‘oh well…’ and getting on with life.

I won't lie, my seat with it's lovely Orla Kiely fabric has helped (I will be forever grateful

to them and unbelievably sad that they have closed down ) and just using it more has

really helped with my confidence. It's just remembering that I have as much right to

enjoy x as anyone else who is lucky enough  not to be disabled.