As parents, we know dinnertime’s important. We want to serve well-balanced, tasty meals, and we want to spend quality time as a family. Yet it can be a challenge for busy moms and dads to pull this off every evening. Try these 9 strategies for getting dinnertime under control. You may even notice your more peaceful evening meals having a positive effect on the rest of your life too!

1. Plan meals ahead. I know, it sounds tedious. But here’s a quick way to do meal planning that takes just minutes. It’s a small investment of time, with a big payoff in terms of the time and energy you save throughout your week.

Cayden can see his family better and engage in the conversation when he sits "up" more in his EasyStand Bantam.

* On the weekend, write down a list of the meals you’ll serve during the coming week. Get input from your spouse and kids. And have the calendar handy, so you’ll know which days you’ll need to have something quick and easy on hand, and which days you’ll have time for a dinner that needs a little more preparation.

* Once you have your plan, make a list of the ingredients you’ll need, and keep it handy for your next trip to the grocery store.

Once you get into the meal planning routine, it will feel effortless. And there’s a bonus: your entire week will feel amazingly more streamlined and organized, even in ways that have nothing to do with cooking. You’ll save money on the grocery bill, too!

2. Consider grocery delivery. Is there grocery delivery in your area? Once you’ve planned your meals for the week, it’s easy to take your list to the computer and place your order. Especially for those weeks when things get really hectic, this is well worth the delivery fee!

3. Prepare ahead. Starting to cook dinner when the kids are already tired and hungry — and when YOU’RE tired and hungry — is really hard, especially if this is your pattern day after day. Are there other times during the day when you’re in the kitchen and can do a little preparation towards dinner? Washing, chopping, and cooking ahead, done in small moments here and there throughout your day and week, can help your dinner preparations go much more smoothly.

Try this: When you come home from the grocery store, do a few little food prep right then and there. Wash the lettuce. Rinse the grapes. Shred some cheese, grate some carrots, do some peeling, chopping, slicing — whatever you have time for. Kids might enjoy helping with some of this.

4. Double batch. When you do your weekly meal planning, plan one meal that’s easily double-batched. Package the extras in single servings for easy reheating when you’re in a time crunch!

5. Many hands make light work. Team up with friends or family, buy ingredients in bulk, and have a cooking day every other month. It’s fun, and everyone takes home a variety of dishes to freeze and enjoy over the next days and weeks.

6. Start early. How long does it take you to get dinner on the table, from start to finish? Start 15 minutes earlier than usual. By building in extra time, dinner preparations will feel less rushed. You’ll have more patience for the little interruptions and incidents that crop up every day around this time! You and the family will feel more relaxed, which in turn sets the mood for a happier evening meal together.

7. Spark some conversation. Dinnertime conversation is an important way we form strong family bonds. To get the conversation going, buy or make some conversation cards. Or use photos, drawings, pictures cut from magazines, or even small objects for a quick and easy way to get family members of all ages and abilities talking. Keep the topics light and fun. No matter how your family communicates, conversation starters like these help get everyone involved.

8. Choose your battles. Do you find yourself being the “manners police” at dinnertime? Decide which dinnertime rules are important to you, and which ones can you overlook. By taking some of the pressure off your kids, you also take some of the pressure off yourself. Allow yourself the pleasure of simply enjoying your children’s company at dinnertime. Save the correcting and the teaching for only when it’s absolutely necessary.

9. Get as much help as possible.
-Give your kids small jobs according to their age and abilities. Over time, they’ll master these jobs and be a real help in the kitchen. Make a game out of it, use a sticker chart, make up songs … this can actually be fun!

- Have a plan for how and when your spouse will pitch in. What tasks? Cooking? Cleaning up? And on what days?

- I’m willing to bet there are people around you who wish they could help you out somehow. Some of these folks would be happy to bring over a meal from time to time. If you’re not comfortable asking, have a friend organize this for you.

- Is there a healthy takeout option near you? Once in a while, in a pinch, get an entree and serve with your own sides of fresh veggies and fruit.

What dinnertime strategies work for your family? How do you keep dinnertime healthy, stress-free, and fun?

Cooking for me has been quite the learning process in the years since acquiring my spinal cord injury. I grew up watching my mom impress all of her friends several times a year with fabulous dinner parties, replete with crab legs, homemade pastas, and fancy champagnes. And when I got hurt at 14, my dreams of one day emulating my mom’s own fabulousness felt like a dream that would never come true. I could see no possible way how I could ever entertain as a C6 quadriplegic.

And of course, through occupational therapy sessions and by meeting other people with disabilities baking cakes (long story), I was proven wrong. Many quads, paras, and people with a myriad of other mobility disabilities cook everyday. Sure, watching me cook may freak some people out because I hold, pour, stir, open packages - and everything else - differently (and use my mouth quite a lot), but as long as the food is cooked properly and is tasty when it comes out, what does it all matter?

For a lot of cooks with disabilities, many have found ways to change their recipes to better suit their abilities. A great example of how this can be done is at Thanksgiving. Instead of baking a full (and dreadfully heavy) turkey, why not bake a few turkey breasts? They’re easier to manage for people with decreased upper-body strength because they‘re lighter, and yes they really do taste just as good (just don‘t let them dry out).

