1. Please move the accessible stalls closer to the restroom entrance. Why does someone with a mobility impairment who really needs a bathroom break have to travel 50 feet further than everyone else?
2. No more flat heads. Those little babies are so cute in their little custom-made multi-sport helmets, but in many cases a heaping helping of “tummy to play” and early detection can take the helmet from medical device to fashion choice.
3. Playgrounds everywhere! So that children can develop their bodies and brains with unstructured outdoor play.
4. Safe neighborhoods everywhere! So that children and their families will use all those beautiful playgrounds.
5. Expedite the process for obtaining durable medical equipment. I know there are all kinds of things that need to take place. I appreciate having a window of time within which to respond to denials. However, if the insurance provider knows their answer is going to be a “no”, they don’t have to wait a month to tell me. I’m a big girl. I can handle rejection. It just lets me get going on my amazing appeal that much sooner. Bring it. Because seriously, the kid who needs that equipment just keeps growing, and that five-year-old wheelchair just keeps breaking down.
6. Let the appropriate people qualify for a stander AND a gait trainer. I get to stand AND I get to walk. Both activities can yield therapeutic and functional outcomes, but each has its own special benefits. What a choice to have to make.
7. Don’t make me pinky swear and give my firstborn child as collateral when a company agrees to provide a demonstration mobile stander (for the record, this was not EasyStand). The company built it just for me and wanted to feel confident that the demonstration would lead to a sale. Not to worry, the school district did buy the stander and my son is here with me. They don’t keep many mobile standers as demonstration equipment because insurance approval for the mobile feature can be difficult to obtain. So, here I go again being all demanding. If I can stand, but I can’t walk, but I can get myself from Point A to Point B while standing to be a functional and independent person, I suppose that is what I would like to do. I might even spend more time in my stander with the mobile feature. Then I might experience greater health benefits. Yes, but would I experience $1,230 worth of health benefits (the cost of mobile option on EasyStand Evolv)? While that is a bit tough to quantify, I think it’s quite likely.
8. Send the person who designed the mount for the communication device along to install it. Or at least send all the correct parts the first time to give the rest of us a fighting chance.
9. Universal design. Universally.
10. The most important wish is that you have the love and support you need to have the happiest and healthiest of holiday seasons.
Note that this is simply a small selection of things I’ve been pondering recently. Please add your own special wishes to the list.
