More people need to hear this. I'm an ambulatory wheelchair user. Typically I use a cane, but if I want to got somewhere there is a lot of walking I use my wheelchair that way I can enjoy what I'm doing and not be miserable because I'm in pain and worn out.
I can totally relate. I can walk very short distances but I cannot stand still in one spot or walk long distances. I have fibromyalgia, my left knee hurts like blazes and needs to be replaced and I have chronic fatigue. I use my walker so that when I get tired I have my very own seat! I also feel a lot safer pushing my walker (diminishes the fear of falling over).
@@lisa-mariegray5510 Seems we are very similar. I also have fibromyalgia, as well as lupus and other chronic conditions. I also have knees that need replaceing.
@@rey-yac I totally get it! The one time that I used a wheelchair I got "death stares" from all the able bodied people around me. I was at a concert and was clearly able to stand up and walk as I got into and out of the assigned seat but I could tell people thought I was just lazy or faking.
They really do. I use one while going to anything where I might be required to walk excessively/stand in one place for long periods of time like museums, amusement parks, zoos, etc. And usually there's at least one kid with questions, which is inevitably followed by the parent screaming "OMG THAT'S RUDE!" at the kid. Meanwhile, the kid usually wasn't trying to be rude, they're usually just a bit scared and trying to understand. More often than not I tell the parents that it's okay with me if it's okay with them and that it actually helps me a lot if kids learn more about it. I've never had this not shock a parent. Like... look, if you're an adult I mind a lot more, because y'all aren't asking for the same reasons that a kid is. You're asking out of selfishness. Because you have the means to look up things and understand on your own, without me explaining it to you, but you want to interrupt my day and probably my conversations to get your answers from me. And honestly, even if you think you're being polite about it, you're not. If I don't bring up the topic with you, don't ask. It's not your business. But kids? Kids can't just go online and find something out there that explains things in a way that they might understand. But when they ask if I can walk and I tell them "yeah but I fall down a lot and that can scare people so I use this instead and then no one gets hurt or scared" and they can understand that quite easily. They might have a couple more questions, but after that it's usually more about my wheelchair, how fast it can go, where I got it, you know, fun stuff. Adults have more questions every time and there's basically a 50/50 chance of that question being way more rude/hurtful than the previous one. I'd much rather answer a kid's questions than an adult's. Kids are blank slates, adults have a billion conclusions they jump to.
A spectrum?? Well, they need to teach kids about people with disabilities, and that their are degrees of severity. I feel ablest started to use the word spectrum so much, it is the new way to describe things now, other then when talking about autism I don't think I recall anyone using the word spectrum so much... what next differently abled? Eh, well anyway. f'ing youtube is giving videos form years ago damn it.
@@missingaria2503 I did read it again, I thought as you brought it up then I might just as well ask because I got the similiar symptoms as you do as when going to anything where I might be required to walk excessively/stand in one place for long periods of time like museums, amusement parks, zoos, etc. then my legs are in insense pain so I basically fall down and I am going to the doctor to find out why that is so I wonder what you had because I might have the same depending on what it is
Great video. We need more people with disabilities raising awareness. I am a part time wheelchair user.... people do not understand mobility generally.
Sharon Taylor thank you! It’s very frustrating; very few things are either/or and yet with walking people often assume that if you can walk at all you can walk any distance - it’s so WEIRD!
I have fibromyalgia syndrome, osteoarthritis, sciatica, and cervical spondylosis. I say I'm a wheelchair user not a full time wheelchair user. I have to use my chair outside all the time, but not all the time in my house. People should focus on their own lives and stop wondering about everyone else's lives. You don't know the person, anything about their lives or their circumstances. Xxxx
I am a new powerchair user and am fully ambulatory. I have been put in a powerchair because it has gotten very unsafe for me to continue walking. You see I have a type of seizure that causes me to get extremely dizzy, have an extremely bad headache, loose my vision completely and then with in a second of the beginning of the seizure I literally am on the ground. I have these seizures every 2 to 5 minutes. The amount of injuries I have had in the last 6 months alone is absolutely outrageous.
I have FND and am a wheelchair user, i've been told "you can move your legs, so you don't need a wheelie". dude this is for my safety as i can't walk. Thank you for talking about this, and glad you have changed to solid tyres, it does make things easier.
Exceptional video. I’m 53 and joined the disabled world a few years ago. I’m C5 - T1 incomplete and after two years of intensive PT I have gone from no ability to walk to being able to cover short distances using forearm crutches. Like yourself, it isn’t without pain, it does require total focus on walking, and it’s exhausting, awkward, slow and dangerous. The chair affords independence, freedom, safety, endurance and the ability to be part of the conversation. My mental and emotional adjustment to this new world has been more challenging than the physical one and I really appreciate your articulation of ambulatory users…..we do indeed exist and using the chair vs walking really isn’t a choice when you peel back on the why. All the best
Using a chair means you're less at risk from falls. If you had a serious fall you could potentially end up in a hospital bed adding to the NHS demand on resources. Using a chair means you're a pro-active, responsible person managing your condition, trying to live as independently as possible, a point that some able-bodied people fail to have spotted.
I can walk short distance, struggling at work so am getting a chair in a week, really nervous about it but enough is enough, thank you for this I was pretty depressed about regressing.
I have CP too and am also in a wheelchair but was able to walk for a while and still can short distances my life since having a wheelchair is so much better I’m so much more independent and I have less anxiety about being in public my family viewed at as giving up I view it as living the best life possible for me. Thank you so much for the video!
Hello. I am sorry that your family viewed you using a wheelchair as giving up. I feel like having my wheelchair has given me freedom to leave my house, to go out with my friends and family. Not have to worry that one of my legs will suddenly feel dead and make me fall. I hope they have become more supportive towards you and your wheels!
Thanks so much for this awesome video! I am also an 'ambulant wheelchair user' and it's great to see someone explaining how awesome it is to get a wheelchair and actually be able to go out and do things again! I hope this will spread awareness that using a wheelchair is not the absolute worst, as well as that not everyone using one is paralysed. I hope you're getting on with the solid tyres; I have always had solids and swear by them.
Thank you so much for this Kris!!! This is such an important topic and I love the way you talk about it so calmly. My memory tells me this didn't used to be such a big problem before social media kicked off and people were carrying around "smart" phones with cameras and could "document" all the things they felt were abuses of handicapped parking etc, etc... But it still amazes me how people can be so ignorant and willfully uninformed. Please make the short film!!!
Great video!!!! I also have mild CP and started using a wheelchair just over a year ago. OMG, the freedom it's given me!! No more struggling and suffering just to do the most basic things. And yeah, the only negative is having to deal with other people's energy... But as you say, 99 percent of people are super cool and normal. Anyway, thanks for the vid!
