Striving to remove barriers that prevent us from building Vibrant, Diverse, Inclusive, Accessible Communities!
Self-care is foundational to participation, independence and long-term sustainability at work and in school, particularly in environments that still carry unspoken expectations around appearance, presentation and productivity. Societal expectations set uniform appearance standards.
Sarah Todd Hammer emphasizes access over novelty, naming concrete options: accessible makeup from Tilt Beauty (ease of use certified by The Arthritis Foundation (AF)), Kizik shoes that are put on and taken off completely hands-free, and the Flaus electric flosser whose vibrations move the floss side-to-side to reach narrow spaces; Rare Beauty’s perfume bottle was created with input from hand therapists to ensure accessibility.
Accessible self-care products are about autonomy. The article identifies exclusionary labeling to stop in professional spaces: By thinking of assistive devices or disability inclusive items as ‘medical’ or ‘wrong,’ we put an unnecessary label on inclusive items that results in stigma.
It preserves energy, protects independence and supports participation in systems that were not built with disability in mind. For Community Builders, the charge is to embed these access-first choices so participation is protected by design.
Read the Full Article: A Gift Guide for Professionals with Disabilities That Puts Self-Care First
By: Keely Cat-Wells
