Welcome to second full week of 2018! As the ball dropped and January 1st dawned, did you decide to change things up? Be more active? Learn a new skill? Get more involved in the community? Here are a few resources from the NIDILRR community and elsewhere which can help.
Make Healthy Choices
Eating well and getting in some exercise are probably the top two resolutions in any given year. Two resources from the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Community living are on our list: Take Charge of Your Health (PDF) can help you get started, and you can learn how to set and track goals toward maintaining your health with these Health Access for Independent Living resources. If you’re a person with a burn injury, check out the Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center (MSKTC) hot topic module on exercise after burn injury. The RRTC on Self-Directed Care and Integrated Recovery suggests the Nutrition and Exercise for Wellness and Recovery (NEW-R) program for people with psychiatric disabilities who want to gain new knowledge and skills for healthier eating and physical activity. Healthy eating is important as we age, so check out these Tips for Healthy Eating and Healthy Aging from the RRTC on Healthy Aging with Long Term Physical Disabilities. You could get some exercise and add healthy foods to your diet by creating and working your own vegetable garden, with these assistive technology recommendations for gardening from AbleData.
Build Stronger Relationships
Perhaps connecting with family and friends is on your resolution list. The Family Leisure Toolkit and Date Night ideas factsheet from the RRTC on Community Living and Participation for Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities offer ideas for connecting with family. MSKTC offers a hot topic module on relationships after brain injury.
Find a New Job
Maybe this is the year you find a new job! The RRTC on Learning and Working During the Transition to Adulthood has many resources for young job seekers with psychiatric disabilities such as Applying for a job: A Young Adult’s Guide. Older job seekers and workers with psychiatric disabilities can tap into a collection of resources for finding, keeping, and getting ahead on the job from the RRTC on Self-Directed Care and Integrated Recovery. For job seekers with physical disabilities, the RRTC on Employment for Individuals with Physical Disabilities offers a collection of accommodation success stories with examples of the kinds of accommodations that you and your employer could implement. Are you thinking about striking out on your own? Check out self-employment and entrepreneurship research and resources from ReclaimingEmployment.net.
Get More Involved in Your Community
Research shows that community involvement can make a difference for people with disabilities. Maybe this is your year to get involved and become an advocate in your community. The Advocacy Skill Building Toolkit from the RRTC on Disability in Rural Communities can help you find your voice and direct your focus to the issues that matter to you. If you’re part of a Center for Independent Living or other community organization, Your Action Planning Guide for Promoting Full Community Participation Among People with Disabilities can help your group identify important issues and build the skills and tools to tackle them.
These are just a few examples of resources developed by NIDILRR-funded projects. Many of these resources were developed with significant input from the people with disabilities, either from consumer boards or community partners or from researchers who themselves have disabilities. Learn more about current NIDILRR-funded projects and explore articles, books, reports and other resources from the NARIC collection at our website!
Collection Spotlight from the National Rehabilitation Information Center 