[Iabs-talk] Survey for Resource Guide

[David Andrews]

I have been asked to post the following:
)Please return the survey to "Leisa Sekhon" <leisa_sekhon at comcast.net>
 not this list)

David Andrews


From: "Leisa Sekhon" <leisa_sekhon at comcast.net>
My project all started because of being faced with having my son taken from

me when he was born 11 years ago.  He wasn't, fortunately, but I want to

create a resource and referral site, with perhaps some product sales as

well, to help prepare parents to be, as well as, people that already have

children.  I'm focusing on disabled parents and/or their disabled children -

birth through college age.

Below, you'll find the questionnaire...

Thanks in advance for any assistance you will provide,

Leisa Sekhon

Hello to all that may be disabled, have disabled children, or know someone

who is disabled that might like to answer the following questions. I am

putting together a resource guide that will contain products and learning

tools/aids that would assist in our daily living, learning, and playing! I

have a basic understanding of certain needs of many forms of disabilities,

because my 11-year-old son is blind, as well as, my husband and myself. We

are a very independent family that continues to be so, in part, because of a

few products and learning aids adapted or designed for blind individuals.

And so, if you would please take a few moments to answer the following

questions and return this email to me, I would really appreciate it! I'd

love for this guide to be a centralized resource that, primarily focuses on

the raising of children. The items I'm looking to list would be intended 
for

disabled parents and/or for their disabled children - birth through college

age. These items can be anything from the most high-tech to the most common

and seemingly insignificant that you could find at a dollar store!

Sometimes, the things that can assist us most are not specifically intended

for a disabled person's use at all! And, let me clarify, that this

questionnaire is for persons with any disability.

I would suggest copying and pasting these questions into a Word document,

etc. and then emailing the answers to me. If you would rather answer the

questions over the phone, please read my contact info at the bottom of this

questionnaire.

First, I'd like a little general info about your family situation.

1. Whom in your family is disabled, and what are their ages?

2. What type of disability(s) do those family member(s) have?

3. If you are a parent with a disability, what age was your child/children

when you became disabled?

4. If your child/children are disabled, what age were they when they became

disabled?

Next, I will ask about different categories of items that you may use and

what you use them for.

1. What items do you and/or your child use to complete tasks of daily

living? These would be tasks that would be highly difficult, or impossible,

to complete without the use of such items. For example, jar lid grips,

support railings, dinner plate guides, certain cooking utensils, a tool used

for getting things off of high shelves, Braille labeling, etc. And what,

specifically, are those items used for?

2. Pretty much the same question as before... This time, what technologies

or other work or school related items do you and/or your child use?

What,specifically, are they used for? These would be things like a

particular type of keyboard, speech output, Braille devices, TTY, etc.

3. What items do you and/or your child use, in a medical or mobility sense,

to assist you in your daily life? I know this could get a bit more nosey, so

feel free to leave out anything you don't want to write about. And, what are

those items, specifically, used for? These would be things like wheelchairs,

braces, canes, walkers, oxygen tanks, etc.

4. What items or tools do you and/or your child use for recreation and

leisure activities? And what, specifically, do those items assist you to do?

These items could be balls with bells inside them, a specific type of

adapted bicycle, rock climbing gear, other sports equipment, items used in

playing a musical instrument, knitting, etc.

Lastly, what items do you wish existed or have you not been able to find?

And, what specific task would those items assist you in completing?

Submission:

I'm not at all interested in spreading everyone's private identifying info

all over the internet or anywhere else, so, I will not be using your email

addresses, names, or any other personally identifiable information when I

compile the data that will be gathered from these questionnaires.

You may submit this questionnaire by e-mailing it to me.  Also, if you email

me, I will give you a call if you don't wish to do this via email.

Thanks so much for your time and information! I look forward to learning

about your individual needs and compiling a resource guide for locating

these items.

Leisa