I’m a wheelchair user too. I can also walk. I have fibromyalgia and was diagnosed when I was a kid. I use a powerchair which I bought recently as I could only use a chair when someone was willing to push me. It’s completely changed my life. On really bad pain days I can now leave the house whereas before I spent a lot of my time in my bedroom alone, away from my kids. I wish I’d got a chair years and years ago. I just wish places were more accessible!
I want to get a wheelchair for rheumatoid arthritis, but I feel that if the local people see me going around on my crutch some days, they might be like “Oy!” 😮
Thank you for speaking about this I am somebody with CP also that had the ability to learn to walk unfortunately for me though it was never fully independently and it was very very painful and caused a lot of falling so at 16 I made the decision to be a full-time wheelchair user And honestly it was one of the best decision I’ve ever made because instead of using all the energy I had for the entire day walking for 11 minutes straight into physical therapy and then not being able to do anything for the rest of the day to being able to allocate that energy to some thing I love which is (Theatre) and performing and hanging out with friends i’ve been able to do a full course load in school I would take over being able to walk anyway it’s a much better quality of life and some people get really upset with me when I say like I had a choice but I chose the other choice this is why I’m able to have a better quality of life in the chair than I am walking and I am OK with that and I wish other people understood that
I’m another ambulant wheelchair user. I have an energy limiting illness which means I can’t walk far. Trying to push myself to walk more makes me worse. A wheelchair saves me so much energy! It is electric though as pushing myself will exhaust me a lot. Thanks for your video.
to be honest as a physically disabled person i think even if someone were to use a mobility aid they didn't need that would be completely fine. it would reduce the stigma, make the world more accessible to wheelchairs, maybe even make them cheaper
I use to be a ambulatory wheelchair user I had the same experience. I get it. Then I became a fulltime user. And then I got the question: 'can you take a steps'' when i ask if something is wheelchair accecible. then I think: so, when I could walk you looked at me like a was a imposter and now you ask me to walk??????? People are weird!
I could walk around a big store, but I will be in horrible pain and be totally spent by the end. Or I could use my wheelchair and enjoy the experience and still feel good for the rest of the day.
I recently added a powerchair to my options. Rollators are ok sometimes. And sometimes they are too d____ slow! At 76 yrs of age, I tasted the freedom of a chair, and I am going to do what makes me smile! Beepbeep! Passing on your left! And don't you try sitting your sorry a___ on my lap.
My son is autistic and I use a chair for him because he has no understanding about danger cars, roads, crowds etc. The looks I get when he gets out of his chair to play in the park is ridiculous.
Yeah. The looks we got once when we were at the bottom of some stairs and we just told out buddy he should stand up and walk up the stairs cause pushing him up the hill thats as steep as the stairs next to it is just really really hard. First we got judgy people cause how dare we tell a person in a wheelchair to walk. Then he stood up and they changed their judgy looks to different judgy looks cause how dare that guy use a wheelchair when he can walk.
People get really judgy when you're not the stereotypical disabled person. One of our group had a powered wheelchair, holding on to that while standing on a skateboard is loads of fun. Its fun with 5kmh powered wheelchair is fun, with 10kmh its even more fun xD But DAMN. The amount of judgy looks we got. Like wheelchair users aren't allowed to have fun.
I use crutches from car to door. With major pain relief, on a good day I can perhaps manage a maximum of 10 yards (5 out and 5 back). Like you, I decline to not get out of the chair, say in restaurants, or shops, if I feel well enough. Without it, I am housebound or tied to being close to the car (a large wheelchair!). Not many ab people would want a swop for the reality-, we are making the best of things, often through technology. All the best X
I am just looking into getting a wheelchair cause of pain and tripping danger due to work injuries. I can walk, but if I stand for any length of time or go shopping I am useless for the next 2-3 days. I am hoping to take out the pain 'trigger' of distance walking etc and gain more health and strength in short controlled exercise and physio to slow the decline. I am not looking forward to some of the comments but I am not shy to tell people to mind their own business either!
Thank you for discussing this topic.👍🏾👍🏾 I have been an ambulatory wheelchair user for almost 10 years. There was a time when I felt overwhelmed by guilt, leading me to doubt my own capabilities. However, I’ve come to understand that my wheelchair is simply another tool in my arsenal, designed to assist me in my daily activities. 🙂
Thank you for sharing your experiences. I can relate to the challenges presented by others regarding perceptions of my mobility. While I primarily use a wheelchair for outdoor activities, I also ride my 200cc motorcycle to the corner store. Unfortunately, some individuals struggle to understand this duality. Despite having handicap plates, I’ve faced calls to the police when parking my motorcycle in designated spots. Although this used to frustrate me, I’ve learned to rise above their misconceptions and focus on my own journey instead.
Sir I do totally understand what you are dealing with, I was born prematurely and I have a mild case of cerebral Palsy and rheumatoid arthritis and lupus (SLE) It's getting difficult to walk and My balance and coordination is compromised.. I also have epilepsy and I will not compromise my health by falling.. Sir, I'm Christian, But anyone who can't have compassion and empathy for a disabled person who is in a wheelchair and offer assistance if needed, I don't give a Damn about their opinions of me, Screw them, God will repay them for their ugliness.. Learn not to pay attention to the crap, and live your best life today 😂❤❤❤ Donna Lane Kingman Az USA
The only thing that I would say to any ambulatory cheer user is to please remember that there are those of us who are paralyzed, and who cannot get out of our chairs, and that many times resources to accommodate us are limited. I am quadriplegic, and completely unable to transfer out of my power chair. I was incredibly frustrated when I went to Disney World with my family, because ambulatory wheelchair users and people on scooters would use the entire wheelchair viewing area for the shows. They did this, even though they could feasibly get off their scooter or get out of their chair and sit in a normal seat. So there were multiple shows that I didn’t get to watch with my family because the wheelchair seating area was full, but it was full of people who could get out of their chairs but chose not to. In these moments, I do find myself getting frustrated with ambulatory wheelchair users who are less disabled than I am, because I feel like they of all people should understand that some of us have no choice, and that when they can choose not to use the designated disabled areas to make way for someone else with no other options they could choose to be kind and do so.
Great video, I've just learned that I'm an 'ambulatory wheelchair user'! I've had the 'omg miracle' looks a few times but the way I look at it now is that it's their issue, not mine.
Some people can be so stupid. I have EDS and am a part-time crutch user. The best comment I got recently was by a colleague who hadn't seen my crutch before. When she asked what I'd done and I replied 'nothing I'm just feeling off balance and tired so I need my crutch' she promptly came back with 'the dr won't like you using that.' 🙄 erm...maybe a dr gave it to me 🤔
Good response, I also have EDS and I mostly use my cane but when I’m at my church I use a wheelchair because the church building is a big building and I would be in high pain if I was to walk into the sanctuary and I wouldn’t be able to focus on the church service.
