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[ywig89]

It has arrived! 🎉 #GooglePixel6Pro #StormyBlack #TeamPixel 😊

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Can't wait to get set up & take this bad boy for a spin!

[ywig89]

#Coffee. Some may call it an addiction. It runs through my veins! #SorryNotSorry #Costa #CoffeeLover

[ywig89]

Tranquil! Perfect for a coffee to get me home! Since I was last at #oxfordservices they've had a disabled toilet refit. An amazing #changingplacestoilet instead of a rotting, far too small toilet. Now, if only they'd get rid of the horrible slope to the #disabledparking bays!

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[ywig89]

Motorway toilet stop #memburyservices, now time for my favourite cold drink, #monsterultraviolet, to find the final bit of energy on the way to a different office for the afternoon. 😩

Vicair cushion update, loving it! Seems comfortable, not that I can feel it, but I certainly don't seem adjust myself half as much, so must be doing the job! ☺️

I recommend #vicairinyourchair, supports my legs so much better, as you have the ability to raise/lower each of the 9 sections as required 👍

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[ywig89]

Nice to finally see some sun after a few days of rain, even if it is cloudy! The wind is blowing away some #lockdown cobwebs! #wheelchairlife #spinalcordinjury #freshairtherapy

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[ywig89]

New #wheelchair cushion! After starting with #jaycushion and moving to #rohocushion, it's time to switch it up! Now it's time to #vicairinyourchair! Arrived yesterday afternoon, and so far, it's excellent! Roho were great, but I got fed up of always having to inflate it, then once done, I had to play about with it to get the right leg support while not feeling like I was floating on air. My chair needs to feel like it's part of me. #Vicair seems to have nailed it. Early days, and lockdown doesn't help!

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[ywig89]

One of those days! Technology is great when it works, not so much when it doesn't! 😡😭 Coffee time!

[ywig89]

Please, before you scroll past, have a read, have a think and let's try to get through life together.

I saw most of this post on Twitter, but I've tweaked it slightly and added to it.

--

Being able to complain about lockdown because it's unusual for you, is a PRIVILEGE.

Everyday millions of disabled people are stuck inside with no other option, due to their disability and how it affects them, whether that be equipment breaking or being in unbearable pain.

When you're complaining because the public toilets are shut, take a moment to imagine what it would be like if the only place you could use the toilet was at home. Simply there aren't adequate facilities with a hoist or just aren't accessible at all. This means that you can only stay in the pub 2hrs max before having to call it a night.

250,000 people in the UK (including me) are in that situation.

Social Distancing? Imagine, instead of staying 2 metres apart, people actively avoid talking to you, or pull their children away and stare at you when you're queuing up at a Supermarket just because you seem different to societal "norm"? This happens to us all the time.

Imagine going into nightclubs and the only thing people do is touch you on the leg and

ask if you can still have sex because you're in a wheelchair, and then feeling uncomfortable for the rest of the night because people keep trying to sit on your lap or want to push you around.

Lads, would you really do that to one of my abled bodied friends or even your own friends?

You're insulting every disabled person when you treat us differently.

You're insulting every disabled person when you don't even comprehend what their daily life must be like when you can't even hack a few months of being at a disadvantage.

You're insulting every disabled person when you pull your children away and actively avoid speaking to us.

It's never ok to ask a disabled person personal questions about sex or any part of their life without absolute consent. You wouldn't ask someone within the "societal norm" would you? Why should we be any different?

It's never ok just to assume you can sit on my lap.

It's never ok to assume you can just touch my legs.

It's never ok to assume you can just grab my wheelchair and push me around. My chair costs thousands of pounds.

It's never ok to assume that because I am in a wheelchair, I need a carer.

It's never ok to assume that because I am in a wheelchair, I am not intelligent.

I have a Masters.

It's never ok to refer to wheelchair users as "wheelchair bound". We're not.

Wheelchairs are our FREEDOM. Mine is my legs. It is part of me. It enables me to live my life and do pretty much everything I would want to do.