And it’s good to know your limits. I once knew a C6 quad who attempted to remove a pot roast from the oven, lost her hold on it and the entire thing came spilling out of the pan and onto her lap. She suffered multiple 3rd degree burns, but she eventually healed up. Please…don’t let this happen to you.

Never forgetting this story, I prefer to cook stove top-based recipes, from sauces to basted eggs to stir fried rice to chicken breasts sautéed in yellow onion, cooked in cream, red whine and fennel. There are more than enough stove-based recipes to keep me busy cooking for several lifetimes. If you’re not sure how to find stove-based recipes, Google “skillet meals” and thousands (not an exaggeration) of recipes will be at your fingertips.

Another trick I’ve learned is to prep. I frequently have my caregiver take down certain pans, glass plates, blenders that are stored above the fridge, anything that I know will give me a hard time if I try to do it later on my own. It might be more mentally taxing to have to prepare so far ahead of time in the day, as I frequently find myself doing so 10am discussing with my PCA what needs to be taken down or cut up so I can cook after work. But to say, “I cooked that!” and know in my heart that it’s the God’s honest truth - THAT - makes it all worth while.

Last month I hosted my first dinner party. I invited seven close friends and served roasted chicken encrusted in rosemary, sage and thyme, along with roasted red potatoes, onion, and zucchini. It went great, I had no leftovers, and the best part? Looking down on my party in 3rd person that night (don’t you ever do that?), knowing I was finally emulating my mom’s fabulousness. It was an amazing “I finally conquered that!” experience, an experience everyone with a disability needs to have happen at least once in their life.

This is what I saw at the Fairview MS Achievment Center.  Take a look at the video to learn more.

Give us your thoughts on this video. Do you know of any similar programs offered in your area?

Jim and Twyla are the parents of Mike Bavier, Production Manager at Altimate Medical, but they are like family to all of us, we are a close knit team.  Jim agrees, he told us during the party, “You have all become like family to us.”  They will definitely be missed!!

Check out these photos from the retirement party!

If parents do not agree with an IEP they have a right to pursue a number of options:

* try to reach an agreement
* ask for mediation
* ask for due process
* or file a complaint with the state education agency

If standing is a goal that you want the child to achieve (and it is medically safe), get it on the student’s IEP. Often if the therapist recommends “standing/ weight bearing” in the child’s IEP plan, the school is required to buy a stander for that individual child while they are in school.

This is a very brief explanation of an IEP and how it relates to standing. For more information on writing and understanding an IEP, please visit Google “A Guide to the Individualized Education Program”.

Sources

1. U.S. Department of Education. Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. A Guide to the Individualized Education Program. July 2000.
2. U.S. Department of Education. The Eric Clearinghouse on Disabilities & Gifted Education. 24 Feb. 2003. http://www.eric.ed.gov/

Are you happy with the outcome of your child’s IEP? Parents or therapists, what advice would you have for others working on an IEP?

I’m often asked whether I follow my own advice — whether I use the Overwhelmed No More! systems and strategies in my own life. The answer is a big YES! Mornings are a good example. Several years ago, I’d had enough of our frequent chaotic, tension-filled mornings. I made a decision that we would start our days peacefully and happily.

Ryan likes to help make his mom coffee in the morning. His morning routine also includes using his EasyStand while eating cereal and watching cartoons.

It took a while to transform my family’s mornings, but with some surprisingly small changes, we made it happen. Now, our mornings are free from drama. When we start each day with a lighter heart and a more positive outlook, and we’re better able to handle whatever the day may bring.

Here are my Top 10 Tips for Easier, Happier Mornings - and best of all, they’re simple, quick, and they don’t cost a dime!

1. When you wake up, keep your worries at bay, for at least a few minutes. Spend the first few moments of your day with a smile. Breathe deeply, stretch, and think of something you’re looking forward to. Keep a note next to your alarm clock if you need a reminder.

2. Cushion yourself from the outside world for just a little while. Keep the TV and computer off until absolutely necessary.

3. Try to get up at least a few minutes before the kids. Believe me, I know this isn’t easy! But try it a few mornings and see what you think. Starting off your morning one step ahead of the kids makes your whole day go more smoothly.

4. You already know this one - but it’s easier said than done. Have as much done as possible the night before. Have breakfasts and lunches at least partly ready.

5. Also the night before, have clothes ready, and place them somewhere handy, especially if your child is choosy about what he or she wears. (Right now my son only has one kind of pants that he’ll wear - and only a few foods that he’ll eat from his lunchbox - so this one is a must for us!)

6. Make a rule that everyone has to be ready to go 10 minutes early. Yes - at first this one isn’t easy either. But you’ll be amazed at how quickly the family will adapt to this and make it part of the regular routine. The margin of error is priceless - allowing everyone to stay calm when someone has one of those last-minute “wait, I forgot my library book!” moments.

7. Get the family smiling. Leave little surprises for your children from time to time, such as notes on the bathroom mirror, a smiley-face sticker on their napkin at breakfast, a teddy-bear waiting to eat with them at the breakfast table … let your imagination go with this one!

8. Stay calm, even if your children get grumpy or anxious. They will pick up on your peaceful demeanor. This one requires a strong will some mornings, especially at first. But consistency is key. If you feel like you’re going to lose your temper, allow yourself a time-out for a minute. Take deep breaths, and re-compose yourself into the picture of serenity. Over time, your children’s behavior will mimic the calm you are modeling for them.

