Dear Bri,
Might I ask, are you missing an arm? Do you have one had that's much more able than the other? Could you explain a little more about the disability you're struggling with please?
Sorry about the personal questions, but I fear you' ll be frustrated and disappointed if our suggestions don't work, and I think we need a bit more info, in order to best advise you.
If I could explain about my own situation: it's probably not as severe as yours, but you'll get the idea:
I've had arthritis since I was around 27, that's thirty years. It happened suddenly after serious food poisoning whilst working in the Himalayas (I nearly died from the bug itself). Although initially it was rheumatoid (which you can do a lot about), it triggered early-onset osteo-arthritis, which really pippers things up.
So now I don't have any normal fingers left, my grip is probably 1/3 or less than normal, and standing on a hard floor doing bench work can be horrid after a couple of days. But like you I'm not giving in to it. It's what we want to do, because woodwork is really satisfying and rewarding.
OK, so how do I cope?
Thing #1: I'm becoming obsessive about sharpness. Whatever edge tool I'm using, and that includes saws, I need to keep it sharp. In the old days I didn't care much, and pushing a blunt something-or-other through the wood was just a slight nuisance. Now it's a right pain. Never mind finish quality, accuracy and so on, it needs to be sharp because I probably can't use it if it's blunt. I can't steer whatever-it-is straight.
if you want to use chisels, or planes, or knives or saws (to an extent), you'll need to find a way to get them really sharp, and keep them that way.
I have a suggestion on this. I started using Scary Sharp a few years ago, and get on with it well. I wouldn't recommend it though in your case if you only have one hand to use, as I find I need two hands to steady the blade (I use a honing guide though, and you might find one that suits). The biggest thing in its favour though is that it seems to be *****-proof - I got really good results the first time I tried it. Give it a try, because if you can use it, it's easy to get good, consistent results. But there's another way, too:
I also bought a Tormek-style slow-speed wet sharpener a few years ago. It took me ages to get on with it. Until recently I just used it for scissors, kitchen knives, and rough grinds of woodworking tools. But I think I was trying too hard or something: my next-door-but-one neighbour was struggling to do some fencing with chisels that were basically wedge-shaped lumps of steel - no edge whatsoever. So I offered to sort them out, and in a short while could dry-shave with them (forearms only!). It just happened, and it was pretty quick. I wasn't expecting it to be as good as it was.
The thing about those grinders is that you CAN use one hand. The jigs slide on a bar, so you're guiding rather than holding the blade in position. OK, I do kitchen knives freehand, but there's always something to rest against, so one-handed is quite possible.
Whatever plane you choose, the sharpening thing will be the real make or break. If you can get your edge tools really, really sharp, and keep them that way, you'll be fine. Otherwise you'll struggle a lot, especially with planes.
Finally, on planes: basically, try a range of tools until you find some that are comfortable.
You will need to be aware of the angle - not the angle you sharpen at, but the angle the iron makes with the wood: as a general rule, low angles for cross-grain work, higher angles for planing long boards and edges, and really high angles for awkward grain, to avoid tearout. If you get a bevel-up plane, you can change the angle when you sharpen (and have several angles if you have several plane irons to fit your plane). If you have a bevel-down plane, like the traditional Bailey pattern #4, #5, etc., it's not quite so easy*.
Finally (my twopence-worth lasts for ages!), you can PULL traditional Western planes, rather than push them. There's no law against it. I often do this, especially with shoulder planes on Tenon shoulders, etc. OK, the handles are set up for not doing this, but you can, and I often do. On a Bailey-pattern plane (numbers #4, #5, #6, and #7 and the half-sizes), it works too. as long as they are very sharp and you set them carefully.
It is much more controllable pulling a Western plane one-handed than pulling it. If you add-in that you can probably swap the knob (at the front) for a custom handle to help you get the best grip and control, that may be a good solution. I only have one block plane, and that can be pulled comfortably too, but it's not suitable for planing big areas.
Hope that's useful. Whatever you buy, sort out a comfortable and effective sharpening method as soon as you can, to avoid a lot of frustration.
Regards,
E.
*Google David Charlesworth's "ruler trick", for putting a tiny bevel on the upper side of the plane iron, for difficult woods - works a treat.
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