Have you ever thought what you need to function in your everyday life? Well, I have. Hello my name is Ryan Kokiw and I have a physical disability call Cerebral Palsy. As a disabled person I wanted to teach you what some disabled people need to use for equipment in order to function in everyday life.
To teach you about a piece of equipment I use to walk in my everyday life I spoke to Allen Moore a certified Orthotist who will be explaining what an AFO is.
Listen or read Allen’s explanation below
Audio Player“Basically, it’s a brace that encompasses the ankle and the foot, And usually it goes up the calf or it can go up the shin depending on what we have to do with it. So, they’re all built. As a certified orthotist I assess patients to determine what are the needs of a brace or is there a need for a brace.
Allen goes on “So, you can build an Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO) for a simple drop foot, which we’ve seen a lot with strokes and MS. You can build it for correcting feet, that control in a different manner that help to keep the foot in a more of a straight position than allowing it to go out to the side. You can build it to help control the knee motion.”
Allen explains “So that’s why you do an assessment with muscle strength, range of motion. So, every brace will be made a little differently, depending on the patient’s need.”
Next, I wanted Allen to explain how somebody could pay for one of these AFO’s if they needed it.
Listen or read Allen’s comment below
Audio Player“So, the government of Ontario through the assisted devices program, which is a program through OHIP. Basically, they will pay 75%. 75% is what the government contributes and you are responsible for 25%. Now, some people will have, coverage through a benefit package through insurance. Other people will pay out of pocket. People who are under Ontario works or ODSP, will have a hundred percent coverage. So, it just depends on what your financial situation is.”
Now that I’ve told you a piece of equipment that I use. I wanted to get a second opinion on what some other disabled people use in their everyday lives for equipment. I spoke to Dr. Jeff Preston who has a rare form of muscular dystrophy this is some of the equipment he uses everyday.
Listen or read Jeff Preston’s comment below
Audio Player“So, I think when people think about me, Jeff Preston somebody with muscular dystrophy, the most obvious piece of equipment is the electric wheelchair. So, I have an electric wheelchair which I use to get around every day this chair is very highly specialized to me, custom sit tilt or recline system, as well as the seat elevator that allows me to reach higher.”
Jeff continues “So, the seat elevator reaches about five feet so, I can reach high shelves and that kind of thing, because I am not able to stand. So the wheelchair I think is probably the primary piece of equipment it is essential to my life. So, me and my wheelchair best buds forever. The last one is what I think is probably the most interesting, this is actually a fairly recent development in the world of technology.”
Jeff explains “For people with disabilities and devices specifically for people like myself with muscular dystrophy. This is a cough assist machine, also known as an exaflator. An exaflator is a machine I used to do therapy on my lungs. So it basically pumps air into my lungs and sucks. the air out of my lungs, and this can really help to strengthen my lungs. So I’m able to still cough and clear secretions. However, it also helps keep the lungs open and elastic, so that they’re not collapsing.”
That was some of the many things that disabled people use in their everyday lives just to function. I hope I was able to teach you something about physical disabilities.
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