When you see someone using a wheelchair or scooter – do you ever see past their wheels to stop and think why they need help with their mobility?

I was one of those people who saw someone in a wheelchair and thought they had always used it and used it all the time.

When I started to use a wheelchair myself, I did so because I couldn’t walk far or stand for long. Using a wheelchair made life so much easier. It meant I could get out of the house and do things like everyone else. One day I was in a clothes shop and stood up to reach something I wanted to look at. As I stepped out of my wheelchair, there was a woman next to me whose face said it all. She thought I was a fraud, and how dare I use a wheelchair if I could stand up!

This made me think. People who use mobility aids do so for so many reasons.

• Getting older
• Sporting injury
• Accident
• Medical condition or disability

And mobility problems can be from birth, is a degenerative condition, or can become a problem at anytime in someone’s life.

No one wants help with doing everyday things. Sometimes though, using a simple aid can make a huge difference. Whether it is a bathing aid, kitchen aid or walking aid, if it helps you get more out of life, gives you more confidence and helps you to be safer – then it has to be a good thing.

I heard a woman commenting about a mobility scooter user. She was saying that they were just being lazy. They could walk “fine”. She didn’t stop and think about why they were using a mobility scooter. I don’t know what the reason was either, but just because you can walk it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t use mobility equipment. Without using a scooter that person may have had to stay in the house that day. No one should be prevented from getting the most out of their life by disability or age.

As a young person I was reluctant to use mobility aids and equipment. I was wrong and am so glad I changed my view. Sometimes disability is not visible, so people don’t offer to help you. I found that in this situation a walking stick not only helped me to get about, but it was also a sign to everyone else that I was unsteady on my feet. Before I used my walking stick I just looked drunk when I walked. When I used my stick I had so much more confidence as I no longer looked drunk, I looked like I had problems walking. Passers by were not judging me anymore. My disability was visible.

Author: Jane