[lace] Handicaps

[Alex Stillwell]

Hi

Re: It is always amazing what "handicapped" (I hope that is
a
politically-correct term) people can do and I am wondering if other
Arachnians
have seen or worked with lacemakers with one arm or, as in the case of
Ilske's
aunt, an arm that is paralyzed.

I have taught a very slow learner who was in my class with a carer.  The carer
also learnt so she could help her.  She was always happy and enthusiastic and
made yards of the basic torchon fan pattern to put on gifts that she was very
proud of.  She gained a lot from the sessions being in a normal class and
achieving so much.

At one time we had a thalidamide victim with one distorted hand and arm coming
to our lace group. She uses continental style bobbins and glass headed pins
and uses her teeth to pull them out.

I have taught others with various problems.  Although not really in the
category the original post was about arthritis makes lacemaking difficult.  I
think of all the options regarding sitting position, the various ways of
handling bobbins, pinhead size, thickness of thread and describe the options.
I also let students try the different equipment.  It is only the person with
the problem that can decide which of the options is best for her. Also listen
to what aspect of making lace is difficult for her and try to think of an
answer, it may not work, only she can be the judge,  but she will appreciate
that you are thinking of her.  Learning problems can go hand in hand with
physical ones, but don't assume it.  The majority of people with physical
problems are capable of using their mental capacity to mitigate them.

Best wishes to all those having to cope with physical problems, I have
arthritis and it is frustrating at times.

Alex

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[lace] Handicaps

[Jean Nathan]

We had a lady in our lace group who had cerebral palsy. She was in an 
electric-powered wheelchair, which she could manipulate with a lever 
operated by her right hand, which was the only part of her body she could 
use. She couldn't speak and had a conversation book which she held down with 
her left hand and turned the pages and pointed to what she wanted to say 
with her right. She was very intelligent and did all sorts of crafts which 
could be done with one hand and wrote her life story using a computer. She 
lived in an independent living bungalow with half a dozen other disabled 
people, where they did as much for themselves as they could, but had a 
live-in carer. She loved her cat.


She made various edgings and mats in lace. The bobbins had to be wound for 
her and the pricking put on the pillow. She couldn't hold the bobbins, but 
would move them by pushing them where she wanted them, including making 
twists and crosses, with her right hand and a helper put the pins in. She 
came to the group every week until she died in her sleep in her eighties.


Jean in Poole, Dorset, UK 


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