My Daily Routine as a Disabled Person

(ID: Caden, a white male brown and blonde hair, is having someone wipe his face with a grey/green washcloth.)

Typically, everyone has some kind of routine they follow throughout the day, starting

with their mornings. However, disabled individuals oftentimes have extra things they must do during the day. In episode #5 of Digital Activism, Mason Branstrator discussed the things he has to do during his daily routine just to make it throughout the day. Here is my daily routine starting with my mornings.

I have to have assistance transferring, so before my Dad leaves for work, he gets me out of my bed using a Hoyer Lift and puts me into my wheelchair. He typically assists me in brushing my teeth and washing my face off with a cloth. He will also put on my shirt that I pick out the night before. At this point, my Dad will leave for work and my Mom helps me the rest of the time. She will put my socks and shoes on, combs my hair, and helps me put my face moisturizer and face mist on. My Mom also helps me go to the bathroom, which I do using a urinal bottle. I have a reminder on my phone every morning to take my morning medicine. Luckily, I only have a couple of medications that I must take in the morning. Lastly, my Mom will grab my protein drink out of the fridge and drive me to campus.

My routine on campus is mostly typical. I either drive my chair from building to building, a friend drives me, or I use the wheelchair accessible shuttle. The main things I need assistance with on campus is getting my food or drinks and getting my iPad and other classroom necessities out of my bag.

At the end of the day, one of my parents, usually my Mom, picks me up from campus. My evenings are pretty "normal" until it is time for bed. I will do my homework, create the next day's "to-do" list, and, sometimes, play video games. Once it is time for bed, my Mom uses my Hoyer Lift to put me on the toilet. For safety, I stay in the lift sling while using the bathroom. Depending on the day, I will use my lift to transfer into my shower chair that stays in my roll-in shower. Both my parents help me shower. After my shower, I dry off and transfer to my bed and get dressed in my pajamas. Before I get to comfortable, I take all my nightly medications. Unfortunately, I currently take quiet a bit of medicines.

In 2013, my Dad, who built the house we live in, remodeled my bedroom to include an open bathroom. We made some unique designs so that the room is accessible to me. My sick is open underneath so I can drive up to it. The toilet is set on a platform to raise it up and make it more comfortable to sit on. Lastly, my roll-in shower is completely open so that it is easier to move around in. The bathroom takes up about one-third of my bedroom and the flooring is tiled.

What is your daily routine?

(ID #1: An accessible roll-under

sink and a toilet on a platform.)

(ID #2: An open, roll-in shower with

a grey shower chair and blue towel.)