9. Just as you make sure your children eat a good, nutritious breakfast, make sure YOU get a good breakfast too. If you can, sit down together for even just 5 minutes of family time to enjoy each other’s company.

10. Pour on the hugs, kisses, backrubs, and compliments. Kids eat up all that happiness - it’s like food for their hearts!

What other tips do you have for successful mornings? What works or doesn’t work for your family?

C

Mexico: for Puerto Vallarta, see www.accesiblemexico.com for transportation, accomodations, and even airfare.  For Cancun, see Cancun Accessible http://www.cancunaccesible.com/, please note that weblink is accessible with one S in the spanish spelling.  If the website doesn’t translate for you, drop them a line at info@cancunaccesible.com, they do speak English, but in some browsers their website remains en Espanol!  They’re a great recource, we love our friends down in Cancun!

Canada: start with our friends at http://www.accessibletrav.com who offer travel companions in the country as well provide a resource of information on accessibility while traveling there.  We lean on the side of adventure, a must stop is Accessible Canadian Adventures, who will actually get you out of the city if you want to explore the wonderful bounty that Canada has to offer. http://www.acadventures.ca/ Also check out Waypoint Charter, who specializes in all kinds of boats in British Columbia.  http://www.waypointcharter.com

UK:  for the entirety of Britain check out Undiscovered Britain; a wealth of information and personal research in these four countries, and she can help you with lodging (yes including castles !), trains, ferries, rentals, dining and discounts.  http://www.undiscoveredbritain.com/

European Destinations

Italy: there’s a fabulous resource in Accessible Italy, www.accessibleitaly.com.

Spain: there are three that we know if, Accessible Barcelona http://www.accessiblebarcelona.com/ for hotels, transporation and services in Barcelona, Accessible Spain, http://accessiblespain.com/ which brings access to Andalucia (Costal del Sol, from Marbella to El Ejido) and Accessible Travel Spain, http://www.accessibletravel.es/, mostly specializing in mobility transport.

Sweden: http://www.accessible-sweden.com/, who’s motto is “creating independent holidays for the mobility conscious” and a truly reliable source of information for that country.

African Destinations

Egypt: Egypt Has It All will take you to the pyramids, on the Nile River, and even for a camel ride or a desert safari.  Their positivity and enthusiasm for helping people with disabities see this gorgeous country is inspiring!  http://www.egypthasitall.com/

Dubai: Orient Tours in Dubai, http://www.orienttours.ae/, Specializing in the Persian Gulf Countries in tours, excursions, and safaris as well.

Safaris in South Africa and Tanzania: Endeavour Safaris http://www.endeavour-safaris.com/, Epic Enabled, http://www.epic-enabled.com/, and Flamingo Tours, http://www.flamingotours.co.za/, all wonderfully adept at handline the many specialized needs of PWD offering smooth, seamless and fully accessible “holidays”  in and amongsth the plethora of wildlife and adventure that Africa has to offer.

Asian Destinations

India: Samarthyam, http://samarthyam.org, specliazes in universal design and general travel information.

Thailand, Japan, and several other destinations:

Roll On Travel http://www.rollontravel.com a wealth of knowledge in MANY languages for all sorts of tours!

When We Travel, with a huge listing of hotels and even pet friendly hotels… on the home page you do have to scroll down for the blue wheelchair symbol on the left. http://www.whenwetravel.com/ They’ve got everything from Bangladesh to Viet Nam so don’t overlook this amazing recource.   In addition to WWT, Eco Adventure International has rips to Thailand, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, China, and Costa Rica. http://www.eaiadventure.com/access/

Australia/New Zealand:

Ebility: http://www.e-bility.com/travel/, a decade old agency that also has much more information than travel on their site.

OZ Mates Travel: http://www.disabilitytravel.com.au/ with DOZENS of different tours in the country including outback farm stays and Christmas in July.

Accessible N.Z. http://www.accessiblenz.com , offering fun tours for the adventurous types, under the umbrella of her parent’s company Accessible Kiwi Tours, who have been catering to pwd for over twenty years. http://www.toursnz.com/

Central and South American Destinations

Nicaragua: www.accessiblenicaragua.com

When We Travel again for all of Central America (above)

Eco-Adventure International for Costa Rica (above)

Ecuador: Ecuador for All have it dialed in for several regions including the Galapagos and the Amazon. Visit them at www.ecuadorforall.com.

And, last if you simply don’t know where to go but want to go somewhere, our friends at Accessible Journeys can get you to just about anywhere on this list as well as those coutnries not mentioned too (like Norway, Switzerland, and Israel)! They provide travel companions and eqipment rentals as well as being a full travel agency with a quertercentury of experience! See www.disabilitytravel.com, their website is wonderful.

What is your favorite international destination? Do you have any travel tips or resources to share?

Your participation will help partnering consumer groups advocate most effectively on behalf of all wheelchair users so that we receive properly fitted wheelchairs, and all necessary accessories and related services to fully participate in an active, healthy, community lifestyle.

Survey responses will be strictly confidential and data from this research will be reported only in the aggregate to the partnering consumer groups. Information will be coded and will remain confidential. Participants will have the opportunity to request further contact, but names and contact information will never be shared or included with the results of the survey.

