Lifestyle Adjustments for those with Ankle Pain and dysfunction
When walking is painful and difficult, it can help to find ways to participate in normal activities while walking less.
Use Disability Parking
Because the International Symbol of Access features a depiction of a person in a wheelchair, some people mistakenly believe that disability parking is only for people who use wheelchairs. While eligibility for a permit will vary with jurisdiction, individuals with any condition that hinders the ability to walk distances will typically be eligible.
Because many people assume that disability parking is only for people with wheelchairs, individuals without visible signs of impairment will sometimes be harassed by well-meaning bystanders when parking in disability parking, and vehicles have sometimes been vandalized when parked in these spaces. It may therefore be useful, if one’s mobility impairment is not visually obvious, to carry a walking cane when using these parking spaces (see below).
Photo Credit: Tony Webster, CC BY-SA 3.0
Use Public Wheelchairs and Carts
If one is capable of walking only a moderate distance without pain, it makes sense to use aids such as wheelchairs when the situation would otherwise require a substantial amount of walking.
Wheelchairs are available to borrow free of charge at many museums, historic sites and the like. Information on where and how to obtain a chair is often easy to find on museum websites.
Airports will provide both wheelchairs and someone to push them free of charge. One can typically request this service when booking a ticket.
Supermarkets and other large retailers (at least in the United States) will typically have electric shopping carts. Typically, one simply climbs into any available cart, without needing to consult any store employee.
Photo Credit: User:Piotrus, CC BY-SA 3.0
Carry a cane
A cane or other mobility device can serve not only as an aid to ambulation, but as a form of communication about your mobility issues. Seeing that a person has such issues, others may offer assistance such as places to sit while waiting on a queue, the opportunity to use a shorter, but otherwise restricted path, etc.
Photo Credit: https://unsplash.com/@eiskonen