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How to Navigate the Disability Detour

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Have you ever been caught in a traffic detour? It can be annoying and stressful because it throws you off your familiar path. If you think about it, developing a disability is exactly like a detour. It may not involve cars, police or street signs, but when a disability comes into your life it’s often a complete detour. Need a little proof? Below are a few examples that may sum it up pretty well for you.

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First Experience With Your Disability – the Detour Begins

When I had my first seizure, nothing could have prepared me or my family for it. Just like accidents we can’t prepare for on the road that cause detours, our disability can shake our lives in a matter of seconds. It’s not just you that’s affected by your disability; many others are affected too. The detour for your life along with your family’s has just begun. You don’t know what’s ahead, but all you can do is follow the new change in your life.

Adapt – the Detour Path

Just like any detour, there’s a new path you have to take. When you’re diagnosed with a disability, your life path changes dramatically. From multiple doctor visits to time in the hospital, it’s something you were probably never prepared for. With the help of your family and friends, you can successfully conquer your new detour. Yes, the disability detour is something nobody expects. At the end of the day, those who conquer this detour become stronger.

Your New Path – Exiting the Detour

When you exit a detour, you become familiar with the path again. When you get used to having your disability, it can become second nature. It’s never easy, but you have a whole community supporting you along your new path. You are now an inspiration to others and many people will realize how strong you are. Some detours can be longer than others, but in the end each one can be used to your advantage. Show others how strong you are, and you can become that inspiration in your community.

Thanks to all the construction going on in my area for the inspiration to write this!

Getty image by Live Slow.

Originally published: June 25, 2018
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