Invisible disabilities: often unpredictable difficulties. Planning: deciding in advance on actions to take to achieve a specific purpose. Planning and invisible disabilities can’t co-exist, can they?
In 2005, we bought our first digital camera. Before then, we took slides and have several thousand. For years, I’ve known these slides need to be transferred to digital form. But given my impairments and time-constraints, it seemed a daunting task. But now, we have this website and I desire to add family photos, so you can meet us. In addition, my plans include creating slide shows of special events for our sons and their families. Hence, I must re-evaluate possibilities, and see if I can digitize the slides.
I finished adding photos for chapter one and the ones for chapter two are ready to put up. However, the photos for chapter three and part of four are primarily still on slides.
Let’s see how.
We’ll look at planning and invisible disabilities in two parts. The first component applies to anyone making plans. But the second factor covers our physical limitations. To see how this worked for me, I’ve included my thoughts in italics.
Practical planning
- How much time will be involved?
- My slide converter only digitizes four slides at a time, each taking a couple minutes to load. For several thousand slides, this represents a huge amount of time. So, I can figure months or several years to finish them all.
- How much effort does it require?
- Based on the time involved and the arm-use required, tremendous effort will be necessary.
- Is any equipment needed?
- A slide converter, computer, and software are required.
- Is specialized knowledge involved?
- Yes. One needs knowledge to run the converter and use the PhotoShop software. I already know how to use these.
- Will there be costs?
- No, because I already own the software and equipment.
Physical considerations
Evaluate your body, limitations, and abilities.
- Assess your condition.
- My condition hasn’t changed; if anything, I’m weaker. So, in assessing this project, it seems impossible. Because of this project’s importance and since I have the equipment, software, and knowledge, I will adjust in other areas.
- Redefine expectations.
- In the distant past, when beginning a task, I kept at it until finished. Now that I’ve started digitizing slides, my desire is to keep working. But I can’t. I must adjust my expectations and realize I have to cut the job into manageable chunks. There still might be days, or weeks, I can do nothing. Acceptance is an important factor here.
- Do only what your strength or condition permits you to do.
- I acknowledge my weakness prevents me from working very long at a time. I also may have to ignore it completely for a while in case of exacerbations or illnesses, as when I had Covid last week.
- Don’t push yourself.
- This is essential to accomplishing these plans.
Appraise your circumstances.
- Do you have help?
- I have no help for the slide transfers, but FJ is available at times to pick up the slack in my other responsibilities.
- How often will you likely be unable to work?
- This is an unpredictable area for me. I need to make contingency plans for these times. Or just accept it when it happens and be patient.
Determine your strengths.
- What is your strength?
- It took me a while to realize that one of my strengths is planning. A complementary strength is organizing. Add to that, I tend to be meticulous. These permit me to get much more from my limited energy.
- Harness that power.
- I will build in plans for those inevitable days/weeks/months I can’t add more slides.
- Learn specific ways to compensate for what you cannot do.
- I can’t add an entire year of slides when that year contains several hundred. So, I plan on working on no more than twenty to forty at a sitting.
Accept—or even seek—help when you need it.
- Know when you really cannot do it all and need assistance.
- Accept help when offered; seek it when you must.
- Regarding this project, there aren’t many ways others can help. But for other activities, help is available.
Summing up
Now, you can see how I plan even though I have changeable invisible disabilities. I trust you have gained some insights for your own planning. Find more articles on planning and invisible disabilities.
How do you handle planning?
