Parents With Lived Experience

When researching into the experience of parents with physical disabilities, there are many invaluable messages that are useful for individuals beginning their journey into parenthood. It is important to recognise that people with disabilities are always able to act autonomously and independently. The freedom to make their own choice in becoming a parent is extremely imperative for the health and wellbeing of the parent and future child.

Connecting with Others

During the journey to parenthood most parents with physical disabilities have felt overwhelmed and alone, as healthcare professionals can only provide as much insight into the experience that they have been told. To reduce these feelings and promote health and wellbeing of parents, it is recommended to join a peer support group (online/face to face). Parents with lived experience can provide support and comfort to those who are at the beginning of their journey – offering a sense of hope and instilling confidence in their decision to becoming a parent.

Finding the Right Team

Parents have continually reported the lack of knowledge that most health professionals have when it comes to supporting parents with physical disabilities and their children. Parents have felt discriminated, misunderstood, and unnoticed when communicating with their team of health professionals. It is important when looking for your team to guide you through this new process, to make sure it is a collaborative approach. You should always play an active role in decision making when it comes to the health and wellbeing of yourself and your child. No one knows your disability better than you.

Being proactive

Research has indicated that parents with physical disabilities are infrequently referred to allied health and assistive technology services. However, when parents have been linked with these services and have been prescribed the appropriate devices, it has been extremely invaluable. This highlights the need for parents to be proactive with engaging in these services.

Being A Parent With A Disability

A recurrent theme with parents with disabilities is the ability for their infants to adapt to their physical limitations. A lot of parents have reported that children will quickly adjust to the needs of the parent, whether it be perching on the parents unaffected side or becoming comfortable with equipment to support the independence of the parent.