Sally's World

4 comments: to “ Life in a wheelchair ”

• Mo
  17 July 2009 at 21:54  

  Wow life can be hard. i find taking time to laugh is better than any medicine. i have a philosophy that doing something on A sunday night that makes you laugh sets up the week in a positive way.
• Missy
  18 July 2009 at 00:36  

  That is just, just, just! God, I don't even know what to say. I know this happens as I work with several children in chairs and we go out on field trips, it becomes too apparent how they are negleted.
• J.J. in L.A.
  18 July 2009 at 01:48  

  I'm not surprised. When I applied for Accessible Van Access, I was asked, "Why can't you take the bus?" I replied, "I was told by others that there's either: no lift, the lift is broken, the driver doesn't know how to use the lift, or the they don't stop at all."
  
  The interviewer said, "True."
  
  How sad is that???
• Anonymous
  18 July 2009 at 12:48  

  Dearest Sal and family,
  Do hope you are all getting over swine flu and the lack of sleep etc and that Deions chest is a bit better too.Read your blog today and watched the undercover filming re life in a wheelchair....so, so TRUE!! Access is very tokenistic and therefore extremely demoralizing for people of all ages.I used to have a young toddler (spinobifida,)very bright little girl come to a voluntary playgroup I started for disabled youngsters and syblings etc.I saw her ,many years later, as a young woman ,in her wheelchair at a railway station in Kent.She works 4 days a week in Docklands,London so commutes daily .She was on the train ,unable to get off the train because no ramp was there to meet her.I had to put myself one foot on the train and one foot off the train while I summoned for help(loudly)She is beautiful,articulate ,but softly spoken, and yet ,had to put up with this sort of thing at least 3 times out of her 8 commuting trips.As she rightly said 'This is prearranged for me to be met with a ramp on both outward and inward journeys 4 x a week so why are at least 3 arrangements ignored?'
  Another young student, 14 years old ,a wheelchair user again highly intelligent ,with severe cerebral palsy and no speech,was given a ticket to centre court at Wimbledon.When a really good rally was played out he attempted to cheer ,but was only able to make a low noise .He was told to be quiet by the linesman.So he operated his speech machine (by blowing) and was therefore able to say' I was only cheering,is it not customary to applaud and cheer an excellent rally?'The audience clapped ,not the tennis ,but his comment!! Great stuff !That young man has now a degree and operates his own business advising users/carers etc on disability issues.
  I have phone calls regularly from another ex student ,who has cerebral palsy and is also a wheelchair user,he has to assert himself continually with housing authorities /access issues etc Why is society so very ,very hard on amazing young people like the ones I have mentioned? They struggle against all the odds to be upstanding members of society and what does society do for them ? Sadly,not a lot ,attitudes are improving,as is access /employment/housing but NOT quickly enough.
  All officials, in each of these areas should be made to go to work and work in a wheelchair for a fortnight,believe you me this would have more impact on their attitudes than anything else!!!
  I once didn't go into work( teaching children with physical/learning needs) for 2 days as I had hurt my foot and couldn't weight bear.When I went back on the third day, a young student of mine 11 years old , (he had spinobifida and was therefore a wheelchair user) said 'Where have you been?' I told him I had hurt my foot and couldn't walk.So he said( he had learning difficulties also )'Well I can't walk and I am still in school' I agreed totally with him, and apologised and said he was quite right and another time I would be there and use a spare chair from the physio department. I have never forgotten that conversation or the other incidents I have mentioned above,believe you me my students taught me FAR more than I believe I ever taught them!!We should be very proud of these youngsters and learn from them ,and ACT upon what we learn!!
  Much love and hugs to you all Wendy x

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