"They Want An Adult Stroller?"
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ย. 2024
- "She Wants An Adult Stroller?" As stated by Brett Cooper from "The Comments Section." Reacting to a woman advocating for ambulatory wheelchair users (wheelchair users who are able to walk) this is what Brett stated, possibly jumping to the ablest conclusion that because the woman is slightly larger than average, she must need a mobility aid as she's possibly unable to walk.
I hope that Brett and their followers learn from "the comments section" that not all wheelchair users are paralysed, and not all "larger than average" people use mobility aids on account of their weight. Sadly I dont think that will happen.
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I’m Gem, and after my spinal cord injury at the age of 9, • ♿️HEART SURGERY PARALY... my life has taken me on many twists and turns, and finally led me to combine my passions of media and disability advocacy, and poof! Wheelsnoheels was born.
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I have been informed that I have miss gendered the person who is advocating for AWU is this video. Their name is Jordan Underwood whose pronouns are they/he. And is @jordallenhall on Instagram. I’m sorry for this. At the time of filming I was unable to find their source video as Brett had not credited them.
I am glad you have acknowledged and owned up to your mistake - it feels like more often now so many people who aren't lgbtq themselves don't care about misgendering or see it as a big deal so I am glad you understand it's something to apologize for. I hope this situation will inform you to take the extra second of looking for people's pronouns in the future. A lot of us (trans/nb ppl) have also made similar mistakes at some point in time, so it can be a learning curve for everyone. Shame on Brett's channel for not crediting him.
It seems like it can be really hard to find the source of videos like these! I'm glad you tried and have corrected yourself now that you know.
This person is evidently a dangerously obbese woman.
Im sure they are transabled as well as transgender
*she 🤣
@menacingwolf_2006 awww dont. I really do feel terrible😔
Disability really should be something that is covered at school. It was never talked about at my schools. It perpetuates a world where it's hard to live as a disabled person because so many people don't even know something like ambulatory mobility aid users exsist and are a valid part of the disabled and chronic illness communities.
My mother resisted using a wheelchair for so long. She kept trying to walk with her walker, but no longer had the strength to stand for more a second or two without holding on to someone. She kept falling. And with no upper body strength to help me get her up, calls to 911 for lifting assistance became quite frequent. After 3 falls in less than 24 hours ( no injuries thank goodness) I went and got her a wheelchair. A wheelchair has enabled my mother to go to church, out to eat or simply go for a drive with my brother without the risk of falling and seriously injuring herself
Mom is legally blind, has history of stroke and TIAs ( mini strokes) and turned 90 in April
Doesn't it show the strength of stigma around using a wheelchair? I wish you both well.
I wish you the best! Maybe it would be best for her to go to a retirement village, where qualified people can help her?
How long has she been blind for?
Good luck! ❤
We were able to keep Mom in her home of over 53 years , with the help of hospice, until she passed away peacefully in her sleep, in early August after a final stroke. Moving her to a nursing home wasn't an option, financially or otherwise. Hospice provided a hospital bed that was easier for her to get in & out of, lifts to get her in her wheelchair and into her recliner. They also provided a bathing aide who came 3 times a week in addition to a nurse. We also had another wonderful aide who came 4 times a week so I could run errands and get a break. After mom passed, hospice nurse contacted the funeral home and also our minister. I had a few sessions with a grief counselor, provided by hospice. I don't think any of these extras would've been possible if we'd moved mom to a nursing home
@@user-u2h37mom had macular degeneration and had been losing her vision long before her health started to fail.
Interesting fact about MD is that in addition to losing your central vision, you can also lose the ability to see colors unless they are very bright or saturated. Losing the ability to see faces is also an effect of MD
how is a manual wheelchair an adult stroller? She obviously never had to push herself around in a wheelchair. It is hard work. As an ambulatory wheelchair user, I developed mobility issues with my walking due to an illness. Many have a wheelchair to assist in continuing to stay physically active when your/my legs stop working properly.
Also kids use wheelchairs. But maybe wheelchair using kids don’t exist in the world of these people.
its so annoying my weight was after i had to use mobility aids. but its all anyone judges.
Same! People assume my weight is the problem, but I went from running a mile every morning and overall being very active and healthy to not being able to stand for longer than 5 minutes and taking 3 medications with a side effect of weight gain on top of a disease causing weight gain.
@@maceylee7897right! also even if someone's weight was somehow the sole reason they needed mobility aids, it still shouldnt be controversial to say that theyre still humans who deserve to have the ability to move. people see both disability and fatness as a moral failing so plus size disabled people always wind up getting the most vile comments. ableds could help solve so many real issues if they took the effort they use to shit on us and redirected it towards something actually productive
My weight has always fluctuated but it has never caused any of my mobility issues. The stroke that went undetected for a year did.
