So what do I do?
Ok, firstly .. hello! Secondly .. I think many of you know me but for those who don't here is a little bit of info. I live in Cambridge, I'm 26 & I'm going back to uni in September to re-do the last year of my photography degree. I have been involved in DAN for many years now and consider one of my passions to be politics & disability rights. Because of my views I have recently been wondering about the equipment I need & how to get it. Dealing with an impairment that changes fairly rapidly I often find my self needing new equipment. As most of you will know, access to equipment is very limited & the things that work the best are simply out of reach. I am now needing some kind of communication device (Minspeak AAC) & the one I feel would work the best for me is over £7000. The NHS have made it very clear I will never receive this from them & their communication aid comes in the form of an alphabet on A4 paper and laminated. This will just never work, I couldn't use the phone, I would struggle with dyslexia & the people I want to communicate with may not be able to put together a long sentence. Being 26 and not having a specific diagnosis of my impairment makes applying to charities for the money. Not to mention just how much I hate having to do that. All the forms & there right to know every detail of my life. So what else do I have? ... A friend suggested doing some things where friends & families would be encouraged to give me money, as well as applying to charities at the same time. I hate the idea, but do I have a choice? So my question is .. what would you do? Accept what the NHS will give me & learn to live with it? Use charities & just deal with what comes with that .. or allow/ encourage friends & family to give me money as well? All help would be appreciated!
