Nine years ago next month, I was on my way to work when my life took a different turn. I didn’t make it into work and instead found myself being transported to a trauma hospital with multiple injuries due to a horrific motor vehicle crash. I vaguely remember my hospital stay but what I do remember is worrying about the electronic equipment that I had in my vehicle. At the time, I had two blackberries – one was for personal use and the other one was for my employer. Somehow one of those blackberries went missing and I found myself constantly asking for that blackberry. Once I retrieved it, I could not wait to use it to catch up on emails, texts and phone calls. Little did I know, something that was once such an easy task, had turned into quite a challenge. I could not make out any of the words on the screen and I could not remember how to use the keypad. Sustaining a brain injury from a horrific motor vehicle crash can do that to a person.
Living in a Digital World Can Be Difficult
At times, I literally cried. Each and every time I picked up my blackberry, it was a struggle and I remember how upset and frustrated I was. Being sent home to recover and trying to adjust to the new “me” was full of numerous challenges. There is no denying that we were living in a digital world back then – fast forward eight years when many had to quickly adapt and learn to work from home as we faced unexpected lockdowns. Luckily my eyesight as well as my memory improved over time but I realize that a lot of crash survivors are struggling with electronics just as I did at the start of my recovery as well as seniors. When I speak of seniors, I would like to personally share with you my most recent experience with aging parents that may be struggling with learning new electronics.
These days, it’s really hard to keep up with cell phones. The younger generation are first in line to jump on board to purchase the newest and latest cell phone while crash survivors and seniors struggle to learn the newest gadget. With aging parents, I have witnessed the struggles that they continue to face with their cell phones. It is extremely disheartening to watch them try to learn how to swipe up, swipe down, answer their phone or find a contact to place a call. One parent has a wonderful gadget wrapped around her neck which allows her to press a button to answer a call that is coming in but to actually use the phone itself? Well… the number of “butt dials” and “sorry I didn’t meant to call you” clearly explains that it ‘s not an easy task for her.
One parent had such an old and odd looking cell phone that I had never seen before but it worked for him because it was easy. Have you tried to find a new “flip phone” these days? Well let me tell you….it’s not an easy find but luckily we were able to find just ONE that would be beneficial for him to use and as we purchased this phone, I sat and wondered what on earth is going to happen if cell phone manufacturers decide not to sell flip phones anymore? Is the demand just not there? Are flip phones soon to be a thing of the past because everyone wants the newest phone? Is there a cell phone that one can use if they have suffered a brain injury? Is there a cell phone specifically designed for seniors?
We Need Easy Not Complicated
Most crash survivors and seniors want to be able to communicate as easily as possible with their loved ones and do not want to miss out on the digital life we live in. We should be applauding seniors that still want to text! As we age, elders start to lose control of their lives. Some may have to stop driving a vehicle and some may have to make a difficult decision to move into a senior’s building. Quite similar to crash survivors that lose control of their lives and may find themselves never driving again and taking up permanent residency in an assisted living facility.
Dear Cell Phone Manufacturers: Please think of our seniors and crash survivors that have had suffered life-altering consequences. They need easy – not complicated and communication is crucial. When we recently purchased a flip-phone, we were told to be extremely careful with it as they may stop manufacturing them. Then what? What are we going to use in the future when some cannot figure out how to swipe up and down? Does that mean they will be removed from the digital word that we all live in?
S. Dawne McKay is a survivor of a horrific crash that changed her life forever. Dawne shares her personal journey as a Crash Survivor Blogger and also collaborates with crash survivors as Guest Bloggers allowing them an opportunity to share their stories. Dawne is also the author of the book, “Talk Crash to Me – What to Expect After Surviving a Collision and How to Manage Your Recovery” which is available for purchase on Amazon.
The Crash Support Network is a unique one-of-a-kind website consisting of an online support group, a crash survivor blog, a quarterly newsletter, “Sharing Our Recovery” as well as highly informative articles. Our website is based on relationship-building and puts the needs of survivors first by creating a helpful resource for victims and survivors of motor vehicle crashes.
