 Getting a new powered wheelchair feels like picking up a new car. When I collected my wheels two months ago, it felt like a Lamborghini. It was sleek, sexy and I couldn't wait to take it for a spin after the horror of my old powerchair. My old, powered wheelchair had run its course – the suspension was broken, the leg-rest was stuck on with superglue, and the battery died after an hour's use. It was a nightmare, and I cursed using it. It was not only awful – it was dangerous. I fundraised for a new powerchair via GoFundMe across my social media platforms because my local services are a postcode lottery. If you are an ambulatory wheelchair user like I am, you do not get the powerchair you need, therefore, I would not have got all the functions I required. My powerchair cost £13000 and I raised it in three months. So, when my new chair arrived, I was so excited and wanted to show the world – but in my excitement, I forgot that the world isn't always kind to wheelchair users. In the same week, I dealt with four unpleasant, dehumanising, ableist experiences. I had never felt so humiliated, anxious, or threatened for simply being me (Picture: Sarah Alexander) I have used a wheelchair on and off since I was thirteen, but I have been a full-time user for the last eight years. I have always experienced ableism – from micro-aggressions such as shop assistants talking to my partner instead of me or basic inaccessibility, however, nothing has been quite as bad as this week. While shopping with my boyfriend, Tom, in Liverpool city centre, a month ago a group of older teenagers started singing 'they see me rollin' as they walked by us. My non-disabled boyfriend immediately made eye contact with them and stared them down. They laughed amongst themselves and walked off. I was frustrated and annoyed, I felt alienated and upset but tried to not l){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Getting a new powered wheelchair feels like picking up a new car.
When I collected my wheels two months ago, it felt like a Lamborghini. It was sleek, sexy and I couldn’t wait to take it for a spin after the horror of my old powerchair.
My old, powered wheelchair had run its course – the suspension was broken, the leg-rest was stuck on with superglue, and the battery died after an hour’s use. It was a nightmare, and I cursed using it. It was not only awful – it was dangerous.
I fundraised for a new powerchair via GoFundMe across my social media platforms because my local services are a postcode lottery. If you are an ambulatory wheelchair user like I am, you do not get the powerchair you need, therefore, I would not have got all the functions I required. My powerchair cost £13000 and I raised it in three months.