I'm also an ambulatory user, though to a very limited extent because of extreme problems caused by damage and then Osteoarthritis over time. And like you, I tried to stay OUT of the chair for as long as possible... and that has done me no favors. Being so new to it, though, I won't lie, I'm nervous as hell to even let people see my legs move, because I never know if there's going to be an attack of the Karen, I don't have time for that. Thank you SO much for this video, it did help me mentally SO much!
This is so relatable… obviously! I’m glad you’re making peace with what you need, totally get why that makes you nervous but I’m glad you found this helpful :)
Im in advanced heart failure......I use a wheelchair or mobility scooter whenever I leave my house. There is NOTHING wrong with my legs, my heart just craps out if I try to walk more than 50 feet or so. If I catch someone staring I make sure they know Ive seen them, smile and wave my legs around. They usually go scurrying off in the opposite direction.
I'm one of those people who used to think "couldn't walk" and "wheelchair use" were one in the same. I am now an ambulatory wheelchair user myself. Just like you I've kinda already trashed my body and I need it to last me another 50+ years. We deserve to be able to leave our beds or houses without unnecessary fatigue, pain, injury, etc. I think of it like the elderly: can they walk? Usually yes. Do they have arthritis and not very much energy? Also usually yes, which is why so many use wheelchairs. Those all apply to me except the being old part.
O have been in a wheelchair for 42 years you can get wheels that don't puncture like mines ones for years I had that problem I actually hate being in a wheelchair people are always staring me after a while I decided to look like a movie star and act like one give myself reasons for them looking sometimes I shout out had a good look and they turn around quickly now many years later I just don't look at them which is good because I am always looking down on the ground to avoid eye contact
Thank you for sharing 💜 I'm an ambulatory wheelchair user, I can stand and I can walk but it causes too many symptoms. I was house bound pretty much for two years because I couldn't get far and it meant I had incredibly limited quality of life , I wish someone suggested a wheelchair years ago and that it's okay to use one of you can stand or walk. I now use it when ever I leave the house and it's allowed me to do SO MUCH more . I still do almost feel a little embarrassed about the fact I can stand or walk , which mainly comes from society's perspective of wheelchair users.
Thank you for making this video. I am right there with you. Hope this goes viral. Don’t ruin your body. Use t he chair when you feel you need it. I will spread this word about chair usage. You rock.
Thank you. I'm in a similar position myself. I was diagnosed with CP pretty early and didn't walk till same age as you. By the time I was in my late 20s I'd decided enough was enough and walking anywhere was agony and took forever and was referred to wheelchair services. People need to realise ambulatory wheelchair users do exist. Yes I can walk short distances, but doing so causes unbearable pain, so why should I, or anyone else in our position put ourselves through that because society can't accept the way it is.
@@KrisHalpin definitely still a lot of toxicity around it, and I really don't understand why. There's a massive range of disabilities known to cause mobility problems, all of them different and with their own challenges. And yet you still see people drop their jaws if you stand for 2 seconds (or get accusations of you not needing the chair, that's happened a few times) Good to see people out there challenging these outdated views, thank you for speaking up
Thank you for this video! I recently sustained an injury in my ankle and got myself a wheelchair so I can move about, go on vacation, and do things I like without worrying that I'll re-injur myself. The same is true for when I most likely will have surgery for this injury.
I have a stigmatism, am nearsighted, and wear glasses. I'm legally required to wear them to drive a car. Without glasses everything is fuzzy and I can't see a lot of detail, but I could manage in an emergency. Or swimming. But going without would be silly, inconvenience me and others, make basic and advanced tasks needlessly difficult, rob me of enjoyment of my surroundings, while potentially putting me and everyone around at risk. That is what i realized when I accepted that I am an ambulatory wheelchair user. Most people will eventually need assistive tech at some point, like readers for example. So I always direct the discussion to normalizing use and allow folks to conclude the spectrum of abilities.
Ohhhh yes I use a wheelchair myself and there's only one wheelchair repair place in the six counties surrounding me 😳 so if I get a flat tire I must go to the bicycle shop and hope the people aren't going to turn me down just because it's a wheelchair. Thankfully a friend told me about Schwalbe tires that are puncture resistant cuz I was getting tacks in my tires every six months 😩 Also I always am afraid people think I'm a fraud 😔
I have bone on bone arthritis, which has only gotten worse after losing 30lbs(go figure, but some of it has to do with muscle loss due to cancer treatments). So instead of getting knee replacement surgery(I’ve got PTSD from hospital stays (again, cancer treatments) from a nurse injecting me with the wrong medication & nearly killing me), I got a wheelchair…which was cheaper than the surgery. I can walk with a cane, but walking long distances or having to stand too long, my knees really start hurting. I’ve seen people looking at me & shaking their head when I walk to the back of my car & pull the wheelchair out & then sit on the chair seat. I always have the urge to yell at them, “why don’t you try walking with my knees!” but refrain from doing so. I made sure to get a model with the solid wheels because I didn’t want to risk puncture. However, solid wheels have their drawback, too. Over time they can rot & fall apart (I was gifted a used chair from my sister in law (it was her late father in law’s chair) & the tires crumbled while at WDW(thankfully at the end of the trip, not during). My pet peeve with using the chair is a lot of people act as if they don’t see you, as if I’ve suddenly become invisible once I sit in the chair, and either walk in front of you (& get their ankles cracked) or block you with their shopping carts & walk away.
I have a similar situation. I have a neural hyperactive which causes severe spasms if I stand up and walk a bit, so my doctor prescribed a wheelchair to relieve the symptoms, and yes, people are weird when it comes to those of us with disabilities
Thanks for sharing Tom, that’s super frustrating. I recently got diagnosed with functional neurological disorder which is similar I think to what you describe I think
People don't understand what it feels like to live in a body that has physical challenge(s). I understand very well what you go through.....the body aches and also gets tired. It helps to have something that will help the individual ease the pain and tiredness.
I think a lot of people don't understand the different levels of mobility. I've got spina bifida. I've got no feeling from the knees down and no sense of pain from the waist down. I'm 53 now, and for at least 48 of those years, various people have been asking me why I don't have an electric wheelchair. They don't understand the need to keep the mobility you have, and they don't understand the expense of an electric wheelchair (as if a manual wheelchair weren't expensive enough). And I think when people are ambulatory part-time, it confuses people, for two reasons: 1) They think that a wheelchair is for when you can't walk *at all*. 2) There's this unfortunate expectation that everyone in a wheelchair is yearning for the day they can walk (and usually, it's "walk again", because they assume that if you're in a wheelchair, something "happened to you"). The idea that it's not everyone's goal to walk doesn't occur to them. I kind of get why it would be confusing, but they've never compared walking with braces and crutches to rolling in a wheelchair.
