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Mobility aids and assistive devices infinitely improve the lives of disabled and chronically people but unfortunately many don’t see it that way. When people see someone using an assistive device there is so much negativity around them and people often assume around lives are horrible because of our devices but it’s because of them that make our lives so great! It’s not having to use them that makes a disabled person’s life so horrible and depressing but the shame from society when they see a disabled person using an assistive device to make their life easier and better. Assistive devices have changed my life and without them, I would not be as independent as I am today but would probably be completely dependent on someone else so I celebrate what I have because not everyone has access to assistive devices which makes me so sad because I can’t imagine my life without them. If you have been hesitant to get assistive devices here is why you shouldn’t be so afraid but celebrate them instead.
It allows to leave my home!- Without my crutches and wheelchair, I would not be completely bedbound and unable to leave my home. My crutches have given the ability to walk and my wheelchair has made it so I can travel long distances without getting fatigued. If it weren’t for my crutches and wheelchair I couldn’t even get out of bed in the morning without the help of my caregiver or even leave my house without needing to be carried. My crutches and wheelchair have given me the freedom to leave my house and without them, I would be stuck inside all the time so don’t look at it as a negative but praise my assistive devices because it has given me the opportunity to leave my home and have new experiences.
It has given me the ability to travel- Airplanes are not accessible for most disabilities and some disabled people can’t walk at all and couldn’t get to the back of the plane if they wanted so they have to ride first class while some disabilities can’t travel at all. My disability has challenges when I travel but luckily I am still able to and don’t have to get expensive first-class tickets which should be discounted for disabled people that have no other options! My crutches make it so I can walk to the back of the plane if I needed to and my wheelchair makes it so I can travel the world with my family without getting exhausted or having to rent an uncomfortable to wheelchair every time I want to go somewhere of significance distance. I don’t mind occasionally renting a chair but for long period of time and for every outing it would not be fun!
Allows me to walk up to my sister’s apartment-– My sister has a lovely apartment but unfortunately, to get to it you have to climb up a small flight of stairs. It’s pretty easy for me now and a lot of the time I think there should be more but without my crutches, it would not be an option and someone would have to carry me up the steps which I don’t think anyone would want to do. It’s one thing to carry a child up a flight of stairs because children are lighter but when that person is a grown woman it requires so much more effort and probably will take more than one person which isn’t worth the effort if you don’t have to.
Allows to hang out with my friends- If it weren’t for my wheelchair Karly and I couldn’t hang out so we probably wouldn’t even know each other. Karly and I have so many good memories together that I can’t imagine not knowing my best friend! If it wasn’t for my assistive devices I would have had to be homeschooled because carrying heavy books to each class would have been too difficult and not possible for me. My wheelchair has allowed me to go to school and meet my best friend let’s, Karly. My chair has allowed me to go to the mall with Karly since we both need our chair for accessibility, I need it because of long distances and Karly can’t walk at all. When we go to the mall sometimes, I need to help Karly get some things off shelves when they are too heavy for her to lift since her disability makes that difficult but if I didn’t have a wheelchair I couldn’t help her because with my crutches it would be just as difficult for me to pick up stuff as it was for her. Shopping wouldn’t be a possibility for us without our assistive devices because neither of us could leave our homes!
Assistive devices are something that many people pity disabled people over because they see them as this horrible thing that is taking over our life. Assistive devices is what gives you independence so we can leave our homes and do things without family. When I got my first pair of crutches and wheelchair, I was so excited because I had the freedom and accessibility that I didn’t have before. You may see it as ugly bulky equipment we have to lug around and may think “wow that must really be awful” but disabled people don’t see it that way and what we see is accessibility and freedom because without our chair we could not leave our homes easily. Be proud of your assistive device because it doesn’t matter what your friends think of them and at the end of the day you either want an easier life or you don’t! If you are struggling with acceptance, see if you can get colorful crutches and if that’s not an option, get some sticker or something to spice up your mobility aid and make it pretty because sometimes, they can be very bland and boring making it difficult to feel confident in your walking sticks. Do you celebrate your assistive devices? How have you learned to accept them?
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Jenna Breunig
I’ve never liked the phrase “confined to a wheelchair” because it treats wheelchairs like a cage instead of a tool for freedom. People need to get around somehow!
My Rockin Disabled Life
I’ve never liked it either and actually, the correct term is wheelchair user! I agree “confined to a wheelchair” sounds negative as if we are chained to our chairs so you’ll never hear me talking like that.
Jenna Breunig
“Wheelchair user” is much more factual. I like that better.