Sometimes I may need some help. By all means, ask that question. However, please don't be offended if I say No. I’ve had years of practice getting in & out of my car. It’s much quicker if I do it. If I do accept, which I am known to do, please listen to my instructions. I know my body. I know my wheelchair. I know how it folds, or my limitations.

Please, just take a moment to think about our lives, our struggles and realize that at the moment, life is different and difficult for us all. It is this way for a reason. To stay alive.

[ywig89]

I'd love to say Happy Monday to you all, but sometimes Mondays just don't cut it. Today is one of those Mondays! Hope you all are having a better Monday than me!

[ywig89]

Very apt!

[ywig89]

Happy Friday everyone!

I hope you're all keeping well, and to those of you in the UK like me, I hope you're not too stressed out in Lockdown 3.0!

I know this post is probably old news to many of you, but, I am here to share my experiences in how to keep the motivation ticking over in these challenging times once again. Since the new variant of COVID19 hit the UK shores just before Christmas, many of us have been forced to work from home again.

In March I didn't work too much from home. In my job (Public Sector), the IT infrastructure existed in a kind of typical Government way! I started off having to go to work each day, but as my employers deemed me vulnerable due to my disability, I was lucky to get my own designated work space in the Office. After a month or so, I was given a work laptop and the necessary equipment to try, I emphasise try, to do my job from home. As you can probably work out, it was far from a good experience! Constant network issues, various other technological issues left me frustrated and for a while not part of the team. Microsoft provides most of the Office software, and while the organisation had plans to roll out Teams in 2021, they had to expedite it so that those of us at home could still be part of a team and not feel any more isolated than necessary. Eventually it all fell apart, and after a while I found myself having to back to the Office more than the organization would have liked! It suited me, as I was going stir crazy stuck indoors. It reminded me too much of my stay in Stoke Mandeville after my Spinal Cord Injury. That's not a memory I am particularly fond of!

Fast forward to Lockdown 3.0, and 2021. While the technological aspect is working much better now away from the Office, it has been agreed that I can split my working time between Home and the Office. Firstly, I am in a slightly different role now, and my responsibilities have increased. I can't perform this role properly form home. What I can at home, I will do. What I can't do, means I go to the Office. It also keeps me in touch with everyone and helps with the feeling of isolation. I am lucky in this respect, which I fully appreciate.

I seem to be digressing, so let's go!

In terms of what I think is important to work from home, I think making sure you have a specific work area and routine are the top priorities.

Set up an area of your house to use as a workspace. Sitting down in this space sends a clear signal to your brain that it’s time to focus. Stay away from your designated workspace when you’re not working. Once you’ve completed your workday, resist the urge to check in with any professional obligations until you begin work again.(I struggle with this bit!)

If creating a mobile workspace helps you concentrate, set up a few spaces in your house where you can work. This may help your posture since you’ll change up your seated position. I will often transfer out of my wheelchair into a normal chair where I can, and back again during the day. It does help me, where as I can't get up and walk around, at least I can make subtle tweaks to my seating position. Giving yourself a set amount of time in each location may help you manage your time. Make sure that your workspace is ergonomic. This will remove risk factors that lead to musculoskeletal injuries and allow for increased performance and productivity. While sitting on a comfy couch or your bed may sound nice, typing on your laptop while doing so for a long time could strain your back or neck. Trust me, I have found this out the hard way!

Take the time to go about your normal morning routine, take a shower, and get dressed for the day.

Designate some work clothes, even if they’re more comfortable than your typical professional attire. As for my attire, it will be whatever is comfortable. As I sit down all the time anyway, this will mainly be, tracksuit bottoms and a T-shirt or something. If I have a Teams Meeting scheduled, I will make sure my top is plain, with no slogans or anything offensive on the front. I don't mean that you have to be up at 5am every day, to shower and get suited and booted, just to sit at your computer! I certainly have no intention of doing that! That part of my day is a hassle at the best of times. I will however make sure I am up by 7:30am, I will have a "quick" shower, get dressed, and I will make a strong, black filter coffee while waiting for the laptop to fire up and get Outlook up and running.