Honestly, standing people can be so clueless. I’d turn the tables on them: “Wait, you can run?? So why do you ever bother to ride a bicycle?!” 😂 Seriously though, I’m slightly jealous of that whole standing thing. It’d be nice to be able to pull on trousers in only a few seconds. 😅
This is a great simple bideo to direct people towards. I personally have maybe 10 to 15 metres in me so before i got my power scooter i was a full year without once going into the supermarket. But now i can, i do find myself (subconsciously) hamming it up a little when have to get up to get stuff from the fridge or a higher shelf, then trying to remind myself that this is real and necessary regardless of what others may think of my choice of top shelf pasta sauce.
Both my tires kinda exploded a cupole of time yet so I bough 2 of those staffs used when you have a puncture on the bike tire, I don't know the name, but with that if I get a puncture another time I repair it at least until I get a new one
Does it matter what other people say? What is important is that one does whatever is necessary to be effectively mobile and function independently as much as possible.
Great talk. Agreed. I cant walk yet, waiting for prosthetic but standing briefly wobbly on one leg, usually gets the same reaction. Horror, a bit of suspicion if I'm trying to scam them into helping. (They ignore me, mostly, when I'm struggling.. some push by if I'm in the way) Like between invisible and blocking furniture. Others are wonderful though. Thank you for the talk. Appreciate the video.
Because people are idiots especially nowadays I broke my ankle and had to use a wheelchair and walker people were very rude then I was able to walk again and now they treat me nice.
I know this is old, but I just wanted to say I can relate as I also have SD CP. The worst for me are the people who want to pray for me. As an ambulatory user I want to stand up and kick them, but then they'd probably think their prayer worked 😊
I find that i dont get as much grief as younger people do my mobility is anywhere from walking a short distance to using a walker to a wheelchair it just depends on how i am doing i have some accumulated injuries and stage 4 lung cancer one day to the next is never the same
I have cp too and I was waddling around til a few months ago. I got a cane for extra support because I have nerve damage now and it caused increased risk of falling
I usually just use a cane, but if I am at my church I use a wheelchair to get around the building because it is a big building and I would be in pain and unable to focus on the church service, I use the mobile carts at the grocery store if I am having a bad pain day due to my EDS.
A pram or perAMBULATOR is a device or wheeled vehicle used when children are tired or have difficulty walking, a wheelchair is used for the same thing by adults. What's so difficult for people to understand. ffs? When I wasn't disabled I was an ambulatory car user. I would nip to the local shops when I could have walked there but did so because it was quicker & easier to use a wheeled vehicle, take note able-bodied people. I use 2 sticks these days and struggle to walk 10 metres with them, so I use a mobility scooter to manage my lower limb disability. These people really need to get a life or preferably a brain capable of rational thought & problem solving. Sorry I'm 4 years late to the party but nice one Kris.
Just found gou i sufferd 3strokes at age 26 then nr 2 at age 31 then nr 3 at age 35. After number 2 i can walk short bits Butt not long. Butt many people believe i fake it!. I need my weelchair 95procent al day. I am 37
Im currently really struggling to walk. i have a walking stick but after about 10 minutes im exhausted and in so much pain. because my diagnosis is not set in stone yet but fibromyalga and CfS have been discussed. i feel like using a wheelchair is crappy of me because i can walk. i dont leave my house i dont go out. i even get my shopping delivered because i know that its going to hurt a whole lot if i have to go out. I feel like a chair would give me alot more independance but im just scared to use one because of judgement of family and society
jadambi thanks for sharing ❤️ that’s so relatable; I thought a chair was “quitting” but it’s made my life soooo much better. I realise now that the hang ups weren’t mine, they were society’s, my doctor’s, or my parent’s. We deserve to manage our conditions in ways that make our lives better, without feeling like we have to conform, especially for fear of “cheating” - your body is nobody else’s business!
Understandable feelings, I felt the same. People are pretty judgemental but you have to remember that your health issues do not concern them! Stay strong.
jadambi I’ve got the same thing and I use a wheelchair. Our disability is real and even when people give me hell I’ll continue to use this tool to getting independence
Especially now that I've bought a wheelchair (am getting it on Thursday night) I really don't understand how someone can spend over 7000$ for a wheelchair that they do not need...
I never understood why people can be such clowns about ambulatory wheelchair users who can stand or take some steps. I assume the chair is better because walking is difficult for them. The same with a blind person who has some visual perception using a white cane or reading Braille, I just assume whatever vision they have is useful in some situations and not in others.
I’m going to be sarcastic here. I know able bodied people who take the subway to get from one place to another. If they can walk, why do they need a subway to get from 20th Street to 120th Street? If they can walk, shouldn’t they walk everywhere. And instead of flying from New York to California shouldn’t they just walk?
People see you stand & act like you've scammed them. I can walk a little but not long & not without pain. It can take days to recover from walking. Remember too you have civil rights. Exercise them if necessary.
More people need to hear this. I'm an ambulatory wheelchair user. Typically I use a cane, but if I want to got somewhere there is a lot of walking I use my wheelchair that way I can enjoy what I'm doing and not be miserable because I'm in pain and worn out.
I can totally relate. I can walk very short distances but I cannot stand still in one spot or walk long distances. I have fibromyalgia, my left knee hurts like blazes and needs to be replaced and I have chronic fatigue. I use my walker so that when I get tired I have my very own seat! I also feel a lot safer pushing my walker (diminishes the fear of falling over).
@@lisa-mariegray5510 Seems we are very similar. I also have fibromyalgia, as well as lupus and other chronic conditions. I also have knees that need replaceing.
@@rey-yac I totally get it! The one time that I used a wheelchair I got "death stares" from all the able bodied people around me. I was at a concert and was clearly able to stand up and walk as I got into and out of the assigned seat but I could tell people thought I was just lazy or faking.
❤ thanks for the video it's educational,and informative ☺️☺️
They need to start teaching children that disability is a spectrum.
They really do. I use one while going to anything where I might be required to walk excessively/stand in one place for long periods of time like museums, amusement parks, zoos, etc. And usually there's at least one kid with questions, which is inevitably followed by the parent screaming "OMG THAT'S RUDE!" at the kid. Meanwhile, the kid usually wasn't trying to be rude, they're usually just a bit scared and trying to understand. More often than not I tell the parents that it's okay with me if it's okay with them and that it actually helps me a lot if kids learn more about it. I've never had this not shock a parent.
Like... look, if you're an adult I mind a lot more, because y'all aren't asking for the same reasons that a kid is. You're asking out of selfishness. Because you have the means to look up things and understand on your own, without me explaining it to you, but you want to interrupt my day and probably my conversations to get your answers from me. And honestly, even if you think you're being polite about it, you're not. If I don't bring up the topic with you, don't ask. It's not your business.
