"My Supports"

To me, the term support  is anything that gives me help in completing a task in the least amount of time, or just help to complete a task at all.  It also means getting emotional support such as affirmation and validation from someone who knows and accepts my good and bad qualities.  I have many supports that would make my life easier but I don't really need them to complete a task.  Some of my support needs are having a car, computer, and monetary support.  My support wants include others to help move heavy items, help with yard work, an alarm clock, calendar, microwave, dishwasher and running water to name a few.  I could not get to work without a car and could not work full time and keep up the daily duties of running a home or taking the children to their extra curricular activities without a car.  Furthermore, without a computer I could not take this class or pay my bills without monetary support.  Without these supports I would have to be at home full time, and the children would not be able to attend their activities.  They would all have to work to help out like children did years ago.      

If I were all of the sudden in an accident that left me paralyzed and in a wheelchair I would need many different kinds of supports depending on whether or not I had the use of my hands.  I would no longer be independent and would need someone who could feed me, change me, bathe me, dress me and take me everywhere I needed to go, like an infant.  Not many of the supports that were important to me before would be helpful now.  The emotional support would still be needed but the practical supports would not be as helpful because I couldn't reach most of them, or have access to them with a wheelchair.  The physical supports would become the greatest help to me because it is the physical mobility that I would have lost.  These supports would include: a wheelchair, ramps, elevators, lifts, and people who could help me with personal needs.  With these supports I would at the very least be able to live, but without them I could not survive (feeding).  These kinds of support would become very critical to my success as opposed to just enhancing my current life.