Diabetes can cause a number of complications, including some that can affect your ability to get around. Neuropathy (nerve damage) in the feet or legs, peripheral arterial disease (diminished blood flow) in the legs, and certainly amputation can all result in decreased mobility. The good news is that a mobility-related disability need not prevent you from traveling, exercising, or working, with the right accommodations. The following resources offer a variety of tools to help you manage your disability and advocate for your rights.
GETTING BACK ON YOUR FEET
How to Recover Mobility and Fitness After Injury or Surgery to Your Foot, Leg, Hip, or Knee
Sally R. Pryor and Robert L. Waters, MD
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
Post Mills, Vermont, 1991
This book focuses on temporary disability, but also includes tips on how to make the most of mobility impediments that may be permanent. Early chapters offer information on bed exercises and sitting and standing, while later chapters cover getting around outside the house (with and without assistive devices such as crutches and walkers), travel, and child-care for the disabled parent.
LIFE ON WHEELS
The A to Z Guide to Living Fully with Mobility Issues
Demos Medical Publishing
New York, 2009
This book focuses on adjusting to permanent disabilities, especially those that require you to use a wheelchair. It includes practical advice about using your remaining mobility to the fullest, as well as guidance on how to advocate for yourself in the workplace, modify your home to better serve you, and more.
WHEN WALKING FAILS
Mobility Problems of Adults with Chronic Conditions
University of California Press
Berkeley, California, 2003
This book covers how mobility issues affect a person’s daily life – and how able-bodied people may respond to a person with this kind of disability. Quoting from a number of interviews with people who have limited mobility, the author explores the emotional toll that disability can take, as well as the physical pain and inconvenience often associated with difficulty walking.
inMotion is a bimonthly magazine for people who have had amputations, their family members, and interested health-care professionals. The magazine includes information on the latest technology, interviews with people who have had amputations, and tips to maintain emotional well-being. inMotion is available in paper form and online.
DISABILITY RESOURCES MONTHLY
The Disability Resources Monthly guide to disability information on the Internet sorts hundreds of different Web sites geographically by state and alphabetically by subject. A navigation bar on the right side of the page includes the site’s most popular topics, such as Assistive Technology, Disability Awareness, and Sports & Recreation.
NATIONAL COLLABORATIVE ON WORKFORCE AND DISABILITY
TTY: (877) 871-0665
c/o Institute for Educational Leadership
4455 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 310
Washington, DC 20008
This Web site, funded by the US Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, offers resources for young people who are looking for employment. It also publishes an e-mail newsletter, Intersection, several times a year, and hosts a regularly-updated blog.
NATIONAL LIMB LOSS INFORMATION CENTER
900 East Hill Avenue, Suite 205
Knoxville, TN 37915-2566
TTY: (865) 525-4512
The National Limb Loss Information Center (NLLIC) is intended for people who have had amputations or were born with a congenital anomaly of the limbs. The NLLIC Web site offers links to support groups, a Facebook page for discussion and communication, and a variety of detailed fact sheets. In addition, some of the services it provides – updates on the Americans with Disabilities Act, information on how to prevent amputation, and guides to the use of orthotics (supports used to improve the function of a person’s movable body parts) – are of interest to anyone with impaired mobility.
NATIONAL DISSEMINATION CENTER FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES
1825 Connecticut Ave NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20009
Voice and TTY: (202) 884-8200
This organization covers problems related to disability in children. Different sections of the Web site address the special challenges of babies and toddlers and of older children (ages 3 to 22), as well as information for families and teachers and school administrators. The organization also offers a Disability & Education Laws section that explains the relevant state and federal laws dealing with disability and education.
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT HOME PAGE
US Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Civil Rights Division
Disability Rights Section – NYA
Washington, DC 20530
TTY: (800) 514-0383
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in public accommodation, employment, communications, transportation, and governmental activities. This Web site posts periodic updates to the law, and also offers users the option to sign up for e-mail updates on new or proposed regulations.
This site is a Web portal that links to more than 14,000 disability-related resources at the local, state, and federal levels. Search using any of 10 topics (Benefits, Civil Rights, Community Life, Education, Emergency Preparedness, Employment, Health, Housing, Technology, Transportation) or use the search box at the top of the page to find information.
SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY PLANNER
Office of Public Inquiries
Windsor Park Building
6401 Security Blvd.
Baltimore, MD 21235
TTY: (800) 325-0778
The Disability Planner aims to make it clear what Social Security benefits you are entitled to, should you become disabled, and how to apply for them. Each step of the process – determining whether you qualify for benefits, applying for them, what to do after you’re approved, and what factors could affect your continued eligibility – has a section on the left side of the page, along with Benefit Calculators that estimate how much you can expect to receive.