But kids? Kids can't just go online and find something out there that explains things in a way that they might understand. But when they ask if I can walk and I tell them "yeah but I fall down a lot and that can scare people so I use this instead and then no one gets hurt or scared" and they can understand that quite easily. They might have a couple more questions, but after that it's usually more about my wheelchair, how fast it can go, where I got it, you know, fun stuff. Adults have more questions every time and there's basically a 50/50 chance of that question being way more rude/hurtful than the previous one.
I'd much rather answer a kid's questions than an adult's. Kids are blank slates, adults have a billion conclusions they jump to.
A spectrum?? Well, they need to teach kids about people with disabilities, and that their are degrees of severity. I feel ablest started to use the word spectrum so much, it is the new way to describe things now, other then when talking about autism I don't think I recall anyone using the word spectrum so much... what next differently abled? Eh, well anyway. f'ing youtube is giving videos form years ago damn it.
@@missingaria2503 What is your diagnosis if I may ask?
@@jwilleseries7764 go back, re-read what I said. Re-read that second paragraph in particular please.
@@missingaria2503 I did read it again, I thought as you brought it up then I might just as well ask because I got the similiar symptoms as you do as when going to anything where I might be required to walk excessively/stand in one place for long periods of time like museums, amusement parks, zoos, etc. then my legs are in insense pain so I basically fall down and I am going to the doctor to find out why that is so I wonder what you had because I might have the same depending on what it is
Great video. We need more people with disabilities raising awareness. I am a part time wheelchair user.... people do not understand mobility generally.
Sharon Taylor thank you! It’s very frustrating; very few things are either/or and yet with walking people often assume that if you can walk at all you can walk any distance - it’s so WEIRD!
💯
I have fibromyalgia syndrome, osteoarthritis, sciatica, and cervical spondylosis. I say I'm a wheelchair user not a full time wheelchair user. I have to use my chair outside all the time, but not all the time in my house. People should focus on their own lives and stop wondering about everyone else's lives. You don't know the person, anything about their lives or their circumstances. Xxxx
I have the same health conditions as you. Plus Sjogrens and is so painful
@@citlalie9791snap. All of the above. Luckily i have a positive attitude and am very independent. (Too much at times).
I am a new powerchair user and am fully ambulatory. I have been put in a powerchair because it has gotten very unsafe for me to continue walking. You see I have a type of seizure that causes me to get extremely dizzy, have an extremely bad headache, loose my vision completely and then with in a second of the beginning of the seizure I literally am on the ground. I have these seizures every 2 to 5 minutes. The amount of injuries I have had in the last 6 months alone is absolutely outrageous.
I have FND and am a wheelchair user, i've been told "you can move your legs, so you don't need a wheelie". dude this is for my safety as i can't walk.
Thank you for talking about this, and glad you have changed to solid tyres, it does make things easier.
Exceptional video. I’m 53 and joined the disabled world a few years ago. I’m C5 - T1 incomplete and after two years of intensive PT I have gone from no ability to walk to being able to cover short distances using forearm crutches. Like yourself, it isn’t without pain, it does require total focus on walking, and it’s exhausting, awkward, slow and dangerous. The chair affords independence, freedom, safety, endurance and the ability to be part of the conversation.
My mental and emotional adjustment to this new world has been more challenging than the physical one and I really appreciate your articulation of ambulatory users…..we do indeed exist and using the chair vs walking really isn’t a choice when you peel back on the why.
All the best
Using a chair means you're less at risk from falls. If you had a serious fall you could potentially end up in a hospital bed adding to the NHS demand on resources. Using a chair means you're a pro-active, responsible person managing your condition, trying to live as independently as possible, a point that some able-bodied people fail to have spotted.
I can walk short distance, struggling at work so am getting a chair in a week, really nervous about it but enough is enough, thank you for this I was pretty depressed about regressing.
I felt like that too! But I feel so much better and independent now - hope you enjoy your new chair soon, it may seem weird at first!
I hope you got on ok with your new chair. I just got mine
Exactly where I'm at
I have CP too and am also in a wheelchair but was able to walk for a while and still can short distances my life since having a wheelchair is so much better I’m so much more independent and I have less anxiety about being in public my family viewed at as giving up I view it as living the best life possible for me. Thank you so much for the video!
Hello. I am sorry that your family viewed you using a wheelchair as giving up. I feel like having my wheelchair has given me freedom to leave my house, to go out with my friends and family. Not have to worry that one of my legs will suddenly feel dead and make me fall. I hope they have become more supportive towards you and your wheels!
Thanks so much for this awesome video! I am also an 'ambulant wheelchair user' and it's great to see someone explaining how awesome it is to get a wheelchair and actually be able to go out and do things again! I hope this will spread awareness that using a wheelchair is not the absolute worst, as well as that not everyone using one is paralysed.
I hope you're getting on with the solid tyres; I have always had solids and swear by them.
I AGREE - so much negative stigmatism. I have FND which causes me to lose control of my legs at times. I’m not there, but some days, need to sit more
I was diagnosed w/ FND in 2021; as you are maybe experiencing it’s so frustratingly variable! I have okay days and terrible days
@@KrisHalpin same here
Thank you so much for this Kris!!! This is such an important topic and I love the way you talk about it so calmly. My memory tells me this didn't used to be such a big problem before social media kicked off and people were carrying around "smart" phones with cameras and could "document" all the things they felt were abuses of handicapped parking etc, etc... But it still amazes me how people can be so ignorant and willfully uninformed. Please make the short film!!!
Great video!!!! I also have mild CP and started using a wheelchair just over a year ago. OMG, the freedom it's given me!! No more struggling and suffering just to do the most basic things. And yeah, the only negative is having to deal with other people's energy... But as you say, 99 percent of people are super cool and normal. Anyway, thanks for the vid!
I’m a wheelchair user too. I can also walk. I have fibromyalgia and was diagnosed when I was a kid. I use a powerchair which I bought recently as I could only use a chair when someone was willing to push me. It’s completely changed my life. On really bad pain days I can now leave the house whereas before I spent a lot of my time in my bedroom alone, away from my kids. I wish I’d got a chair years and years ago. I just wish places were more accessible!
I want to get a wheelchair for rheumatoid arthritis, but I feel that if the local people see me going around on my crutch some days, they might be like “Oy!” 😮
It does happen unfortunately! But it’s your body, you have to be as safe/comfortable as you can be x
Thank you for speaking about this I am somebody with CP also that had the ability to learn to walk unfortunately for me though it was never fully independently and it was very very painful and caused a lot of falling so at 16 I made the decision to be a full-time wheelchair user And honestly it was one of the best decision I’ve ever made because instead of using all the energy I had for the entire day walking for 11 minutes straight into physical therapy and then not being able to do anything for the rest of the day to being able to allocate that energy to some thing I love which is (Theatre) and performing and hanging out with friends i’ve been able to do a full course load in school I would take over being able to walk anyway it’s a much better quality of life and some people get really upset with me when I say like I had a choice but I chose the other choice this is why I’m able to have a better quality of life in the chair than I am walking and I am OK with that and I wish other people understood that
I’m another ambulant wheelchair user. I have an energy limiting illness which means I can’t walk far. Trying to push myself to walk more makes me worse. A wheelchair saves me so much energy! It is electric though as pushing myself will exhaust me a lot. Thanks for your video.
