But Tim makes a great point, to wit "I could not help but to cringe on the 3
occasions when the term "wheelchair bound" was used. As you know, a wheelchair allows for
independence and therefore does the exact opposite of 'bind'." Tim's exactly right. While I'm sure there are some people who, once fully ambulatory, now feel "bound" to their chair, in reality it is their chair that enables them to get out and about in the world, it is only binding from the perspective of what was, not what will or can be. Mobility is key to our wellbeing.
His comment made me think of some wheelchair racers who passed me by while I was running a 10K some years ago. While they were moving too fast for me to ask, if I should have had the inclination to do so, I doubt that they were feeling tethered.
It also made me think of what can truly bind the wheelchair user--ineffective access. While instances of barriers and poor design are rampant in our cities, many chair users can more effectively navigate in much of the public world than in their own home. And our public policies don't help much there. A few years ago we were called to urgently build a ramp for a couple. The husband needed twice a week kidney dialysis and had recently lost his ability to walk. Medicaid provided the wheelchair and the transportation, but would make no accommodation for getting him in and out of the home. And this was not a couple of small steps that could be bumped down. Like providing a car but no key and no way to open the garage door. Their frustration (and fear of what would happen if they could not get a solution) was palpable.
Assistive devices and modifications go hand in hand as things that cut the ties that bind us and make our lives easier. But we need to have the proper mindset of what they bring to our lives when built or used well, rather than thinking of them as symbols of loss.
His comment made me think of some wheelchair racers who passed me by while I was running a 10K some years ago. While they were moving too fast for me to ask, if I should have had the inclination to do so, I doubt that they were feeling tethered.
It also made me think of what can truly bind the wheelchair user--ineffective access. While instances of barriers and poor design are rampant in our cities, many chair users can more effectively navigate in much of the public world than in their own home. And our public policies don't help much there. A few years ago we were called to urgently build a ramp for a couple. The husband needed twice a week kidney dialysis and had recently lost his ability to walk. Medicaid provided the wheelchair and the transportation, but would make no accommodation for getting him in and out of the home. And this was not a couple of small steps that could be bumped down. Like providing a car but no key and no way to open the garage door. Their frustration (and fear of what would happen if they could not get a solution) was palpable.
Assistive devices and modifications go hand in hand as things that cut the ties that bind us and make our lives easier. But we need to have the proper mindset of what they bring to our lives when built or used well, rather than thinking of them as symbols of loss.
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