The survey is being conducted by National Spinal Cord Injury Association in partnership with United Spinal Association, Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), National Multiple Sclerosis Society, United Spinal Association, United Cerebral Palsy Association, Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) and Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), and The ALS Association. The initiative has also sought and accepted input from respected clinicians and from members of industry groups including American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) and the National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology (NCART).

The group intends to present this information to policymakers on Capitol Hill and at CMS, in an effort to address the fact that Medicare has limited or no coverage and payment for many such items impedes consumers’ abilities to fully engage in their communities and realize the highest possible quality of life.

If you have questions about the survey, contact info@spinalcord.org.  Did you take this survey?  If so, tell us what you thought about it.

A costume is a great way for wheelchair-users to level the playing field. A costume can help able-bodied folks, who may have been uncomfortable around your disability otherwise, to open up and talk with you. Costumes can even make your disability go away, with people focusing on your costume (and awesomeness!) instead of your disability. I’ve witnessed this several times and it’s awesome!

Not sure what to wear this year? Maybe some of my past costumes will help inspire you, and hasten you to make a costume afterall.

Jessica Rabbit: Everyone loves the sexy redhead from Roger Rabbit. When my hair was red one year, I decided to borrow my sister’s old homecoming dress and live out my girlhood dream of mimicking Miss Jessica R. I went online to buy her signature purple gloves and that topped off the costume. A relative easy costume to put together in retrospect. Wearing this dress was a bit tricky as I was wearing heels and, due to my ankles turning in, I had to have my legs crossed all night to prevent my legs from splaying open. If I ever did this costume again, I would definitely wear flats. I’d also buy a stuffed Roger Rabbit doll and tote it around with me too.

Renaissance Noblewomen: I bought my “noble” dress on eBay after deciding I simply must have a proper gown for the Minnesota Renaissance Festival a few years ago. Now while this costume wasn’t actually worn/concocted for Halloween itself, it would still easily work for the holiday. This dress was by far the hardest get-up I’ve ever had my PCA help me into. Renaissance-era upper class gowns are traditionally in four parts (bodice, skirt, left sleeve, right sleeve). I bought a royal blue jacquard with gold accents gown for $70.

I also had to buy a full-length chemise (think Laura Ingall’s pajama’s from Little House on the Prairie). When wearing a long, full gown like this in a wheelchair you need to be hyper aware of the skirt and make sure it doesn’t get caught in your wheels. Tuck it under your thighs (as far as you can without it looking bulky) to help keep the skirt hemmed up. Or better yet, use safety pins. I also bought a peacock feather for my hair and an uber-long pearl necklace (and a separate cross necklace) to wear along with the dress. Remember, accessories are everything when costuming!

Nihilist: If you’re a fan of the Big Lebowski you’ll surely remember the Nihilists. They pretty much don’t care about anyone or anything. They wear black and carry scissors (at least in the movie they do) J My friends had a Big Lebowski theme party last Winter, so I threw together a Nihilist costume the day of the party. It was super easy to do. If you have any clothes that are falling apart (ripped jeans) wear that, and then pair it with lots of other black clothes. I chose a black turtleneck and black beret, as well as my fake black eyeglasses from Hot Topic. And I unloaded one of the side pockets on my wheelchair and used that as a place to store my scissors, since if I simply had them on my lap all night I would’ve surely lost them.

And to really get into the character, I Googled some of the most popular catchphrases that the Nihilists used and said them randomly throughout the night to entertain my friends. This was a really comfortable costume, and great for wc-users out there who don’t want to struggle to get dressed-up.

She-Ra: This costume is what I’ll be wearing for Halloween this year. Like the Renaissance dress, I actually got this costume for another event (a sci-fi convention) last July, but also like the other event, this costume most obviously would work great for Halloween. Everyone loves a super hero. It’s a crowd-pleaser costume and received a boatload of compliments.

The costume itself was a hodgepodge of store-bought and homemade items. I made the headdress (catheter box cardboard, cut, embossed, and then spray-painted it gold), I bought the dress on eBay (it came with the headband, necklace, and red cape). I made the arm bracers from leather fabric I bought from the fabric store. I used an old shoe lace to tie them together and then painted those gold too. The dress itself was a bit too short for my comfort level, so I decided to buy some red fabric to match the cape and mimicked an underskirt with it, covering up that dreaded under-thigh SCI induced cellulite.

I also spray painted my black leather boots white to fully pull the outfit together. Most costumers advise against using spray paint on footwear, as it’ll crack and chip away as you wear it, but that’s only apropos if you walk. I wore my spray-painted boots for several hours straight and didn’t run into a single problem with my boots looking less than awesome. And even though She-Ra is known for her big ‘ol sword, I opted out of carrying it as it would’ve totally been annoying to carry all night.

As for other costumes, I’ve seen dozens of other amazing get-ups from wheelers through the years. My quad friend in Madison dressed-up as Indiana Jones last year, making a cardboard version of Indy’s jeep (outfitted with cardboard cut-outs of Short Round and Willie), then putting it over his chair so it looked like he was driving the jeep with his cohorts next to him. It was BRILLIANT. And my friend in Elk River, MN, a para, took the “guy route,” making his chair a mammogram machine. Classy? Nope. But was it hysterical and totally memorable? You better believe it.