Instead of having a vague plan, create a daily schedule and put it in writing. Generate a digital schedule or jot it down with pen and paper and stick it in a visible place. Come up with a detailed to-do list that’s broken down into categories based on importance. I will often utilise Outlook Calendar or Google Calendar depending if I am doing actual work or planning out my blog. I really need to focus more in 2021 on my blog! I am also a fan of lists. Lists, lists and more lists! I use Google Keep for quick, on-the-fly ideas, and use OneNote to develop them and draft my blog posts. If I have specific tasks to do, the clear winner for me is Todoist. I love this tool! It's great for ticking everything off and organising your tasks into specific projects or however you want your workflow to look.

I try to keep my software cross platform as my personal PC and work Laptop are Windows 10, but I have an Android Phone and a Chromebook. I am totally in the Google and Microsoft ecosystem! (Don't even try to break my relationship here! I am not going to the other side!!)

Here is a list of the software I use, feel free to try them out if you haven't already!

Organisation :

Microsoft Office : Outlook, Word, OneNote

Todoist

Google Apps : Keep, Calendar

To Maintain Focus :

Youtube Music

Loffee (Search Google Play Store)

ASMR videos on YouTube

Thanks for reading folks! I hope you found this useful. If you have any tips that I may have missed or some of your own, feel free to tweet me @ywig89! Take Care and stay safe!

(This post is not sponsored. All subscriptions are paid for as a consumer)

[ywig89]

2021!

So, here we are. 2021. I hope you all had as good a Christmas as was possible. I got moved to tier 4 just days beforehand, so like many, Christmas plans went straight out the window with 8 hours notice. It was certainly an unusual one!

Brexit is done, COVID is still very much a thing & worse than 2020. Well, if there was time to want a refund on the new year, I think this is a good case! On the plus side, Trump will be vacating the US Presidency in a matter of days now, despite his total buffoonery over the last week.

What’s in store for me this year I hear none of you ask?! Well, I really want to get back into blogging regularly. Even short sharp posts is a step in the right direction. I’m also setting up a Discord Server at the moment to try and get Disabled People together in a secure environment so we can laugh, share experiences and learn from each other. I’m new to it all, so this is a WIP with many errors along the way I’m sure! If any of you have any tips or wish to help with moderation, ping me a message on Twitter (@ywig89). Due to my ineptitude, there may be Telegram Channel instead of Discord. Time will tell, and I will keep you updated!

I’m planning on being a diverse in the blog. While the main focus will be disability and my experiences, it will also focus on my interests, namely gaming, tech, and photography. If there are any topics you would like to read about, just let me know!

I shall bid you farewell for now. Just remember, we may be in lockdown again, look out for each other, and most importantly, STAY SAFE!

(Originally posted on WordPress on 10 January 2021)

[ywig89]

FFORA Wheelchair Accessories Review

It’s taken me a while to get the opportunity to finish this, not because of the product, but just life! There’s always something lurking around a corner whenever I want to sit down and get something else done!

Enough excuses, time for an accessory review!

Wheelchair accessories. A part of my life that has never proved fruitful or value for money. Make a product for the disabled, and it’s either cheap and poor quality or super expensive and out of reach of so many. When wheelchairs cost thousands of pounds, it’s nice to not have to spend a fortune on things you need to get on with your life.

Enter Ffora. I discovered Ffora through Instagram I think it was, and was immediately intrigued. One attachment, and you can have easy access to your pint, or a bag for your daily essentials.

Simply put, the design of the holder is simple. It may be simple, but it’s also effective. A magnetic slot in essence that attaches to your wheelchair, wherever you need it to. The cup holder and bag, share the same design of attachment to fit in the bracket. So you can select whatever you need for the day. Unless your like me, and you order 2 brackets so you can use both! There’s a choice of colours, I opted for the Nickel finish, so it blends with the silver frame of my chair.

When ordering, you either need to select the brand/model of wheelchair you have or measure the circumference of your frame. With so many different chairs on the market, and so many different measurements, I think they do cater for so many quite well. The process is easy, and they ship to the UK. I got mine a lot sooner than expected, only about 3 days after ordering. I was expecting to wait about 10 days or more if I’m honest. Bravo Ffora!