I gained most of my weight from meds and being in the wheelchair and unable to walk less and less without pain.
So, same!
I’m on the highest amount of steroids, and bed bound with chronic pain.
My husband has decided to divorce me as I’ve put a lot of weight on at the moment. So after 34 years he’s decided I’m lazy, and thinks I’m eating food 24 hours a day.
As soon as my illness is sorted out I’ll be dieting again and will get back to my normal weight.
Before all this I used to go to the gym every other day, cycled ten miles twice a week, and walked everyday over 10,000 steps.
The person who was supposed to be my rock and my best friend, is divorcing me because I’m overweight and now due to illness needing a wheelchair.
He’s had no patience, no thoughts on how bad these last couple of years have been for me.
I've been worried about Richard too. Please keep us up to date if you hear anything. He was really struggling in his last few videos.
I have cerebral palsy and use Wheelchair for many years part time before I went into it full time. I never experienced abuse from the public for using it. however, I was discouraged from “giving in“ from special school physios who were of the opinion that one should walk at all costs. I regret waiting so long to use Wheelchair because it is now meant my body is affectively a wreck. I would’ve at least used it part time had it less stigmatised to do so. It was ironic that the system pushed me so hard to walk and thought of me as a failure if I used wheelchair has ultimately rob me of the limited independence I did have because my body is now completely worn out.
My doctor has told me to carry on walking as much as possible, even though it's causing me more and more pain and longer recovery time. His words were "use it or lose it". He's completely dismissed the fact that I'm struggling to live while walking all the time
Same here. I have cerebral palsy too and being that I'm in my mid 50s . I'm trying to remain as active as I can but my joints hurt so much for example, yesterday I went to a family cookout that was being held in NY , it took me about over three hours to get there from CT ,normally it's about an hour and half but if you hit beach traffic on the highways, it's longer, by the time that I got there, I was begging for some advil so that I could function.
@@melaniebutson7933 I have unstable knee with OA at advanced stage and was told the same. I brace the knee with a hypermobility brace and bought a rollator for longer walks. Screw doctors.
I'm an ambulatory wheelchair user after a medical accident in 2017. I have cauda equina syndrome and surgery was delayed 5 days.
So now my nerves are all screwed and I can't walk properly or far. My legs go numb if I walk longer than a few minutes or drive longer than about 10 minutes. So a chair it is. I resisted as long as I could, but would never be without it now. Or my mobility scooter (Beatrice).
I get some "do you need that?" comments, but I did have one funny encounter with 2 teenage boys. They walked past the car as I arrived, opened the boot and stood up to dismantle the chair. They just shouted out, "Oh!" and pointed at me in amazement. I said, "It's a miracle!" We all laughed and went on our way. They weren't rude, or anything. They learned that we AWUs are out here!
I think the thing that got me most as an ambulatory wheelchair user when I first made the decision that ableist pain was better than the physical pain was how people treated me.
Today I'm going to the mall with my partner so he can try to buy something (literally anything) and see what it's like
I'm a wheelchair user and I can walk for a few minutes at a time. The amount of times strangers have said I need to get rid of my wheelchair because "walking is healthier" has been maddening! I've been accused of faking my disability when I stand up. I get weird looks. Videos like the one in this video spreads misinformation and helps people have negative views on disabled people and especially heavy disabled people. Thank you for educating people!
I have dystonia I can stand and walk but it hurts me
I have POTS and when I stand up, I my heartrate jumps to the 140s,then I faint and fall down! I kept injuring myself, and now, I don't! I love the freedom my powerchair gives me! I can live a life again!
Thankyou for explaining that inability to exercise and medications can cause weight gain. When I started having mobility issues I was a UK size 8. In 2 months prescription meds caused me to balloon to size 18! This in turn aggrevated my mobility problems.