Halloween is just weeks away. Don’t let a lack of funds, or the recession bumming you out (thrift stores and homemade costumes are just as great, if not better), stop you from a fun-filled evening of costume fun. Also, don’t forget that Halloween is on a Saturday this year, making the holiday an even bigger, fun-filled night than it usually is (with hopefully tons of parties in your world to choose from).

What’s bedtime like in your family? Years ago, when I dreamed of one day becoming a mom, I had visions of an easy, orderly, effortless bedtime routine that my kids would follow cheerfully. Bedtime would be a peaceful and harmonious end to each day. After I became a mom, reality set in: I had no idea how chaotic bedtime could be!

In a recent Special Needs Parent Coach survey, bedtime was listed by special needs moms and dads across the nation as one of the top challenges they’re facing. Today, our guest columnist, behaviorist Donna Shea, shares her top 6 tips for helping your child transition to sleep. And when bedtime goes more smoothly for your children, the whole family is happier!

Bedtime CAN be the peaceful, happy time of day that we often see depicted in children’s stories and encouraged by parenting books. But if bedtime in your family is less than idyllic, don’t despair! With practice, perseverance, and patience, you can help your children make the transition to bedtime and sleep go more smoothly. And when you get bedtime under control, the payoffs are huge: family life in general feels more relaxed, which in turn has a positive ripple effect in all kinds of ways.

I can tell you from personal experience that behaviorist Donna Shea’s advice and strategies are gold! My son attends her social skills playgroup program here in Massachusetts, and he has made leaps and bounds not only socially, but also in his ability to handle anxiety, and yes — in his ability to cooperate cheerfully at bedtime. Not every night is pure bliss, but on the increasingly frequent occasions when bedtime goes smoothly, the peace and harmony we experience are indescribably wonderful. Today Donna shares with us her top 6 tips for better bedtimes.

Bedtime Blues: Helping Your Child Transition to Sleep
Contributed by Donna Shea, Director, The Peter Pan Center

* Teach your child the word transition and what it means (needing to stop one thing and start doing another) and empathize that bedtime can be a difficult transition to make. Remember that you are asking your child to separate from you for an extended period of time and this can sometimes cause worry or sadness.

* Develop a bedtime routine with your child’s assistance. Sit with magazines, construction paper and glue sticks to make a visual chart of the routine.

* Bedtime routines should include soothing activities (a warm bath and/or milk, reading together, back rubs). Avoid stimulating activities such as television, video games or rough and tumble play for at least 30 minutes before bedtime. While television looks like a passive activity, it highly stimulates the brain.

* If you have a child that is anxious, try writing down thoughts in a “worry” notebook kept by the bed. This way, the child can talk to you about their anxiety and let the book “hold” their worries so that they can sleep.

* If you are trying to break bad bedtime habits such as letting your child sleep with you, rocking them to sleep beyond infancy, manipulations such as drinks and many trips out of the bedroom, your only recourse is likely the “Super Nanny Method” of quietly and consistently returning your child to their bed (without getting upset and without talking to the child) until your child learns that you mean business.

* Of course, you can’t force anyone to fall asleep. For older children especially, you may want to institute a “parent quiet time” rule by allowing them to remain awake doing quiet activities until they fall asleep, but they are not allowed out of their bedrooms after a certain time.

Donna Shea, Director of the Peter Pan Center in Harvard, MA, is a behaviorist and parent educator who works to address the needs of families struggling with learning, behavioral and social challenges. She provides social skills programs for children in Pre-School through 8th Grade, and is a behavioral consultant to local schools, parent groups, and human service agencies. Donna brings over 20 years of life experience to her work as a parent of two sons with ADHD. You can learn more and contact Donna at www.peterpancenter.homestead.com.

What bedtime routines work for your kids? What doesn’t work?

The first time I visited Lake George, New York was in 2001 for the wedding of my future sister in law, Allison. Having been many places both domestic and abroad, including many childhood trips all over New York, and being from the east coast myself, I never expected to have my heart usurped by this beautiful area.  But I can say with authority that the area now takes a proud second place to our paradise in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

The lake was one of the largest I’d seen (I didn’t get to Lake Michigan until 2005), and my first experience was a ladies’ tea at The Sagamore in Bolton Landing, a gorgeous 125-year-old historic landmark of the area.  Immediately the history of the area began to sink in.  My husband’s family has been in the area for generations, and the area’s history dates back into the late 1600s.  Originally named the Horican (but you’ll see this name around town still today) by the Mohicans, it was discovered by a surveyor in 1609, but it wasn’t renamed until 1646 when missionary Isaac Jogues named it Lac du Saint-Sacrement.  In 1755 British colonial leader William Johnson named the lake after King George II, and just ten days later the battle of Lake George began.  In 1791 Thomas Jefferson described the lake as the most beautiful body of water he’d ever seen.

Lake George is a long, finger of a lake that extends 32.2 miles from Lake George Village to Ticonderoga, about two miles from the border of Vermont on the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains and the Adirondack  Park Reserve, and is a short drive from the border of Quebec, Canada as well.  Despite over ten small towns and villages all along both sides of the lake, the area is spread out and not over-built, and the surrounding forest and greenery are lush in the warmer months.  Many of the towns are simply clusters of homes, so most of the suggestions in this article will be either in Lake George Village or Bolton Landing just a few miles up Lakeshore Drive.  In the winter the lake always freezes, melting sometime in mid-April.  Home to nearly 400 islands, and 200 feet deep in the center, the lake is an impressive feat of nature.

