Facets of Faith

How are we different from other organizations?

The Fitness and Recreation Center:

Health and fitness are vital to everyone. We want a the fitness and recreation center which will most effect the entire community. This can be best accomplished from the ground up. We will design our center with the requirements of those with specific physical needs considered from the very beginning. Keep reading to find out more.

In most gyms, people with mobility issues or mobility equipment are lucky to have a clear path just to the free weights.

Everyone deserves a level playing field.

We feel compelled to address the needs of those with physical disabilities in the community. It is easy for those who primarily or solely have physical disabilities to fall through the cracks. Intelligence is a gift. But thinking skills cannot solve everything.

It won't get you through a narrow hall or doorway
It won't get you up steps
We want the entire community to be able to come together and improve our strength, fitness and tolerance.

First, we need to build a place everyone can access. Leveling as many playing fields as we can one at a time, is our way of supporting the entire community.

Our residential concept has multiple components. Here we outline some of the reasons behind one of them. We are committed to building a house where First: Physically impaired young adults can live independently.

From the outside, a person may wonder why this is more complicated than usual. Physical impairments don't affect intelligence. But they often affect more than just hands or feet.

Let's start with an 'easy' everyday kind of task we've all done, without requiring much conscious thought.

Have you ever tried to do anything in a kitchen only using ONE hand? Imagine the other hand is tied behind your back. Take something simple, like preparing a bowl of cold cereal. Ever tried opening a new cardboard box using only one hand? Having the new bag sealed the first time is helpful. Next time is more of a balancing act. Luckily you get lots of practice balancing all sorts of things before you even grab the spoon.

Ever had to balance full box against an empty bowl? Plastic bowls are extra points because they are very light-weight. When they start to slide around the counter like a hockey puck, skill comes in to play. Table hockey, now with crunchy flake hazard included. (No blocking with other hand! Body blocking is fine for the dry stuff.)

Time for another trick with the milk. Plastic jugs have convenient handles; the slippery condensation and curved edges are a bonus. Pour Slowly! Now we add an extra level of timing to this equation. That fresh full gallon of milk there? It weighs at least a full pound,  too. Controlling pour speed of something that heavy is another skill. Still No blocking with other hand! Body blocking is now off-limits too. Unless you really want to change your clothes (again). 

Ready for a different kind of challenge?

Add a wheelchair to the equation. Imagine navigating your pantry and kitchen from an office chair. You are now at least a foot to 18 inches lower than the average person. Before you can even start the process outlined above, you have to be able to reach the cereal, milk and, if you are lucky, a bowl too. All of these things are likely well above your head in most typical kitchens.

Next, try performing all the steps outlined above, this time though, the counters are all 3-6 inches too high. You have to stay seated. This means your knees are in front of you at 90 degrees. Therefore all the counter tops are now also 3 feet or so beyond a comfortable or functional reach.

The point is, things we do without thinking, often require lots of thought or even specialized equipment for someone else. If getting a 'simple' bowl of cereal can be this complicated, think about some of the other tasks required to be ready for the day.

What about getting out of bed?
What about using the restroom?
What about getting dressed?
What about getting a cup of coffee and eating the bowl of cereal we've talked about?

Everyone deserves the opportunity to do as many of these things as independently as possible.

We can't change a person's dexterity or make them taller. We can find other grabbing tools and make as many shelves and counters as adjustable as possible. We are focused decreasing as much functional stress as possible. Physically impaired young adults can then focus their energy on serving the community to the best of their ability.

Learning Though Living.

Real world practice is key.

For many people, the best way to learn new skills or new approaches to tasks is to practice. This is best accomplished in a 'real' setting. You learn to drive from behind the wheel. You learn to cook in a kitchen. You learn how to transfer from a wheelchair, to the couch, bed or bathroom by practicing those skills too.

The hardest part usually isn't the practice itself. The hardest part is often figuring out what equipment you need to practice using.

Just a handle? What size? What shape? Maybe a strap instead? You don't know until you try.

You want to get on the couch? That might take special equipment too. It might as 'simple' as board to slide on. It might only be simple once you determine the proper size, weight, and width of board the you need. Maybe no board works. Maybe you need a lift. What kind? One that rolls? One on a track? Can you have holes drilled in your ceiling today? If you could, would the walls support it?

By the way, once you have this system mastered, you might need a different one for getting in and out of bed.

We've only mentioned a few examples here and already there are far too may possibilities to put in a van and demonstrate, even before we consider drilling holes in ceilings. There are plenty of catalogs and web sites but they don't include most of the answers we need. Few people can afford to just try something based on a picture.

Finding the right adaptive equipment is like finding shoes. You never really know how they work or fit your needs until you've tired to work in them.

We want to build a functioning showcase available of Durable Medical Equipment, here, in the real world.