(no subject)

[rivka]

Is there anyone on my friends list who uses a wheelchair and would be willing to answer a few questions for Alex?

Comments

[suzilem.livejournal.com]

I've been in a manual chair full time since October 2009.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much. Here are her questions:

Why do you use a wheelchair?
Do you always use a wheelchair?
How do you get up very steep steps when the elevators aren't working?
If there was a fire in your house, how would you climb out the window?
Do you feel like you don't fit in?
Is there anything else you want to tell me?

It would be great if you could answer some or all of these.

[juthwara.livejournal.com]

My mother is quadriplegic, so I could pass Alex's questions on to her, and possibly answer some based on my experience assisting her.

[nolly.livejournal.com]

I sometimes use a motorized scooter.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much. Here are her questions:

Why do you use a wheelchair?
Do you always use a wheelchair?
How do you get up very steep steps when the elevators aren't working?
If there was a fire in your house, how would you climb out the window?
Do you feel like you don't fit in?
Is there anything else you want to tell me?

It would be great if you could answer some or all of these.

[nolly.livejournal.com]

1) I have multiple sclerosis, and my legs don't always work very well, because my nerves aren't good at telling them what to do anymore. So when I need to go very far,like through an airport, I use the scooter so I don't get so tired I fall down.

2) No, most days I don't. Just when I need to do things that would take lots of walking.

3) It depends on how many stairs there are. My house has some stairs, but they're not very steep, and there's not more than 6 together, so those are usually OK. I don't think I could go up more than one flight, maybe two. It would take a long time, and I would be very, very tired when I was done. Luckily, the elevators haven't been down when I didn't have another way to get where I needed to be, so far!

4) It depends on where in the house I am, and what's blocked. If I could, I would go to the front door, and out. If I couldn't do that, I'd have to go out on one of my balconies, but I'm not sure how I would get down from there.

5) Sometimes, but most people are pretty nice, and it's not a big deal. I can do more things when I'm using the scooter, like go to a restaurant farther away, so it's mostly easier to be part of a group with it than without it.

6) The second question was a very good one -- if you hadn't asked already, I would be talking about how not everyone uses one all the time, so just because someone was using one one day, and not another, doesn't mean they didn't really need it, or that they won't need it again.

I suspect you already know about asking people if they would like help and how you can help instead of just assuming they need help or need a specific thing done for them, but that's the other important thing to know.

[rickvs.livejournal.com]

I intermittently push Rachal around in a manual chair. Fire away.

[roadnotes.livejournal.com]

Soren's not using it now, but was earlier this year, so you can send them to us as well. CC me, so I can make sure he answers.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

If Soren feels like answering some of them, that would be great. Here are her questions:

Why do you use a wheelchair?
Do you always use a wheelchair?
How do you get up very steep steps when the elevators aren't working?
If there was a fire in your house, how would you climb out the window?
Do you feel like you don't fit in?
Is there anything else you want to tell me?

[roadnotes.livejournal.com]

Soren has the questions, but one version of his answers is:

Because my right leg is mostly paralyzed, and sometimes I can't walk.

Not always. Only when my right leg or foot hurt too much.

I go up very slowly, one step at a time.

I am scared of that, but I would mostly fall out the window.

Sometimes, because I'm so much slower than other people.

[naomikritzer]

haddayr uses a manual wheelchair some days and I expect she would be willing to answer Alex's questions.

[momlovesnoel.livejournal.com]

My daughter, Noël, uses a wheelchair :)

[rivka.livejournal.com]

If she'd be willing to answer some of Alex's questions, that would be great. Here they are:

Thanks so much. Here are her questions:

Why do you use a wheelchair?
Do you always use a wheelchair?
How do you get up very steep steps when the elevators aren't working?
If there was a fire in your house, how would you climb out the window?
Do you feel like you don't fit in?
Is there anything else you want to tell me?

[badgerbag.livejournal.com]

Sure, happy to answer any questions.

Here are some (rambly) posts: http://bookmaniac.org/tag/wheelchairs/
and (my mom blog) http://badgermama.com/tag/disability/

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much. Here are her questions:

Why do you use a wheelchair?
Do you always use a wheelchair?
How do you get up very steep steps when the elevators aren't working?
If there was a fire in your house, how would you climb out the window?
Do you feel like you don't fit in?
Is there anything else you want to tell me?

It would be great if you could answer some or all of these.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Alex really liked the picture of your kid sitting on your lap, and the video of you zooming along the beach. She says that she bets your kid loooooves to go for rides in your chair.

Thanks!

[mizchalmers.livejournal.com]

Hey! That's my kid! Liz was just borrowing her :)

But yes, Julia loves to go for rides in the chair. And Liz has been completely awesome helping both my daughters to have good manners when they meet a wheelchair user.

[sashajwolf.livejournal.com]

I will ask my mother if my dad would like to answer the questions. (If that phrasing seems odd, I put it that way because my mother uses e-mail and phones and my dad doesn't.) It might actually be good for his cognitive difficulties to think about some of those.

[sashajwolf.livejournal.com]

Okay, he gave some very brief answers, which I will pm to you.

[baratron.livejournal.com]

I'll answer them!

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much! I think it will be great for her to get diverse answers. Here are her questions:

Why do you use a wheelchair?
Do you always use a wheelchair?
How do you get up very steep steps when the elevators aren't working?
If there was a fire in your house, how would you climb out the window?
Do you feel like you don't fit in?
Is there anything else you want to tell me?

It would be great if you could answer some or all of these.

[ladyotterfae.livejournal.com]

My boyfriend of 4 years is a paraplegic, and uses a manual chair. He's happy to answer questions, and we both gleefully follow Alex in her educational adventures.