MY POWER CHAIR

I have using a wheelchair for 26 years.

For 20 years, when I was in the wheelchair, I was often treated as a stupid child. People would pat me on the arm, and sometimes pat me on the head. People almost NEVER talked to me directly, but would talk to whoever was with me. If they talked to me, it was often in the tone that one uses to speak with a child.

Then it stopped. Why? Because I recovered my wheelchair in black, making it look like a rolling office chair used by bosses. This was a neato side effect, because I chose black to show off my dragon wheelchair decorations I use when I go to BayCon or RenFaire. I still smile to myself about my change in status just because my wheelchair chair is black rather than ugly battleship grey.

Each person in a wheelchair is different. I am lucky as I can walk about half a block per day. Some people can not walk at all. I use a wheelchair because I refuse to be limited to half a block. I like zoos, courthouses, museums, funky shopping, etc. Without my chair and lift, I can not do any of these things.

So, here are some rules for wheelchairs.

If you are opening a door for a wheelee (person in wheelchair), do NOT stand in the doorway. Wheelchairs have to use extra power going over thresholds, and therefore, do not have as much control over the direction the chair is going. I do not like running over toes, because the resulting screams hurt my ears. %<)

If you want to be helpful to a wheelee, ASK what you can do. You can often make things worse or dangerous for the wheelee if you try to help without getting input from the wheelee.

NEVER climb over the wheelchair or brush closely by the wheelchair. If you fall or trip, you could badly hurt the person in the chair. Treat the wheelchair and wheelee as a PERSON, rather than as a chair in your way. Politely ask the wheelee to move, and give the wheelee time to move.

If a wheelee is entering an elevator, please move to the side so the wheelee can move into the center back of the elevator without hurting anyone. Again remember that an elevator has a threshold, so the wheelee has to speed up to get into the elevator. Wheelees do not want to hurt you, and if you stand in the center of the elevator, the wheelee will hesitate to enter the elevator.

Sometimes people will tell me how they wish they had a wheelchair because they are momentarily tired of walking or standing. I always reply, "Be careful what you wish for."