adaptive clothing
Shoes for children with physical disabilities
Living in Alaska is always an adventure….sometimes the adventure is fun, sometimes it’s just plain effort. This week we went from a deep freeze to a quick thaw in roughly 48 hours. The weather swung from -25 to 45 in a very short span of time and has simply wrecked havoc with the roads, services and just about everything else. The schools have been closed for the past two days and we have been enjoying a mini mid-week vacation.
Today the family got a little bored so we ventured to Target. Target opened it’s first Alaska store in Wasilla last October. I love this store when it comes to outfitting Quincy! They have great selection with great prices.
Quincy has little feet that are hard to slide into shoes. It’s a challenge to find a shoe that will fit her foot, that is easy to put on, and that will stay on. It also has to be fairly light since she kicks her legs around a lot and we don’t want her to hurt herself or someone else by kicking them with a big, heavy shoe. I love Converse Chuck Taylors. They are easy to put on, lightweight, and fashionable. They come in bright colors, pastel colors, patterns, polka-dots…you name it. It has become Quincy’s shoe of choice.
Today at Target she scored a new, pink pair and they were less than $5! Seriously, how cool is it when something you love is at such a great price? Times are tough and most families I know are sticking to a pretty tight budget, including mine, and when I can replace a pair of shoes for $5 it’s a small victory. And, since pink is my favorite color I can even afford to get myself a matching pair!!
Check out these cuties!
Keeping warm in a wheelchair during frigid weather
In South Central Alaska we have hit our tenth day in a row of double-digit sub zero temperatures. Seriously…it’s been -10 or colder for ten days in a row. That kind of cold really takes it’s toll…people spend an enormous amount of time just keeping their houses warm and their cars running. It also keeps everyone inside which causes cabin-fever. The kids haven’t had outdoor recess all week at school and they are going a little stir crazy. It’s very dark, very cold, very Alaska.
It seems to have affected my mental attitude a bit. Every day I sit down to write something upbeat, particularly after my last post which was pretty heavy, and nothing comes to me. All I can think of is how cooped up I feel and how sick of the weather I am. I am in a funk.
So, yesterday I thought I should at least show you just how bundled up I can get Quincy to keep her safe in this weather for the few minutes that it takes each day to get her on and off the bus. (That, of course, is when the bus is operating and this morning it too gave in to the cold and broke down).
The first layer is a puffy down jacket and a windproof, waterproof fleece lined leg bag. This keeps her feet, legs and body warm.
Over this layer is a windproof, waterproof, fleece lined cape with a hood that covers everything. This is great for stopping the bone-chilling wind that always accompanies our cold weather. A pair of thumbless mittens and a knit cap and she is ready to roll. Actually, to be honest a knit cap is really tough…Quincy moves her head around a lot and the hats usually just fall off or fall down over her eyes. This is why the hood on the cape is so great…keeps her head warm without falling off.
Just like any of us, Quincy really doesn’t mind the cold weather when she is protected from it. In fact, this week she definitely has a much better attitude than I do about being outside.
p.s. Apologies to my brother who is a professional photographer…I am a bad photographer with a really lousy camera and these photos are terrible. But, hopefully everyone gets the general idea.
Great mittens for the developmentally and physically disabled!!
If you have ever tried to push someone else’s hands into a pair of mittens you know just how difficult that task can be. Children with disabilities often hold their hands a certain way that isn’t always conducive to sliding into a glove or mitten. They may also be somewhat uncooperative during the process. It can be as aggravating for the caregiver as it must be for the person.
We have tried a million different ways to keep Quincy’s hands warm in the winter. For quick trips outside my best option has been to simply slide a pair of fleece socks over hands. I still have to take care of all her little fingers, but at least socks are stretchy and soft and I don’t have any finger or thumb holes to fight with. However, if she is outside for any extended period of time, like when we go skiing, socks simply aren’t warm enough.
We have purchased super over-sized mittens and cut the cuffs but we find that if something is too easy to put on then it is too easy for her to throw off. We have tried socks over her hands and then trying to slide them into mittens but that can be incredibly bulky.
Finally, a solution from my favorite company! Check out these thumbless mittens with zippered cuffs from Adaptations by Adrian:
These are so great….they are really warm and soft inside, but have a waterproof exterior. The zippered cuffs allow them to be snug on the sleeve so Quincy can’t throw them off. But, best of all, I can just lay Quincy’s hand in the mitten and zip it up! No more pushing hands into little mitten holes! So, thanks again to Adrian for another great product! Keep ‘em coming!!!
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