Lake George Village is so quaint and historic that it pulls you back to the 1950s; neon signs illuminate the activities from boating to mini-golf, hand-carved wooden signs direct you to the dozens of restaurants, and the area is filled with museums and forts for continued education on the truly fascinating four-hundred years of history of the area.  The ambiance has always felt like camp to me;  like something you haven’t seen in a long, long time, yet it still looks exactly the same.

Fort William Henry Museum on Canada Street should be your first stop for the full-costumed Yankee welcome.  The fort was in operation for only two years from 1755 to 1757, protecting the lower section of the lake during the final and bitter-cold years of the French and Indian War.  The fort’s educational tours and the lecture series are accessible, but unfortunately the ghost tour treks over stairs and hills.

In fact, despite its dated history, a great portion of this area is accessible.  There isn’t an adaptive program for sporting located in the village of Lake George, but there are several options nearby.  Adirondack Adaptive Adventures operates out of Lake Placid a few hours northwest into the Adirondack Park, and is a new program looking to assist in boating, camping, fishing, and tours of the park.  Make sure to contact with them about information if you’re looking for experts to take you into the backcountry of this gorgeous park.   Lake Placid Adaptive also operates out of the local ski area there for winter fun as well.   In addition, Lake Luzerne (about an hour west of Lake George) does have an adaptive horseback riding program at Double H Ranch for children with disabilities and life threatening illnesses.

For local adventure however, the friendly folks at the Adirondack Extreme Adventure Course in Bolton Landing have taken many strides to make sure that all abilities (some with assistance) can participate in this ropes and platform climbing course.  Groups and individuals are welcome to test their abilities, strengths, and teamwork while “monkeying around” in the trees.

One “sport” that seems to be an east coast standard is mini-golf, yet it’s hit or miss when it comes to accessibility depending on how many windmills, bridges, fire-breathing dragons and other obstacles the course has to keep you from that eluding hole-in-one.  But Lumberjack Pass Mini Golf has your barrier-free option.  At only $5 per person, it’s Lake George’s biggest bang for your buck.

For getting on the lake itself, visitors with disabilities have several options in the realm of boating.  One of the first sights you’ll see are the historic steamboats paddling regularly up and down the lake.  The Lake George Steamboat Company has three accessible boats, the Mohican, the Minne-Ha-Ha, and the Lac du Saint-Sacrement; history lessons in themselves.  They offer party cruises, lunch and dinner cruises, as well as paddlewheel, moonlight, and fireworks cruises.   Only the lower level of these boats are accessible, and some wheelchairs might needs assistance across the platforms to the boat.  Make your reservations in the village at the Steel Pier Dock or online.

If you prefer seeing the lake from a smaller craft under your own control, make the short trip up to Bolton Landing to Lake George Kayak for single or tandem sea kayak rentals.  They offer guided tours or solo rentals, and no experience is required.  They do not provide the padded back rests or rear cushions, so make sure to bring your own padding with you.

After a day full of fun on the lake you’ll be hungry, and Lake George has no shortage of eateries.  Whenever we’re in town we make sure we do two things: Get pizza from Capri in the village and make reservations at the Log Jam in nearby Glens Falls.  My husband’s mouth waters all summer thinking about the Log Jam, but it’s not recommended for the small stomach.  I have to make sure I stretch mine out for a week to jam an entire meal from “the ‘Jam” in there!  The lobsters are fresh, the beef is cooked to perfection, the house potato is well worth the calories, and the service, well they’re practically family to me so I might be biased, but service at the Jam is always reliably friendly, extremely thorough, and helpfully suggestive if you just can’t choose from the exhaustive menu!  The servers work in teams of two, so you’re never left waiting to ask for more Anjou sauce.  Don’t forget to grab a handful of those mints on the way out; where do they get those delicious mints??

Additional accessible, memorable dinners out for us in Lake George Village include Grandma’s Back Porch for home style fine dining, Mario’s for the best Italian around (my mother in law worked there in high school!), and The Garrison for pub-style food.  Up in Bolton Landing the Algonquin is great for steak and seafood, has a great lunch menu as well, and is right on the water with excellent views and its own boat dock if you travel that way!   And if you love home-brewed beer, drive down to Glens Falls for a great dinner and even greater beer at Davidson’s Brothers Brewery.

Being a resort town, Lake George has no shortage of lodging, unless you’re looking for peak dates when the village packs full of Yankees and Canadians vacationing constantly from mid June to early September.  The northern weather only guarantees sunshine during this period, but if you prefer the smaller crowds, the brilliant fall colors are breathtaking and peak through the month of October depending on temperatures.

There are several reliable chain inns and lodges in Lake George Village such as the fully accessible Quality Inn (518-668-3081), which is among the best in accessibility in the area with three accessible rooms with two queen beds, roll-in showers with bath benches, an accessible pool (hard to find in Lake George), and a ramp to the modest exercise room.  There are two steps up to the Jacuzzi here however.  Other chain hotel options are the Econo Lodge (518-668-2689), with two queen accessible rooms on the ground floor; and the Howard Johnson Tiki Motel (518-668-5744) with one queen accessible room as well.

