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Realizing you have a disability can be a heavy experience for many people. Being disabled can mean a lot of things to different people, but it most often means a sudden lack of being able to experience life the way you’re accustomed to. This shouldn’t be taken to mean your life is ruined, though. There are many ways to cope with disability and thrive in your new normal, and we’ll discuss four of them here.

1. Accepting Your Disability

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to accept your disability and what that means for your life and your lifestyle. This lack of acceptance isn’t born out of denial, but of the simple fact that accepting your disability means accepting that your life has been fundamentally changed.

Living with a disability may mean that many aspects of your life change. It may impact certain dreams, goals, and every day habits. Even so, accepting these facts is crucial to learning how to live with your disability. You will be able to find other enjoyable activities, dreams, and goals that you can do with your disability and learn to move forward.

2. Finding Support

A dedicated network of people you can trust makes a big difference in the challenges of having a disability. Whether you need help recovering from an accident that has left you disabled or whatever you may be struggling with, having friends there to listen and understand is more helpful than people think.

Many online and in-person communities exist for support among disabled people. There are even specific groups for specific kinds of disabilities, both broad and particular. No matter what your condition, there are people out there who can sympathize and understand it. You just have to find them.

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3. Know Your Rights

Unfortunately living with a disability may mean experiencing the insensitivity and prejudice of others. Knowing your explicit rights to accessibility and equal treatment is critically important to avoid hardship you could otherwise avoid.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) listed in their 2016 disability report that at least 28,109 filed for disability discrimination in that year alone. While you may be lucky and never have to face such discrimination, it is important to know your rights as well as how to contact a disability attorney, like Glen Cook Social Security Attorney, if necessary. While your instincts may tell you not to rock the boat, know that you speaking out will save both you and many others pain in the future.

4. Trust Your Instincts

This may sound odd at first, but you’ll quickly learn that living with a disability comes with large amounts of second-guessing yourself. Learn to trust yourself and trust others as you navigate living with a disability and the changes to your everyday routine that will come with it. Trust yourself to know when you need help and when something isn’t right. Work with yourself and with your medical professionals to create a solid game plan for your future.

When you first realize you have a disability, life may seem bleak. It doesn’t have to be, though. Millions of Americans live their lives with a disability and still manage to go about it in fulfilling and enjoyable ways. Use the information above, as well as other information you’ve found, as you move forward with your life.

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