I heard you. I am wheelchair user also. I hear "I wish I had ones those power wheelchair." I say to them I wish I had body that worked.
I’ve said that too.
to be honest as a physically disabled person i think even if someone were to use a mobility aid they didn't need that would be completely fine. it would reduce the stigma, make the world more accessible to wheelchairs, maybe even make them cheaper
I use to be a ambulatory wheelchair user I had the same experience. I get it. Then I became a fulltime user. And then I got the question: 'can you take a steps'' when i ask if something is wheelchair accecible. then I think: so, when I could walk you looked at me like a was a imposter and now you ask me to walk??????? People are weird!
ARRRGGHHH!! I hear that a lot and it’s so infuriating!! What are the rules??? Solidarity with you 👌👍
I could walk around a big store, but I will be in horrible pain and be totally spent by the end. Or I could use my wheelchair and enjoy the experience and still feel good for the rest of the day.
I was born with Spina bifida and our life stories are very similar, and I 100% agree, standing and walking are totally different.
I recently added a powerchair to my options. Rollators are ok sometimes. And sometimes they are too d____ slow! At 76 yrs of age, I tasted the freedom of a chair, and I am going to do what makes me smile! Beepbeep! Passing on your left!
And don't you try sitting your sorry a___ on my lap.
My son is autistic and I use a chair for him because he has no understanding about danger cars, roads, crowds etc. The looks I get when he gets out of his chair to play in the park is ridiculous.
Yeah. The looks we got once when we were at the bottom of some stairs and we just told out buddy he should stand up and walk up the stairs cause pushing him up the hill thats as steep as the stairs next to it is just really really hard.
First we got judgy people cause how dare we tell a person in a wheelchair to walk. Then he stood up and they changed their judgy looks to different judgy looks cause how dare that guy use a wheelchair when he can walk.
People get really judgy when you're not the stereotypical disabled person.
One of our group had a powered wheelchair, holding on to that while standing on a skateboard is loads of fun. Its fun with 5kmh powered wheelchair is fun, with 10kmh its even more fun xD
But DAMN. The amount of judgy looks we got. Like wheelchair users aren't allowed to have fun.
I use crutches from car to door. With major pain relief, on a good day I can perhaps manage a maximum of 10 yards (5 out and 5 back). Like you, I decline to not get out of the chair, say in restaurants, or shops, if I feel well enough. Without it, I am housebound or tied to being close to the car (a large wheelchair!). Not many ab people would want a swop for the reality-, we are making the best of things, often through technology. All the best X
I'd be like "but you can smart." Then leave 'em puzzled. Not that I'm ambulatory, just would probably give such a comeback. 😩
I've got cerebral palsy too and I'm legally blind and I've gotta use different types of tools to help me get around too.
It was a miracle! I guess they don't call Disney "The Magic Kingdom" for nothing 😂😂😂
🤣🤣🤣
Only just come across this. It’s totally how my life has been.
I am just looking into getting a wheelchair cause of pain and tripping danger due to work injuries. I can walk, but if I stand for any length of time or go shopping I am useless for the next 2-3 days. I am hoping to take out the pain 'trigger' of distance walking etc and gain more health and strength in short controlled exercise and physio to slow the decline. I am not looking forward to some of the comments but I am not shy to tell people to mind their own business either!
Thank you for discussing this topic.👍🏾👍🏾
I have been an ambulatory wheelchair user for almost 10 years. There was a time when I felt overwhelmed by guilt, leading me to doubt my own capabilities. However, I’ve come to understand that my wheelchair is simply another tool in my arsenal, designed to assist me in my daily activities. 🙂
Thank you for sharing your experiences. I can relate to the challenges presented by others regarding perceptions of my mobility. While I primarily use a wheelchair for outdoor activities, I also ride my 200cc motorcycle to the corner store. Unfortunately, some individuals struggle to understand this duality. Despite having handicap plates, I’ve faced calls to the police when parking my motorcycle in designated spots. Although this used to frustrate me, I’ve learned to rise above their misconceptions and focus on my own journey instead.
Sir I do totally understand what you are dealing with, I was born prematurely and I have a mild case of cerebral Palsy and rheumatoid arthritis and lupus (SLE)
It's getting difficult to walk and My balance and coordination is compromised..
I also have epilepsy and I will not compromise my health by falling..
Sir, I'm Christian, But anyone who can't have compassion and empathy for a disabled person who is in a wheelchair and offer assistance if needed, I don't give a Damn about their opinions of me, Screw them, God will repay them for their ugliness.. Learn not to pay attention to the crap, and live your best life today 😂❤❤❤
Donna Lane
Kingman Az USA
The only thing that I would say to any ambulatory cheer user is to please remember that there are those of us who are paralyzed, and who cannot get out of our chairs, and that many times resources to accommodate us are limited. I am quadriplegic, and completely unable to transfer out of my power chair. I was incredibly frustrated when I went to Disney World with my family, because ambulatory wheelchair users and people on scooters would use the entire wheelchair viewing area for the shows. They did this, even though they could feasibly get off their scooter or get out of their chair and sit in a normal seat. So there were multiple shows that I didn’t get to watch with my family because the wheelchair seating area was full, but it was full of people who could get out of their chairs but chose not to. In these moments, I do find myself getting frustrated with ambulatory wheelchair users who are less disabled than I am, because I feel like they of all people should understand that some of us have no choice, and that when they can choose not to use the designated disabled areas to make way for someone else with no other options they could choose to be kind and do so.
Great video, I've just learned that I'm an 'ambulatory wheelchair user'!
I've had the 'omg miracle' looks a few times but the way I look at it now is that it's their issue, not mine.
TOTALLY! It’s on them, we don’t need their weirdness baggage 🙃
Some people can be so stupid. I have EDS and am a part-time crutch user. The best comment I got recently was by a colleague who hadn't seen my crutch before. When she asked what I'd done and I replied 'nothing I'm just feeling off balance and tired so I need my crutch' she promptly came back with 'the dr won't like you using that.' 🙄 erm...maybe a dr gave it to me 🤔
That is awful :( solidarity x
Good response, I also have EDS and I mostly use my cane but when I’m at my church I use a wheelchair because the church building is a big building and I would be in high pain if I was to walk into the sanctuary and I wouldn’t be able to focus on the church service.