If you’re looking for something different, the brand new Surfside on the Lake (518-668-2442) has four accessible units; two two-bedroom suites and two standard rooms with two double beds each.  Promoting fun, live music, a grand pool, and a club-like restaurant (that are all also accessible), this resort beckons wheelchairs with its ADA-standard accessibility thanks to being a brand new resort.

For the older crowd seeking a more peaceful atmosphere, the historic Ft. William Henry Resort (518-668-3081) has one accessible room with a roll-in shower and two accessible restaurants, however there are stairs to the pool here.

There are also three accessible rooms with king size beds at the beautiful Georgian Resort (800-525-3436).  The bathrooms have tubs however, and the hotel cannot provide shower benches.  But the resort’s Bistro Restaurant is accessible and offers a great menu with American cuisine.

Summers are filled with family festivals, live music, art walks, and annual events such as the Adirondack National Car Show, Lake George Jazz Festival, the Adirondack Balloon Festival, and Taste of the North Country, all in September alone.   October’s annual events include the Native American Festival and Oktoberfest which includes a lunch cruise on the Lac du Saint-Sacrement.

Visit www.Visitlakegeorge.com and www.Lakegeorge.com for more on the area, seasonal events, photos, and dining and lodging suggestions.

Do you have a suggestion for a great vacationing destination? What impressed you about the location’s accessibility?

I

haven’t stood on my own power since August 25th, 1993. That’s 16 years and 2 weeks give or take. And while assisted standing isn’t pure unadulterated, like running through the grass or posing for an artist standing, my EasyStand 2400 stander does get me on my feet. If it wasn’t for this genius device, my body would never even get a semblance of standing; and that would be pretty sad.

It’s funny. Even to this day, I still mourn how graceful my legs once were. I was a born dancer and felt at home on-stage. And now, even though they’re not fully atrophied (thanks to spasms), I just look at them and want to profusely apologize, telling them how sorry I am for taking their ability to stand, walk, move, everything …away. But don’t worry, those moments are far and few between. When they do happen, yes, they suck, but I’ve decided pining after the veritable “four leaf clover” really isn’t a good way to spend my time.

And you become more grateful when you can’t stand on your own power anymore too. A not surprising side-effect of losing the ability to stand: Able-bodied people who go through their days, never realizing how lucky they are, may get on your nerves. When you go from a perfectly working body to a body that’s full of fail, instantly, it’s a massive wake-up call. I’ll never forget how easier life was. I want everyone in my life to know just how lucky they are.

Btw, I know it’s natural for humans to be this way, to “not know what they got till it’s gone,” but it still pisses me off. If you’re reading this and can stand on your own, please, take a little “I am blessed” moment right now, because yes, you truly are blessed.

When I go in my stander, I may not be extending my legs en pointe, in fact, I don’t move them at all anymore, but seeing myself stand…seeing my 5’10 frame in it’s upright position, it not only feels freeing but it pleases me greatly. My stander helps me feel like I’m cheating fate somehow. Is that strange? Does anyone out there feel this way too?

To read more about Tiffiny and her long-term relationship with her stander, read her EasyStand Customer Story.

We found people to invest funds to get us started.  We took some pictures of the EasyStand, ran some ads in disability magazines and made some brochures.  All of a sudden we had 38 orders for EasyStand standers…

Perils of a Startup
Now that we had orders in and many of them paid for, we had to deliver. We had to scramble to make things happen. We had a skeleton crew of just a half dozen people who were already overloaded building wheelchairs and already had more orders for EasyStands then we had expected. Incredibly, we worked through all the problems, challenges and roadblocks to get the first EasyStand out the door.  Our first order was shipped in September, 1989.  The good news was that sales kept coming in on a regular basis for the next few months.

Another Brick Wall
This sales and marketing thing is easy (or so we thought). A few months into selling the EasyStand the sales started to slide into oblivion. What were we to do? We thought it was going to go on forever. Easy and simple, we put ads in magazines and customers buy. Wrong, we needed to use our selling skills. The problem I had was the very definite lack of selling skills. The first calls were as haphazard and disjointed as they could be. Even as a paraplegic,  I really had no clue about customer’s wants and needs, nor did I care. I was straight forward and went for the sale right away without all the idle chit chat. Whoever said asking for the sale was wrong. It was easy, but not effective. I realized fast that you needed to find out their story, their needs and their wants and satisfy them before they were going to hand over a big chunk of money. Selling direct was not the easiest job. Getting a hold of a customer was very difficult. This made for long days. My one man sales team meant being willing to call customers from 8:00 in the morning to 10:00 or 11:00 at night.

Staying Alive

We attended our first medical tradeshow with the EasyStand in 1990. This was also the year that we began selling our products through suppliers and independent reps.

Our EasyStand sales were growing but not fast enough. It was a struggle and we needed more sales. We made forays into products such as sledges for sledge hockey, shower/commode chairs and even tried selling our own line of wheelchairs. These new products helped us meet payroll but really did not do us any good. The one man sales team had it rough trying to keep up with several products, but the manufacturing team had it rougher by far. Alan made a dramatic decision that changed us from a scattered, unfocused company to a company focused on EasyStand. We quit the sledge and wheelchair business, and got rid of the bathroom equipment. We also laid off everyone except for a shop person, assembly person, Alan and myself. We got rid of the pop machine, towel service and had to take turns cleaning the bathrooms. We also changed our distribution channels.

