mental disability

How Can Electric Vehicles Help Drivers with Mental and Physical Conditions?

By Alex Channing

Giving people with physical and mental conditions easier access to our roads will go a long way to helping them live with autonomy and independence. There are many common disabilities that can affect driving, such as arthritis, neurological conditions, or impaired hearing or vision. Fortunately, technological advances are continuing to make it easier for disabled people to get behind the wheel. 

Electric vehicles (EVs) are one such innovation which could help to reduce the gulf in driver numbers between non-disabled and disabled people. But how can an EV assist drivers who have pre-existing conditions? Here are three ways people with mental and physical conditions could benefit from making the switch to electric.

Quieter ride

With fewer moving parts and the absence of a combustion engine, EVs offer a far quieter ride than traditional cars. Whilst this alone may not have you rushing out to join the electric revolution, the reduced noise of an EV has actually been found to have many positive effects on the mental health of drivers. 

A study carried out by researchers at the University of York analysed the brain activity of London taxi drivers when driving both diesel and electric black cabs. The study concluded that they were calmer, happier and more focused in the electric model. It was inferred that the quieter working environment contributed towards higher concentration levels in drivers, with fewer distractions allowing them to focus more on the roads. 

Particularly for people who rely on getting into their cars every day for work or other commitments, the more peaceful conditions could go a long way to helping reduce some of the stresses associated with driving.

Convenience 

It’s a common misconception amongst many drivers that petrol-power is always more convenient than electric when it comes to cars. But there are many arguments that dispute this belief. For example, most electric vehicles are automatic, meaning you won’t have to contend with a gear box or often even a traditional handbrake whilst driving. This can make for a safer and far more comfortable driving experience, particularly for people with joint pain. 

What’s more, for people who suffer from physical impairments, but aren’t registered as disabled, an added benefit of EVs could be the designated electric car parking spaces which are often located in priority spots. In car parks with charging points, these bays will often be placed in a more convenient position, meaning less walking is required to and from your vehicle.

Charging 

As it is, for many disabled drivers, ‘filling up’ an EV is far less strenuous than using a traditional petrol or diesel pump. Whereas using a fuel pump requires the strength to pull the trigger and hold it in place, you simply need to plug the charger into your EV to top it up, where it can be left unattended until fully charged. What’s more, having the freedom to fill up your EV from the comfort of home can help put your mind at ease, and means you can avoid busy petrol/charging stations.

From NCDJ Board Member Amy Silverman: People With Intellectual Disabilities May Be Denied Lifesaving Care Under These Plans as Coronavirus Spreads

A medical assistant and nurse check paperwork during a drive-up COVID-19 screening in Seattle on March 17. (Karen Ducey/Getty Images)
A medical assistant and nurse check paperwork during a drive-up COVID-19 screening in Seattle on March 17. (Karen Ducey/Getty Images)

By NCDJ board member Amy Silverman, for ProPublica/Arizona Daily Star

Advocates for people with intellectual disabilities are concerned that people with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism and other such conditions will be denied access to lifesaving medical treatment as the COVID-19 outbreak spreads across the country.

As Silverman reports, several disability advocacy organizations filed complaints this week with the civil rights division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, asking the federal government to clarify provisions of the disaster preparedness plans for the states of Washington and Alabama.

Some state plans — including Alabama’s — make clear that people with cognitive issues are a lower priority for lifesaving treatment. Alabama’s plan reads that “persons with severe mental retardation, advanced dementia or severe traumatic brain injury may be poor candidates for ventilator support.”

Read the full article here: https://www.propublica.org/article/people-with-intellectual-disabilities-may-be-denied-lifesaving-care-under-these-plans-as-coronavirus-spreads?fbclid=IwAR3p48098GDg_d5LwkvCEblZoPBfrFMcScTYVceoqRDy_Zh_RxnqA27gLg8

More Americans Have Disabilities, Survey Finds

One in four Americans is disabled, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey released Thursday “At some point in their lives, most people will either have a disability or know someone who has a one,” Coleen Boyle, director of CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, said in a written statement. Read Binghui Huang’s story here.

A Japanese man in a wheelchair in the Asakusa area of Tokyo, Japan. ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD ** (Rich Legg / Getty Images)
A Japanese man in a wheelchair in the Asakusa area of Tokyo, Japan. ** OUTS – ELSENT, FPG, CM – OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD ** (Rich Legg / Getty Images)

When Addiction, Opioids, and Disability Meet

When Addiction, Opioids, and Disability Meet

By Mary Wilson, AbleWell.org.

Contemplative man with city in background
Image via Unsplash

Living with a disability can have a serious impact on a person’s wellbeing, especially when that disability comes with chronic pain. The challenges of living with daily pain contribute to substance abuse rates that are two to four times higher in the disability community than the general population. While alcohol abuse and illicit drug use contribute to the high rate of substance abuse among people with disabilities, many develop problems related to prescribed narcotic medications. Often times, patients find themselves relying on alternative solutions for pain. Kratom for pain has become increasingly popular among senior citizens for the treatment of pain; it is similar to prescription pain medication in its ability to modulate how pain is felt by interacting with the body’s opioid receptors. It is significantly less habit forming than prescription pain medication, but still has a risk for dependence, writes Kratom.org.

