Working for change 121
Working for change
While many people believe it is important to take care of disabled women, in reality
many women with disabilities do not get enough of the care and information they
need to lead healthy and active lives.
What families and caregivers can do
Care from our families and helpers makes our lives easier in many ways. They
can also help us to be more independent by encouraging us to do as
much as we can to take care of our own bodies. Even so, as
women with disabilities, we may need extra help to:
• get enough good healthy food and clean water.
We trust you
to help us.
• exercise and stretch to keep our bodies strong and
flexible.
• bathe, and clean our teeth.
• remove stool or urine and change the cloths or pads used to absorb
monthly bleeding.
• check, clean and treat pressure sores. (See pages 114 to 117.)
• keep some medicines and supplies at home or nearby, especially if medical
care is far away. Try to include pain relievers, an antibiotic for urine or skin
infections, clean gauze, and any medicines used regularly to treat her disability.
Most of us who are blind or deaf can take care of our own physical needs. But
we may still need help getting information to keep ourselves healthy. For example,
a blind person may need you to read health education information out loud to
her—even if the information is about things you usually would not speak about.
And a deaf person may need you to tell her about important health messages you
hear on the radio or from a health worker.
A Health Handbook for Women with Disabilities 2007