I am a wheelchair user, thankfully I have always needed to use a wheelchair that did not happen until I was the ripe old age of 35. Now it came as a shock the first time I seen myself in a wheelchair. Which was in the reflection of the window in the hospital. The reality of disability hit home hard.

It was not until I met and talked to other wheelchair users did I come to accept it, not that I will ever feel totally natural but it is now managable and I thank God that it is today when there is disabled parking, shops are accessibble. It does make me think how did people cope with a disability 30 years ago when there was no such thing as The Disability Discrimination act.

Orginally I used a bulky steel ‘NHS style’ wheelchair with side arms on, I did not even know the arms detached and I used to launch myself out of the chair into the car and hold onto the handbrake or anything I could grab hold of in the car. Very undignified and very dangerous.

Now I use a lightweight wheelchair with detachable sides, so getting into a car is far more dignified using a side ways sliding action and a little help. However the first time I used my lightweight  chair I nearly flipped it over as the force I used was that from my old bulky chair so I needed to reduce the energy I put into wheeling myself around.

Author: admin