When you have Spina Bifida, sometimes you may need a wheelchair to get around, but not everyone will need to use one full-time because some people can walk short distances with assistive devices. It depends on what level of Spina Bifida you have because people who have good use of their legs usually can learn how to walk with assistive devices and won’t rely on their wheelchairs as much. As a disabled person with physical disability, I need to use a wheelchair sometimes because I walk with crutches and am unable to walk long distances, but I don’t require a wheelchair 24/7. I only need to use a wheelchair part-time, and because I use my wheelchair less often, I don’t have the skills a full-time wheelchair user has. Full and part-time users have different experiences, and there are things that a full-time wheelchair user can do that I cannot do and if I can, I am not nearly as good at it. In this post, I am going to share a few realities of being a part-time wheelchair user.
I can’t do as many cool tricks with my chair- As a part-time wheelchair user, I am able to do some things, such as a wheelie, because I have taught myself to do that, but I can’t do nearly as many cool tricks as a full-time wheelchair user can. I don’t spend as much time in my chair because I don’t always need it and have not spent nearly as much time teaching myself to do cool things with my wheelchair. I have seen some full-time wheelchair user take their wheelchair down a flight of stairs independently but if I were able to attempt that, I would likely cause some serious injuries. I usually need help navigating steps as a part-time wheelchair because I don’t use my wheelchair enough to need that skill and can always get out of my chair when there are steps. I can’t do nearly as many tricks with my wheelchair as a full-time wheelchair user can because my chair doesn’t come in my house and I don’t use it nearly as often. I wish I could do more tricks with my chair, but I don’t have access to my chair to practice doing more things.
I am not as good at navigating spaces- I am better at navigating spaces than a non-disabled person who never uses a wheelchair would be, but I would not say that my driving always deserves an A+. I am not as good at navigating small spaces as a full-time wheelchair user would be, and sometimes, I completely misjudge a space and crash because I don’t have as much experience in my wheelchair as a full-time wheelchair user. Full-time wheelchair users spend more time in their chairs and are able to develop skills I will never have as a part-time wheelchair user. I am not a bad driver because I do use my chair sometimes and get some practice, but it’s not unusual for me to crash and nick up the wall because I am not as good at navigating small spaces.
My wheelchair is not as comfortable- People who use a wheelchair full-time often have more padding and their chair is more comfortable because you sit in it all day long. There are times I go out shopping and am in my wheelchair all day long, but most of the time I am not sitting in my chair because there is no need to. My chair is not uncomfortable, but it does not have as much padding as a full-time wheelchair user because it’s not designed to be sat in 24/7. Wheelchair users with electric chairs are able to recline their chairs when they get tired, but I can’t do that, and if I want to recline, I have to do a wheelie. I sometimes wish my chair reclined because that would be nice, but it doesn’t because they don’t make chairs for people who only use them part-time as comfortable to encourage walking. It is not unusual for me to get back pain when I use my chair for long periods of time because they don’t make manual chairs as comfortable.
My wheelchair doesn’t cost as much- My wheelchair is expensive, and I could never afford to buy a wheelchair out of pocket if my insurance didn’t want to cover it, because it probably costs hundreds of dollars, but it is not nearly as expensive as an electric wheelchair that costs thousands. My wheelchair lasts longer than an electric wheelchair because I don’t use it as much, and as long as I take care of it and don’t lose important parts, I can get it to last ten years out of it if I had to. I am able to get a new wheelchair every five years and usually do, but if I couldn’t get one right away, I’d be okay because I don’t have to constantly replace parts like someone with an electric chair would, and my manual chair typically lasts longer. It can take up to six months or more to get a wheelchair approved by insurance, but the process is a little faster when you have a manual chair because it has less parts and not as expensive.
I can push as fast as my arms let me- People with electric wheelchairs are limited with their speed because you can only go as fast as your chair will let you. As a part-time wheelchair user who drives a manual chair, I don’t have those limitations and can drive as fast as my arms will take. I get tired more easily than someone with an electric chair because it requires more physical effort, and is a workout, but a lot of the time I can go faster than someone with an electric chair. I don’t have the speed limitation that someone with an electric chair does and can go as fast as my arms will take me.
My chair is much lighter- My wheelchair is not super light and I don’t know exactly how heavy my chair is, but I do know that it’s much lighter than an electric wheelchair because I don’t have as many parts that add weight. Electric wheelchairs are often thousands of pounds, but my chair is nowhere near close to that, and one person can usually lift my chair, but it would be almost impossible for one person to single-handedly lift an electric wheelchair unless you happened to be a body-builder and it would probably take multiple people to maybe lift the chair. I love that my chair is a little lighter because it allows my family to lift my chair when there is a small step and no ramp.
When you are a part-time wheelchair user and can walk, it is a little easier to navigate inaccessibility because you can walk up a flight of stairs when something is not accessible, whereas someone who needs a wheelchair full-time might not be able to do that. I am not able to walk long distances and am grateful for my wheelchair, but because I am not using it all the time, I don’t have the skills a full-time wheelchair user does and never will. I struggle with things that a full-time wheelchair user wouldn’t struggle with, but I do have more freedom because I am able to walk and have a little easier time navigating accessibility. Wheelchairs are not something that you are bound to and are freedom because if it weren’t for my chair, I wouldn’t be able to go anywhere that required walking long distances. There are pros and cons to being a part-time and full-time wheelchair user because, depending on your mobility needs, you may face different obstacles. What realities of being a part-time wheelchair user would you add? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
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