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While on my morning roll today I had two separate people ask me if I wouldn't have an easier time with a power chair.
This happens regularly, about once or twice a week. It's a big part of what I had to fight my OTs over to get my current chair.
(Thread)
This happens regularly, about once or twice a week. It's a big part of what I had to fight my OTs over to get my current chair.
(Thread)
And the thing is, they're not *technically* wrong that in many ways (though not at all) using a power chair would be an easier experience.
But it's interesting to me that they assume "easy" is the most important thing I'm looking for in choosing my wheelchair.
But it's interesting to me that they assume "easy" is the most important thing I'm looking for in choosing my wheelchair.
Rather than "ability to be active" or "all-weather capability" or "ease of transportation," for example.
And it's especially interesting given that when I'm ambulatory and I choose to do things in a way that's easier for my body, that's perceived as being lazy or inconsiderate or wasteful of resources.
And given that the ways in which we assess "accessibility" and "accommodations" tend to be grounded in whether you can technically do a thing when it's completely decontextualized...
...versus how the thing may or may not impact you in the context of a normal day (i.e., how "easy" it is).
And there's just something so strange about having spent so much of my life being told I just needed to "get more active" and having to fight so hard to get them to understand why I really, really couldn't...
...and now I've found a thing that enables me to be active and I love it so much, and honestly feel like if I'd had access to this as a kid I probably would've grown up to be a total jock
...and they're all like, "yikes that looks hard maybe you should tone it down"
...and they're all like, "yikes that looks hard maybe you should tone it down"
*well, access to this and mast cell stabilizers and supplements that limit lactic acid buildup in my muscles