Now the review part. I love the packaging. Simple, yet beautifully done. Each part – 2 x brackets, Cup Holder all came in lovely white boxes that had excellent padding & presentation within. The bag came wrapped in tissue paper, and a lovely drawstring bag. All the components are beautifully crafted and feel so much more expensive than they were. Don’t get me wrong, they’re not super cheap but, also not crazily expensive either.

The brackets are easy to fit with the included allen key, which is always handy to have anyway for a wheelchair user. There’s always something that needs tightening! Even this tool feels well made and sturdy. My only real gripe with the bracket is that despite selecting my wheelchair make/model, they don’t quite fit as tightly as I would like. I’ve managed to adapt them to fit a little better by positioning them underneath my calf strap fitting, and above the castor forks.

Once in place, you just drop the cup holder or bag into them. Simple as that. Take them out when you need to, and you don’t notice the brackets at all.

The cupholder is a simple ring, that easily hold takeaway coffee cups or your own. Ffora do sell these too! I have enough so chose not to get one, although they do look excellent! Again, there is a choice of finish, I opted for black so it stands out. My only slight, well, concern isn’t the word, but personally I would opt for a slightly stronger magnet. The cup holder does rattle when empty, which may not be an issue to most people. It’s not fallen out, or even come close, but could just do with a little extra to secure it in my opinion. For now I’ve added a slither of electrical tape to the attachment which has made a huge difference!

The bag, is a thing of beauty. I opted for the active bag. A glossy black clutch (other colors are available!). Yes, I’m a guy, but it really is unisex. I was dubious, but that misgiving was short lived! It slips beautifully on my left side and now holds my wallet, keys, phone and general everyday carry stuff. There’s a nice zippered center pocket for coins. One thing I’ve never found a place for in 15 years of being in my chair! Now I can stick all my catheter bits and bobs in my underseat bag and not have to battle to fit even more in there, or have an extra bag on the back of my chair. I’m never a big fan of that for one, you can’t see it, so who knows who is eyeing it up & second, my chair is set to be quite “tippy”. Extra weight on the back makes it too tippy for my liking! Again, the magnet isn’t that strong, however, with stuff in the bag, it is weighed down nicely. I’ve bumped up & down many kerbs with no issue or hint of the bag wanting to pop out.

So, final thoughts time! 🤔

Would I recommend? Simply put, yes. Beautifully designed products, fast shipping and while not cheap, I think they represent good value for money. I’d make some minor tweaks, as mentioned, but for a first gen product, I think they’re excellent! Well done Ffora! 🎉

Do you own Ffora products? Let me know your thoughts! Am I too harsh? Too soft? Or just deluded?! 😂

Check out the full range and much better quality photos than I can take, here: https://liveffora.com

(Originally posted on WordPress 3rd December 2020)

[ywig89]

Before Lockdown 2.0, I thought I’d take my #freewheel out for one last blow through & get some fresh air. Beautiful scenes!

(Originally posted on WordPress 2nd November 2020)

[ywig89]

This is my very first blog, and hope you will stick with me. Let me tell you a little about myself first.

I'm Olly, and I am a T9/10 Paraplegic, following a car crash in 2006, when I was 17. I suffered a Spinal Cord Injury at the T9 & T10 vertebrae, which left me paralysed from the belly button down.

I'm in a wheelchair full time, and I have what is known as a "complete" injury. This means I have no feeling or movement below the site of the injury. I say no feeling, it's a strange one that only people with an SCI will understand. There is no feeling, but sometimes I can feel what I can only describe as molten lava running through my legs at times. I will cover this in more detail at a later date.

I do see myself as a bit of a Disability Activist, and since COVID hit, I have become a little more, shall we say, shouty?! The amount of times Disabled parking spaces were shut off to allow for queues was the final straw for me!

I also want to offer some travel tips to new wheelchair users, general tips & tricks for using 4 wheels, and hopefully some good stuff too like photos or whatever has crossed my mind at that particular point in the day.

Hopefully you will find something of use on here, along with some moans & groans I’m sure!

• Follow me across the social media platforms for more : @ywig89

Thank you!

(Originally posted on 11 October 2020 on WordPress)