Recommendations for disabled-parenting groups/sites

[Shystar06]

Hi all. Been too long since I visited my pony friends, much less posted!

As some of you probably know, I'm now engaged to my darling Elizabeth. I've finally managed to find a decent job and an apartment, and quite a few times recently the topic of children has come up. She very much wants them, I want them but I'm nervous as is physically possible to be, and while we're not expecting...yet...we're already looking for disability-friendly stuff like cribs and bassinets simply because that stuff is so freaking hard to find*.  And so far God has helped me stumble across a couple necessities. Quite literally in one case. (short story: clearance warehouse + distraction + my big clumsy hooves = whoooa*CRASH*ouchies...hey what's this...)

But along with that, I've wondered if it wouldn't be a good idea to seek out groups of people who've "been there, done that, got the T-shirt." So I'm putting out some feelers for anyone who has experience and could spare a little time, or who knows someone who would, or has had a good experience with a particular group/website/etc. and would recommend one. Because I certainly don't have all the answers to everything I know we'll face and I also know there's things on the road ahead we don't know about. I'll face it with a stiff upper lip and a smile...but it wouldn't hurt to have some advice.

*I cannot overstate this. I thought finding an accessible APARTMENT was hard!

[kaoskat]

Not too sure but I can give this a bump for you.

[Gingerbread]

I didn't find a lot of help online. But it may be different in the US! Friends and family have been super-supportive, which helped a lot, especially with ideas of how to cope with mobility issues.

Here is what I found helpful -

Cot - one that the side lowers down as far as possible is a total godsend! I planned on putting bed risers underneath as my son got older (so when the base was lowered he wasn't any lower) but he managed to break the cot, so recently I got another one. My son can stand whilst holding on to the sides so asking him to stand up and hold onto me so I can lift him out is easier for the time, although I may still get some risers as my condition deteriorates as the weather gets colder.

Buggy/pram - I was so lucky and managed to get an old-fashioned style, heavy buggy, which I could use to walk with so I could put my stick in the carrier underneath. A buggy or pram with plenty of storage space is great!

Clothes - If you have problems with dexterity, stay away from buttons. Tiny horrid fiddly things. Poppers are much more manageable...sometimes - I had to ask for help doing my sons poppers up today on his babygrow. But he's one now and I'm phasing out his babygrow jammies for normal, elasticated, non-fiddly jammies. Non-fiddly is the key!

Changing bag - this was THE most STUPID thing that I never even thought about. But a bag which is easy to carry even if you have the buggy in one hand, a dirty nappy in another whilst trying to balance a wriggly baby on a tiny shop baby-change unit so small you can't swing a nappysack is the best thing ever. Forget bags marketed as changing bags, just find one suited to you. i couldn't deal with all the zipper and pockets and compartments, so my bag is a hand-luggage type bag with one large main compartment and a front zip compartment. The large main compartment has changing stuff (apart from nappies) and a change of clothes in a separate carrier bag, plus snacks and bottle. Plenty of room to rummage, no fiddling. Front compartment has the red book, nappies, dummy and teething gel - the stuff if I need I will need it RIGHT NOW, so it's all easy to find!

Any questions please ask! I found it so hard to find any info at all.