Stares, not stairs, stairs would be a bad idea 😂 love it! And yeah, you're so right, im so glad you're talking about this
I'm also an ambulatory user, though to a very limited extent because of extreme problems caused by damage and then Osteoarthritis over time. And like you, I tried to stay OUT of the chair for as long as possible... and that has done me no favors. Being so new to it, though, I won't lie, I'm nervous as hell to even let people see my legs move, because I never know if there's going to be an attack of the Karen, I don't have time for that. Thank you SO much for this video, it did help me mentally SO much!
This is so relatable… obviously! I’m glad you’re making peace with what you need, totally get why that makes you nervous but I’m glad you found this helpful :)
Im in advanced heart failure......I use a wheelchair or mobility scooter whenever I leave my house. There is NOTHING wrong with my legs, my heart just craps out if I try to walk more than 50 feet or so. If I catch someone staring I make sure they know Ive seen them, smile and wave my legs around. They usually go scurrying off in the opposite direction.
I'm one of those people who used to think "couldn't walk" and "wheelchair use" were one in the same. I am now an ambulatory wheelchair user myself. Just like you I've kinda already trashed my body and I need it to last me another 50+ years. We deserve to be able to leave our beds or houses without unnecessary fatigue, pain, injury, etc. I think of it like the elderly: can they walk? Usually yes. Do they have arthritis and not very much energy? Also usually yes, which is why so many use wheelchairs. Those all apply to me except the being old part.
Thank you so much for your channel as I'm a new wheelchair user after my illness. From Scotland
O have been in a wheelchair for 42 years you can get wheels that don't puncture like mines ones for years I had that problem I actually hate being in a wheelchair people are always staring me after a while I decided to look like a movie star and act like one give myself reasons for them looking sometimes I shout out had a good look and they turn around quickly now many years later I just don't look at them which is good because I am always looking down on the ground to avoid eye contact
Haha! Brilliant! Be a movie star!
Thank you for sharing 💜 I'm an ambulatory wheelchair user, I can stand and I can walk but it causes too many symptoms. I was house bound pretty much for two years because I couldn't get far and it meant I had incredibly limited quality of life , I wish someone suggested a wheelchair years ago and that it's okay to use one of you can stand or walk. I now use it when ever I leave the house and it's allowed me to do SO MUCH more . I still do almost feel a little embarrassed about the fact I can stand or walk , which mainly comes from society's perspective of wheelchair users.
Thank you 🙏
Go for it!! We need those kind of topics.
Thank you for making this video. I am right there with you. Hope this goes viral. Don’t ruin your body. Use t he chair when you feel you need it. I will spread this word about chair usage. You rock.
Thank you. I'm in a similar position myself. I was diagnosed with CP pretty early and didn't walk till same age as you. By the time I was in my late 20s I'd decided enough was enough and walking anywhere was agony and took forever and was referred to wheelchair services. People need to realise ambulatory wheelchair users do exist. Yes I can walk short distances, but doing so causes unbearable pain, so why should I, or anyone else in our position put ourselves through that because society can't accept the way it is.
Yes! I hear you - I’ve walked when I shouldn’t because I thought it was the “right” thing to do - such a toxic idea 🙃
@@KrisHalpin definitely still a lot of toxicity around it, and I really don't understand why. There's a massive range of disabilities known to cause mobility problems, all of them different and with their own challenges. And yet you still see people drop their jaws if you stand for 2 seconds (or get accusations of you not needing the chair, that's happened a few times) Good to see people out there challenging these outdated views, thank you for speaking up
I have cerebral palsy too. May do you a video on aging and cerebral palsy ?
Thank you for this video! I recently sustained an injury in my ankle and got myself a wheelchair so I can move about, go on vacation, and do things I like without worrying that I'll re-injur myself. The same is true for when I most likely will have surgery for this injury.
I have a stigmatism, am nearsighted, and wear glasses. I'm legally required to wear them to drive a car. Without glasses everything is fuzzy and I can't see a lot of detail, but I could manage in an emergency. Or swimming. But going without would be silly, inconvenience me and others, make basic and advanced tasks needlessly difficult, rob me of enjoyment of my surroundings, while potentially putting me and everyone around at risk. That is what i realized when I accepted that I am an ambulatory wheelchair user.
Most people will eventually need assistive tech at some point, like readers for example. So I always direct the discussion to normalizing use and allow folks to conclude the spectrum of abilities.
Ohhhh yes I use a wheelchair myself and there's only one wheelchair repair place in the six counties surrounding me 😳 so if I get a flat tire I must go to the bicycle shop and hope the people aren't going to turn me down just because it's a wheelchair. Thankfully a friend told me about Schwalbe tires that are puncture resistant cuz I was getting tacks in my tires every six months 😩
Also I always am afraid people think I'm a fraud 😔
I have bone on bone arthritis, which has only gotten worse after losing 30lbs(go figure, but some of it has to do with muscle loss due to cancer treatments). So instead of getting knee replacement surgery(I’ve got PTSD from hospital stays (again, cancer treatments) from a nurse injecting me with the wrong medication & nearly killing me), I got a wheelchair…which was cheaper than the surgery. I can walk with a cane, but walking long distances or having to stand too long, my knees really start hurting. I’ve seen people looking at me & shaking their head when I walk to the back of my car & pull the wheelchair out & then sit on the chair seat. I always have the urge to yell at them, “why don’t you try walking with my knees!” but refrain from doing so.
I made sure to get a model with the solid wheels because I didn’t want to risk puncture. However, solid wheels have their drawback, too. Over time they can rot & fall apart (I was gifted a used chair from my sister in law (it was her late father in law’s chair) & the tires crumbled while at WDW(thankfully at the end of the trip, not during).
My pet peeve with using the chair is a lot of people act as if they don’t see you, as if I’ve suddenly become invisible once I sit in the chair, and either walk in front of you (& get their ankles cracked) or block you with their shopping carts & walk away.
I have CP too! I walk from Age 5 but by the time I was 14 I was using crutches and then became a full-time wheelchair user by the time I was 21.
I have a similar situation. I have a neural hyperactive which causes severe spasms if I stand up and walk a bit, so my doctor prescribed a wheelchair to relieve the symptoms, and yes, people are weird when it comes to those of us with disabilities
Thanks for sharing Tom, that’s super frustrating. I recently got diagnosed with functional neurological disorder which is similar I think to what you describe I think
People don't understand what it feels like to live in a body that has physical challenge(s).
I understand very well what you go through.....the body aches and also gets tired. It helps to have something that will help the individual ease the pain and tiredness.
I think a lot of people don't understand the different levels of mobility. I've got spina bifida. I've got no feeling from the knees down and no sense of pain from the waist down. I'm 53 now, and for at least 48 of those years, various people have been asking me why I don't have an electric wheelchair. They don't understand the need to keep the mobility you have, and they don't understand the expense of an electric wheelchair (as if a manual wheelchair weren't expensive enough).