According to a 2014 report published on Science Daily, more than 40 percent of all Social Security Disability Insurance recipients take opioid pain relievers, and more than 20 percent are chronic users of opioids. These numbers are concerning for a number of reasons. Not only does chronic use of opioids carry a heightened risk of addiction, but researchers are beginning to call into question whether the long-term use of opioids is actually appropriate or effective in the treatment of non-cancer chronic pain.

While some patients have success using long-term opioid therapy to manage pain associated with their disability, others find that as their tolerance to the drugs increases, they require ever-higher doses to reap the same benefit. While tolerance and dependence don’t equate to addiction, they do increase risk. And as the IASP Pain Research Forum points out, higher doses are associated with an increased risk of overdose and death. Even if overdose never enters the picture, death can still result from side effects of opioid use, such as the exacerbation of sleep-disordered breathing leading to cardiovascular death.

Nonetheless, opioids remain as one of the leading treatments for pain, and many people with disabilities rely on opioid pain relievers to keep their daily symptoms manageable. For chronic users, the focus then turns to responsible use to reduce the risk of addiction.

Responsible opioid use begins with doctors: Rather than freely prescribing opioid pain relievers or shunning them outright, doctors must take a balanced approach to these risk-laden drugs. In practical terms, that means not using opioids as a first line of defense against pain, instead directing patients toward alternative remedies like physical therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy, as well as non-opioid pharmacologic therapies, before turning to opioids. When opioids are the appropriate choice, the goal should be to maintain the lowest-effective dose rather than consistently increasing dosages. Physicians must also apply risk assessment tools, screen for contraindicated medications, and carefully monitor patients’ health status after initiating opioid therapy.

Patients, too, have a role to play in managing the risk of long-term opioid use. People who use opioids to treat disability-related pain must be careful to always follow their doctor’s instructions. Steps should be taken to prevent double-dosing and alcohol and illicit drugs should be abstained from while under opioid therapy. Physicians should be informed of all drugs a patient uses, including over-the-counter medications. Opioids should be locked up when not in use and unused medication discarded to prevent unauthorized access by someone other than the prescription holder. Finally, patients should employ nonpharmacologic self-management strategies, such as a healthy diet, adequate sleep, physical activity, and mental health management to improve their overall wellbeing.

While opioids are central to the discussion of addiction and disability, they aren’t the only substance putting the health of people with disabilities at risk. While self-medication with alcohol and illicit drugs can provide temporary relief from the physical and mental pains of disability, it’s a coping mechanism fraught with risks. Drugs and alcohol can interact dangerously with prescribed medications, contribute to poor overall health, and reduce a person’s ability to follow treatment and self-management regimens. Long-term use also contributes to the development of secondary conditions that worsen quality of life, such as depression, organ damage, gastrointestinal problems, and infectious diseases, among others.

Living with a disability is challenging enough without adding a substance abuse disorder into the mix. While advising people with disabilities to avoid alcohol and illicit drugs is relatively straightforward, addiction prevention is complicated when addictive substances are part of a prescribed treatment program. Adequate assessment, monitoring, and cooperation between doctors and patients is essential for preventing opioid use disorders in people with disabilities.

Mary Wilson is the abilities editor for Ability Wellness. She can be reached through AbleWell,org.

Labeling mass shooters as “sickos” perpetuates mental health stigmas

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) released a statement condemning the imprecise language recently used by public figures to discuss the connection between mental health and mass shootings. President Trump and Dana Loesch, a spokesperson for the National Rifle Association, used words including “sicko,” “nuts” and “crazy person” to describe the diagnoses of mass shooter Nikolas Cruz. The NAMI statement criticizes such comments as reinforcing “inaccurate and negative stereotypes” that “create barriers to having real conversations about how to improve the mental health services that lead to recovery and participation in American society by people experiencing mental health conditions.” CNN.com interviewed several mental health experts who also suggested that mental illness is not a reliable condition for predicting violent behavior. Click here to read NAMI’s statement and click here to read CNN’s article.

ProPublica

Level 14: A Home for California’s Most Troubled Children Comes Undone

In this investigative series into one of California’s largest group homes for children with mental disabilities and emotional disorders, ProPublica journalists expose failures at nearly every level to protect its troubled residents. The insitution at the center of the story, FamiliesFirst in Davis, was raided by police in June 2013 after a year of responding to hundreds of calls about drug use, rape, violence and negligence. According to reporter Joaquin Sapien’s explanation of how the story was covered, the investigators obtained data through public records requests and drew from interviews with more than three dozen subjects, including social workers and children who worked and lived in the home.

Read more, and watch the accompanying documentary “Sule’s Story,” at ProPublica.

The New York Times

Separated From Brother, Left to Toil Far From Home

Leon Jones, 64, has an intellectual disability and a swollen right hand that aches from 40 years of hanging live turkeys on shackles that swing them to their slaughter. He also may be the last working member of the so-called Henry’s Boys — men recruited from Texas institutions decades ago to eviscerate turkeys, only to wind up living in virtual servitude, without many basic rights. Read more