Parenting and Using a Wheelchair

Using a wheelchair doesn't change much about being a parent. Using a wheelchair while tending to babies and children may look different to someone who is unaccustomed to thinking adaptively but most parts of it are just the same. All parents experience the feelings of love, care, concern, joy, frustration, and the struggle to make the best decisions.

A parent who uses a wheelchair may need to give a little more time to planning ahead or thinking of adaptive ways to do things. Some of the resources below will get you in touch with the valuable experience and ideas of others.

• Adaptive Parenting Resources
• Parenting and Child Development Resources
• Women with Disabilities
• Other Useful Things for Parents
• Go to the WheelchairNet Discussion Area to ask questions or share your thoughts on this topic with others.

Adaptive Parenting Resource

• The Family Village - an excellent parenting site with a well-developed section for parents with disabilities.
• Focus on the Children - by Ann Sunderlin, March '98, Paraplegia News
• Let's Play Project - All children need opportunities to discover and actively explore the world around them. This project provides families with ways to play through the use of assistive technology.
• Parent Support Groups - The Parent Empowerment Network
• Parents with Disabilities Online - the Internet's one-stop resource for parents with disabilities.
• Parents with Disabilities - STAR - a Pennsylvania grant-supported project (Federation of Independent School Alumnae [FISA] and PUSH) creating opportunities and equal access for parents with disabilities. 
• Through the Looking Glass: A federally-funded center that focuses on the issues of adoption; pregnancy and birthing; custody and intervention with parents with developmental disabilities; and baby care equipment and adaptations.
  • The Idea Book of Adaptive Parenting Aids - an html document loaded with resources from Through the Looking Glass
• V.O.I.C.E.S., Inc. non-profit organization for families with children who have communication impairments and the professionals who chare for them.
• Women with Disabilities - a loose-knit alliance of women in the US and Canada.

Parenting and Child Development Resources

• Child Care Experts National Network - a resource for parents and employers that gives access to information about child development, child care, early education, family supports, and dependent care resources from local experts across the country.
• I am your child - supported by the Reiner Foundation
• The Child Development Institute - information on parenting, child development, child psychology, learning disabilities, as well as, reading and study skills improvement.
• Myria: support, information and resources for women who share the essential bond of motherhood.
• National Institute of Child Health and Human Development - conducts and supports research on the health of children and families.
• National Black Child Development Institute
• The National Academy for Child Development - an international association of parents and professionals.
• KidsHealth.org - a great section on behavior, emotions and development...why kids do the things they do. Sponsored by the A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children.
• Parents without Partners - a site devoted to the interests of single parents and their children.
• White Buffalo Press - parental guidelines for receiving special needs transportation.

Women with Disabilities

• Center for Research on Women with Disabilities (CROWD) - a resource at Baylor School of Medicine for women with arthritis, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, and the linger effects of stroke.
• Women with Disabilities - at the National Women's Health Information Center - 800/994 -WOMAN or by TDD 888/ 220-5446. Locate resources for abuse, parenting, and sexuality and general resources about critical health issues for a variety of disabilities, including physical, neurological, hearing, speech, and visual impairment. It will also provide information on psychiatric, learning, and developmental disabilities.
• Women with Disabilities - a loose-knit alliance of women in the US and Canada.

Other Useful Things for Parents to Know

• ADA Accessilbity guidelines for Playgrounds - guidelines for newly built or altered play areas.
• A Parents Guide to the Internet
• Parent Training and Information Centers - a resource for assessment, resources and parent-to-parent connections for every state.
• White Buffalo Press - promotes accessibility of information for and about individuals with disabilities and their families.

Last Updated: 3-2-2006