Disability Does Not Determine Possibilities: My Journey
When I had a stroke at age 22 after brain surgery, my life initially felt derailed.
I couldn't walk. I couldn't use my left hand anymore, so I had to learn to write, eat, and groom myself one-handed using the hand that had always been the naturally weaker of the two. I knew from my past work in disability that now people would treat me differently and that I'd have harder for things I'd taken for granted as an able-bodied person.
Life had totally changed. And even with the care of a great stroke rehabilitation team and insightful mental health workers, wonderfully supportive family and friends, and a community that's always looked out for me, it took a lot of painful soul-searching to answer fundamental questions:
"Who am I now? What am I going to do?"
"Can I have a happy, fulfilling life in world that doesn't really believe that I can?"
I don't know when exactly I decided that the state of my life was no going to be dependent on whether I had a body that functioned "normally". But when I did, I started taking small steps back into the world that, despite what people told me, ("You'll never get that job,"; "Living independently is likely too challenging for you,") helped me to remember that nothing about me died that day I had a stroke but some neural pathways.
I'm not fully recovered, but that's okay. I walk with a cane, I've owned my own business for almost fifteen years, I'm an aunt, friend, and employee, and I live (with a bit of support) in my own apartment. I am typing this with my right hand. Life hasn't been easy and some days it still isn't, but I'm in it and enjoying it and exploring all the possibilities it has to offer. Some people think I'd be happier if my disabilities were "fixed"; but I don't see disability as inherently good or bad anymore. It's just a different way of being in the world, and I have just as much right to be here as anyone else.
If you're struggling to rebuild your life after disability, I'd like to help you get to that place as well. as a Life Redesign After Disability Coach, I use the P.O.W.E.R. Method to explore disability, power, and human experience through the lens of lived insight.
The P.O.W.E.R. Method has five steps:
1) P - Pause and Process the Change
2) O - Open a New Identity
3) W - Wake Up Inner Power
4) E - Envision a Life That Works
5) R - Redesign Your Life
My work focuses on rewriting the cultural narratives that shape how we understand disability, agency, and human worth. Please reach out if you're struggling with the issues I did and want some support.
I'm also available to consult with agencies who'd like to start a conversation on how they can most effectively support clients transitioning to life as disabled people.
Please contact me at sarah@runningsteps.ca or fill in the contact form for either option.
Who This Is For
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You are newly navigating disability
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You feel uncertain about your future
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You want to rebuild identity and purpose
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You want a life that works for your body and mind
If You Are Asking...
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"What will my life look like now that I am disabled?"
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"Who am I after this change?"
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"Will I still have a meaningful life?"
Remember! You don't have to do this work alone. We can help you create a life for you of purpose, possibility, and fulfillment.
Life Design
After Disability Coaching
I offer three coaching tracks to help people redesign life after disability - one-to-one Clarity Sessions scheduled as needed, a package of weekly or bi-weekly one-to-one sessions to take you all the way through the stages of the P.O.W.E.R. method, and a facilitated P.OW.E.R. group where members can provide each other with extra input and support.
Use Clarity Sessions to get one-to-one coaching as needed on a particular topic with which you'd like support as you transition into life as a disabled person.
A package of six sessions designed to support you to work through all the stages of the P.O.W.E.R. method, beginning with a complimentary free, no-obligation session to discuss needs and ask questions.
P.O.W.E.R. in a facilitated group setting, providing a safe environment in which to work through the program with a coach and receive support from others working on the same issues.