And I think when people are ambulatory part-time, it confuses people, for two reasons:
1) They think that a wheelchair is for when you can't walk *at all*.
2) There's this unfortunate expectation that everyone in a wheelchair is yearning for the day they can walk (and usually, it's "walk again", because they assume that if you're in a wheelchair, something "happened to you"). The idea that it's not everyone's goal to walk doesn't occur to them. I kind of get why it would be confusing, but they've never compared walking with braces and crutches to rolling in a wheelchair.
Good point, for me walking hurts like hell
Honestly, standing people can be so clueless. I’d turn the tables on them: “Wait, you can run?? So why do you ever bother to ride a bicycle?!” 😂 Seriously though, I’m slightly jealous of that whole standing thing. It’d be nice to be able to pull on trousers in only a few seconds. 😅
Man im actually paralyzed and have been hassled about my chair...bc I "look so normal". Just gotta laugh it off and move on.
that's messed up
Massive kudos to you! Thanks for a brilliant video! 😅
Yes
I'm another "Walking miracle "
Who could have made this very video. 😎
This is a great simple bideo to direct people towards. I personally have maybe 10 to 15 metres in me so before i got my power scooter i was a full year without once going into the supermarket. But now i can, i do find myself (subconsciously) hamming it up a little when have to get up to get stuff from the fridge or a higher shelf, then trying to remind myself that this is real and necessary regardless of what others may think of my choice of top shelf pasta sauce.
Both my tires kinda exploded a cupole of time yet so I bough 2 of those staffs used when you have a puncture on the bike tire, I don't know the name, but with that if I get a puncture another time I repair it at least until I get a new one
Thanks I'm like you I hurt when I walk
Does it matter what other people say? What is important is that one does whatever is necessary to be effectively mobile and function independently as much as possible.
Great talk. Agreed. I cant walk yet, waiting for prosthetic but standing briefly wobbly on one leg, usually gets the same reaction. Horror, a bit of suspicion if I'm trying to scam them into helping. (They ignore me, mostly, when I'm struggling.. some push by if I'm in the way) Like between invisible and blocking furniture. Others are wonderful though. Thank you for the talk. Appreciate the video.
Because people are idiots especially nowadays I broke my ankle and had to use a wheelchair and walker people were very rude
then I was able to walk again and now they treat me nice.
I know this is old, but I just wanted to say I can relate as I also have SD CP. The worst for me are the people who want to pray for me. As an ambulatory user I want to stand up and kick them, but then they'd probably think their prayer worked 😊
Thank you so much very helpful
I find that i dont get as much grief as younger people do my mobility is anywhere from walking a short distance to using a walker to a wheelchair it just depends on how i am doing i have some accumulated injuries and stage 4 lung cancer one day to the next is never the same
I have cp too and I was waddling around til a few months ago. I got a cane for extra support because I have nerve damage now and it caused increased risk of falling
❤️❤️ thanks for sharing - I hope you find as comfortable solution as possible
I usually just use a cane, but if I am at my church I use a wheelchair to get around the building because it is a big building and I would be in pain and unable to focus on the church service, I use the mobile carts at the grocery store if I am having a bad pain day due to my EDS.
When I stand up in public sometimes I make a show and sat “it’s a miracle” I’ve really learnt to not give a fuck
I have neuropathy in my legs and feet. I'm near the last stag in neuropathy where I have more numbness in my legs and feet. Thank You
A pram or perAMBULATOR is a device or wheeled vehicle used when children are tired or have difficulty walking, a wheelchair is used for the same thing by adults. What's so difficult for people to understand. ffs? When I wasn't disabled I was an ambulatory car user. I would nip to the local shops when I could have walked there but did so because it was quicker & easier to use a wheeled vehicle, take note able-bodied people. I use 2 sticks these days and struggle to walk 10 metres with them, so I use a mobility scooter to manage my lower limb disability. These people really need to get a life or preferably a brain capable of rational thought & problem solving. Sorry I'm 4 years late to the party but nice one Kris.
Thank you for sharing!
I think people fear what they don't understand.
Never apologise or explain your wheelchair use to Normies.
Just found gou i sufferd 3strokes at age 26 then nr 2 at age 31 then nr 3 at age 35. After number 2 i can walk short bits Butt not long. Butt many people believe i fake it!. I need my weelchair 95procent al day. I am 37
Im currently really struggling to walk. i have a walking stick but after about 10 minutes im exhausted and in so much pain. because my diagnosis is not set in stone yet but fibromyalga and CfS have been discussed. i feel like using a wheelchair is crappy of me because i can walk. i dont leave my house i dont go out. i even get my shopping delivered because i know that its going to hurt a whole lot if i have to go out. I feel like a chair would give me alot more independance but im just scared to use one because of judgement of family and society
jadambi thanks for sharing ❤️ that’s so relatable; I thought a chair was “quitting” but it’s made my life soooo much better. I realise now that the hang ups weren’t mine, they were society’s, my doctor’s, or my parent’s. We deserve to manage our conditions in ways that make our lives better, without feeling like we have to conform, especially for fear of “cheating” - your body is nobody else’s business!
@@KrisHalpin Thank you for the reply it means alot :)
Understandable feelings, I felt the same. People are pretty judgemental but you have to remember that your health issues do not concern them! Stay strong.
@@shazdoryt Its good new im a proud owner of a mobility scooter and i have so much more freedom with it,
jadambi I’ve got the same thing and I use a wheelchair. Our disability is real and even when people give me hell I’ll continue to use this tool to getting independence
Especially now that I've bought a wheelchair (am getting it on Thursday night) I really don't understand how someone can spend over 7000$ for a wheelchair that they do not need...
😊😊
The doctor told me it was a death sentence. What an idiot. I go dancing, work out at the gym, i do it all in my chair
It's best to have solid tyres for the wheelchair, no puncher's. 😉
I never understood why people can be such clowns about ambulatory wheelchair users who can stand or take some steps. I assume the chair is better because walking is difficult for them.
The same with a blind person who has some visual perception using a white cane or reading Braille, I just assume whatever vision they have is useful in some situations and not in others.
People , i can walk, but I have sensory hearing impairment and balance impairment. 😮invisible disability
I’m going to be sarcastic here. I know able bodied people who take the subway to get from one place to another. If they can walk, why do they need a subway to
get from 20th Street to 120th Street?
If they can walk, shouldn’t they walk everywhere. And instead of flying from New York to California shouldn’t they just walk?
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤
People see you stand & act like you've scammed them. I can walk a little but not long & not without pain. It can take days to recover from walking. Remember too you have civil rights. Exercise them if necessary.
Per chance people are so weird about wheelchairs because wheelchairs are so weird. Cheers!
Are wheelchairs weird though?