A New Beginning
Our new distribution channel was through suppliers with independent reps handling the sales management in specific territories. Even though I got my wheelchairs through suppliers, I still had no clue how they really worked. We got calls from them asking if they could sell our products but I kept putting them off and telling them we were not interested. Imagine someone calling and asking to sell/buy your product and blowing them off (I was a rookie). We soon realized if we wanted to really grow we needed a bigger team selling the EasyStand. We also started to get calls from more people who wanted to sell EasyStand - independent reps. By now I had figured out that I truly was a novice when it came to this business. Today our network of  50 reps, 2500 suppliers, and distributors in 35 countries helps to promote the EasyStand to the people who need it.

Celebrate the 20th birthday of EasyStand with the crew at Altimate Medical!
Visit www.easystand.com/birthday for a free t-shirt and learn more about the past twenty years of standing!

Before the EasyStand hit the market, we called it the "Standex". Before printing brochures and advertising, we changed the name to what it is today - the EasyStand.

Wow does time fly! On May 15, 1989 I was hired to start the Sales and Marketing Department for Altimate Medical to market the EasyStand standing frame for people with disabilities. I remember my first visit to Altimate Medical (then known as ALT Inc.). A mutual friend of Alan Tholkes, the Owner of ALT, and myself, thought we would make a good team. I came down for an interview one Saturday and had my first look at the earliest version of the EasyStand. It was very crude but the simple sit to stand idea was there and it was truly easy to use. Alan called it the StandEx which meant stand and exercise. It had a sort of pulley/weight system off the back of the stander that could be used while standing or sitting. I was sold. I had stood in my initial rehab stint and also for four years at Southwest Minnesota State University. It was so easy and I remember telling Alan “I could sell this”. I think those four words got me the job!

Getting Started
Even with a Marketing Degree, I was clueless, but that made it both exciting and risky. It was a learning experience everyday. We had to figure out how to design brochures, order forms, ads, and anything else needed in the business of selling a product. We used a portrait photographer for our first photos and hoped they would be good enough. We had no clue about angles, lighting and displaying the products. We even made the one mistake all rookies make and we used an able bodied person in the photos (more about that later). ALT was already officially in business for two years and many more unofficially before 1989. They were building wheelchairs with a unique folding design that Alan had designed. ALT was not making money selling the wheelchair so they needed to find another avenue of income. Alan somehow talked an already big investor in ALT to put up more money to get the EasyStand off the ground.

Summer of ‘89
We spent the summer getting marketing materials ready and we submitted the first ads in Paraplegia News and Sports ‘n’ Spokes Magazines. When the first ad came out the phone went crazy. We had no idea the pent up demand for a sit-to-stand stander that would replace the traditional strap-style stander. We were going to sell the standers direct, but even taking the orders required learning. We sold an estimated 38 units off the first ad and got a running start. The calls came in fast and furious and the customers had some questions that we had a hard time answering. Since the product was so new, we had a hard time answering questions about how long it was on the market, how many people use it, and other fine details. The toughest one to answer, and the one that we got beat up the most about, was the person in the photo. Right away the callers said that there was no way that he was disabled and how can they be sure it worked for them if we do not even use people with disabilities in the brochure. We have never used a non-disabled person in our photos since.

Don’t miss “The Early Years of Marketing EasyStand- Part II”.

Celebrate the 20th birthday of EasyStand with the crew at Altimate Medical!
Visit www.easystand.com/birthday for a free t-shirt and learn more about the past twenty years of standing!

Altimate Medical currently employs 39 dedicated people, most who have been here for 8 years or more!

When I started at Altimate Medical, I did not know much about this industry, but quickly learned by talking with our customers.  I learned that listening, being honest, treating the customer with respect, responding quickly to their questions and offering them a good quality product was the key to providing good Customer Service.  Our customers are our greatest resource providing us with continuous feedback on product improvements, funding, and upcoming changes to the industry. Where would we be without our medical equipment suppliers?  They are on the front line and have contact with the end user assisting them with their product needs.  We would not be where we are at today without the dedication of our customers.

Although our customer base has grown over the years, many of the medical equipment suppliers that became EasyStand suppliers years ago are still our customers today.  Even though we have seen so many good changes throughout the years, one thing that stays the same is our commitment to providing outstanding customer service.  We believe that our customers should get the best service and respect each time they deal with Altimate Medical.  This is why a Customer Service Rep answers the phone so that the customer is connected with a “real person” right when they call.  Over the years we have continually set goals and made numerous improvements to better serve our customer.  Items such as mailing inquiries, decreasing product lead times, having resources easily accessible on our website, are areas we have continually improved on over the years.

Another thing that has stayed the same is the great group of people that make up Altimate Medical.  All of our employees truly care about their jobs and take pride in helping others improve their quality of life.  Anytime we discuss a potential change in the company, the question is always raised “How will this affect our customer?” or “What can we do to make this easier for our customer?”  The first thought regarding product quality, marketing tools, service, assembly and packaging of our product is to think of the customer first.  Providing great customer service is a commitment with all the departments here at Altimate Medical.

In closing, I would like to THANK YOU for sharing this journey of 20 years of EasyStand with us, it has been great and I can’t wait to see what the next 20 brings.

Celebrate the 20th birthday of EasyStand with the crew at Altimate Medical!
Visit www.easystand.com/birthday for a free t-shirt and learn more about the past twenty years of standing!