Helping Hand is a weekly feature on HPR1 stations statewide and here online. Each Friday afternoon, Helping Hand puts the spotlight on an organization, event or topic in the community that offers assistance to the disabled and other folks in need with HPR All Things Considered Host Dave Lawrence. This week we’re learning about a new book exploring overcoming the adversities of disability written by Hawai'i County resident Jean Hartley called Go Beyond: Coping With Disability.
Jean Hartley is the person behind the website accessiblehawaii.com, which we've previously featured on Helping Hand. Jean has polio and developed the website which provides information about accessible activities and sights along the Kona coast in Hawai'i County. Her book details things that are useful not only for a person newly facing challenges related to disability and limited mobility, but also those around them. she also takes her own life-long experience with polio to look a variety of conditions resulting in “mobility impairment” and then going beyond that.
Often facing disability brings about extraordinary challenges for the disabled person, as well as their family, loved ones and care-givers. Sometimes things that seem basic can be critical ways to add more to the lives of people who are disabled, and also to understand where they're coming from. Whether it's increased hugs and physical contact, eye contact, sitting closer, sensitivity to mobility issues and any number of other behaviors or practices, there are many tangible things a person can do to easily show a disabled loved one support. While some of these techniques are detailed in literature and support paperwork, they can easily be overlooked and not arrive in a person's life until it's too late to put into practice. Many of these kind of issues Jean addresses in her book, sharing lessons learned through her own life journey that can be invaluable to others with disabled loved ones or a disabled person in their lives.
Go Beyond: Coping With Disability is out now.
Contact Jean Hartley/Accessible Hawai'i:
Website: accessiblehawaii.com
Phone: 808-896-8967
Email: info@accessiblehawaii.com
Find the book on-sale online here.
Find all the Helping Hand segments here.
