It’s that time of year again that can look quite beautiful over the weeks with the leaves changing color and eventually falling and that feeling of change, the shedding of natures work in preparation for the winter ahead.

Depending on where you live and the amount of trees around, the build up of leaves can be quite substantial, and if the majority of leaves are not falling onto open soil then it can take a little longer for the leaves to break down if they dont get cleared up first.

While using your mobility scooter and seeing a coating of leaves up ahead of you on the pavement may not pose much of an obvious problem, it’s what lies underneath the leaves that you cant see which may inconvenience you.

We’re not talking serious danger here, just the types of things that you would otherwise avoid on a clear pavement.

Although quite harmless, it can be more difficult to spot dog muck bewtween all of those leaves, this wont really cause you any problems but if you dont notice that it is on the tires and it gets taken indoors then this is slightly unpleasant of course.

Theres also the possibility of broken glass or other sharp objects, which wont be an issue for you if the tires on your mobility scooter and not inflatable but it might lead to a puncture on others.

Sometimes the leaves are totally covering the pavement, taking to the road may not be an option so at times you’re forced to ride through and over the leaves, there may be a dip in the pavement, even one that you have been aware of at other times but it can be difficult to know where it is when you cant see the pavement and only the mass of fallen leaves.

When you will find it a little more dangerous is when the leaves begin to get broken down and are soaking wet, this can sometimes create a slippery coating on the pavement surface and extra care should be taken if you’re ever travelling over a surface like this.

The autumn can be a great time of the year on the dry days when you can feel the freshness in the air and get to experience the wonderful colors of the leaves that the trees begin to shed, seeing those gorgeous reds, yellows, golden browns and shades in between.

We dont associate leaves as posing any danger to us, and on their own they really dont, it’s just when you have a build up of them over the ground that you’re travelling on, whether dry or wet that you need to practice caution, knowing that the leaves can hide unnoticeable inconveniences underneath.

You can also read more about general mobility aid use outdoors during the autumn at Adapting To Mobility Aid Use For Autumn And Winter

Whether you have needed to use various mobility aids for most of your life or have only recently started using them, you will usually be able to get yourself into a routine and have things arranged in and around your home so that you have a situation that works for you.

Having your rooms laid out in a way that helps you to get around a bit better without obstruction, knowing where you can find your various mobility aids quickly and easily and having some sort of a system that you understand can make your daily living easier.

When you go out shopping and to other public places there is often at least minimal effort that has been put into place, whether it’s an access ramp, offered assistance, wider entrances and aisles, disabled toilets or parking or something else, it all helps and shows that some thought has been put into the various facilities.

While there cant be a perfect day everyday where everything you need is there for you and nothing or nobody gets in your way, it’s still nice to see some of the above mentioned conveniences in place if you need them.

This is all provided without the people who run those places knowing you personally, by law some facilities need to be in place, in other situations it’s about courtesy and other people understanding that if they want the general public to be able to access something then they need to make sure that it is as accessible as possible and that it’s made even easier for a person with mobility needs.

But what about the people that you actually know, your family and friends, these are people that will know of your mobility needs already, some will have more of an interest and an understanding than others and some you may only see every once in a while but the fact is that they know of your mobility needs.

So knowing that, how well do the people in your life accommodate your mobility needs?

It may just be the simplest of things that can go a long way to helping you, for example if you go over to visit a relative at their own home and they have young children that may leave toys and other items out on the floor, will the adults within that home make sure that they have cleared the floor of obstruction enough for you before you arrive, or at least as you arrive?

Or maybe some relatives may see the situation as you’re in their home now, with their rules in place and they may in fact not even attempt to make anything easier for you if you go over to visit.

Even something like arriving at a friends or a relatives house where they may have a car or two parked on their driveway, this is something that might not cause much of a problem to people without mobility needs or with a wide drive but if the space is narrow, it may make it more difficult for you to get past and to reach the front door if you’re using a walking frame, or a mobility scooter or wheelchair.

It’s small adjustments, small considerations and forethought by the people that you know that although it may be hardly any effort required on their behalf, it will make a significant difference to you.

You could be going to see someone who lives in a block of high rise flats, and there will be a lift there so no concerns about reaching their floor but as an extra bit of assistance for you it would be even better if the person who you are going to see is waiting for you at the entrance of the block of flats as you arrive.

Even if you have arrived with someone, to have the person who you are going to see actually be there to let you into the block can save you from the messing around of intercom systems not working, and doors that are not always easy to pull open and to keep open as you enter the block.

These are just some examples and there are many more situations both as you try to access the homes of relatives and friends and as you try to get about in their homes and gardens.

It can be easy for a person without disabilities to forget or simply not think about how the slightest thing can make the difference between you being able to move past something easily or not at all.

It wont necessarily be the case that they dont care if you end up struggling, it is more often that because they dont have to worry how they will manage with certain situations that they simply dont realise how difficult the simplest of situations may be for some people with mobility needs.

Some family and friends will go out of their way for you, while some will occasionally forget and not realise the difference that their consideration makes and others might not do much at all to understand or to accommodate your mobility needs.

What have you found regarding your family and friends when it comes to your mobility needs?

As standards in any workplace can vary greatly, there can be huge differences in how well a company or organisation accommodates employees with mobility needs.

Not only regarding accessibility for employees and the right facilities but also how each individual is treated at the place where they work.

When new commercial buildings are designed and constructed, there is often more thought put into accommodating people with disabilities, this may not always be the case as there might be some types of jobs and environments where it simply wont be practical or expected that a person with a disability would be working in certain types of employment.

But if a company knows that they can and will employ people with a disability then they are usually going to be prepared for this, especially if the building is new.

Some companies will not take this into consideration though and where they could actually employ a disabled person they may put less time than they could do into making their workplace mobility friendly.

Beyond a workplace being suitable for a person with mobility needs to get around, there also needs to be understanding within a company by the employers and the other employees, no matter how large or small the company.

For an individual with mobility needs to feel comfortable and unobstructed at the place where they work, it has to go beyond easy access to the building and a method of moving between any floors that there may be.

If employers have a good understanding of how they can provide an environment suitable for all and employees understand how to accommodate each other, whether disabled or not, then it can make for a great workplace environment that can flow and be very efficient through some careful planning.