I'm so fed up of being told that if weren't so lazy and ate less then I'd lose weight and wouldn't need the wheelchair 😣
Before my accident, I was around that size too. Then I lost my leg and severely damaged the other (so I can stand for a few seconds if I can cope with the pain, but I can't walk) and became wheelchair dependent, gained a TON of weight, because of medications and a couple of medical conditions that make you gain weight easily, but losing weight is 100x harder. I have strangers (or people who didn't know me before) assume I lost my leg because of uncontrolled Diabetes. They think I have Diabetes because I'm overweight, and they think I don't use a prosthesis because I'm too fat/lazy. The assumptions about other peoples' health is ridiculous, and are just increasing stigma and causing problems for everyone. What's worse, the majority of these people making assumptions about other peoples' health have NO medical training... unless you consider Facebook and Google as medical training. As you can see, it makes me very mad lol. I'm so sorry you have to experience it too, and I hope one day people will learn to stop assuming and judging. ❤
I'm a ambulatory wheelchair user and just ordered an electric wheelchair on Amazon it's 36 lbs and my husband and stepdad will easily be able to bring it places and it will give me back my quality of life. I can't use a manual wheelchair because I have messed up shoulders that won't allow me to propel the wheelchair 😊 I'm Epileptic, have POTS, possible MS and have basically lost my mobility and have to just use my cane and some people think I walk ok but my right leg is weak and walking causes my back so much pain I also have Scholiosis and Sciatica. I was told I could get an electric wheelchair through my insurance and the company stopped working with me and I've now just been able to get the wheelchair I've been looking into getting we got in a minor car accident and the small amount of money I got I was able to finally get that wheelchair and can't wait to get it and have my freedom back I can't walk 3 blocks anymore and it hurts so bad to walk a very short distance
I spoke to rich last year and asked if he was ok, he said he was but that's the last I heard of him. Iv been worried too.
Ye I haven’t heard from him since his last video. Iv been wondering about him too.
Yeah his last video he was so frustrated and seemed like he wasn't doing so good. Not sure what we can do next to make sure he's ok 😬
If anybody finds out, please put me on the list of those who would like to know if he is O.K.
@@hermansims2296Just echoing this. I don't know him personally, but some of his videos really helped me when I started using a chair. Not seeing anything from him since that last upload also got me a little concerned.
Also been worried. I don’t know him personally, either. But his videos were such a help when I first started using a chair. I hate to think he’s struggling.
I have pots and mobility issues so I have to use a walker with a seat and lately my mobility has gotten worse so I mentioned to my grams I would like her support to go to my Dr to talk about being a part time awu and her response was “no, if you think you’re that bad then just go live in a nursing home and give up. If you’d leave the house and go exercise you wouldn’t be so heavy and wouldn’t need a wheelchair.” It’s disheartening to see those comments online or from random people in the public but to get it from a person whom is so close to me kinda broke my spirits and now I don’t want to talk to dr even though I know I should because the mobility issues I’m having now could be serious issues. But what’s the point of caring about my health if my own family thinks I’m faking it.
From what you have said, it sounds like (and of course I can't know because I'm a random person on the internet) your grams cares for you but has unfortunately integrated the ambient ableism around wheelchair use..
I'm in the process of getting my first wheelchair (I have hEDS and POTS) and it has been hard, not so much for me, because I can see how small my world has become over the years. Little by little my health conditions eating away at me... My wheelchair will be a liberation and although I understand that others don't necessarily see it that way (especially elderly people who are going through their own struggles in regards to indépendance and what that means) for me it's all about expanding horizons, at least having the opportunity to get out there and do stuff... I wish you all the best!
Do you want to be my girlfriend with me on tex
Can I tell you what to do to your body on tex
Do you like a massage toy down that ?
Somewhere between 85-90% of wheelchair users in the UK have some ability to stand or walk. Even if that's just for a few seconds.
Once again, Gem, you have surpassed yourself in your recent vlog. As I have said previously, I am an ambulatory wheelchair user and for a long time I didn't have any access to a wheelchair, I used a rollator/walker and a pair of sticks and for a while it was fine but I was always in pain, so a therapist suggested that I use a wheelchair, a, too reduced the amount of drugs I was taking a b, to give myself more freedom in places where I could visit. I always say to the "Karens" of this world Until it happens to you, you haven't got a clue,
Great video, thank you. I have lost count of the amount of times I have been told that I wouldn't need the chair if I lost weight, but the oddest thing is that when I point out that it was a car accident (usually in a sarcastic manner) they take it back but intimating that their comment was my fault as they didn't know. One lady said I should help myself by wearing a t-shirt stating why I was "entitled" to use a chair.
My chair is my freedom. Before I "gave in" and started using the chair, I was depressed as I couldn't get out of the house. My husband was also at a low point as we didn't go anywhere, nor would I be able to work. In turn, I am able to support other disabled people to live and work independently.
I have experienced an analogous situation. As a visually-impaired person, I will sometimes use a white cane. Depending on light or sun or shadow, my vision can go from being okay enough to get by, to really terrible in a blink. Being monocular and with poor peripheral vision in my sighted eye, I sometimes miss objects and have run into things or fallen over things and seriously hurt myself. It is also handy when I go into a shop and cannot read any signs (without it, I have sometimes been treated to comments like: "Well, the sign is right there in front of you!" or "Menu? Well it's right behind me on that board." usually spoken with disdain or condescension) . Yet, when I do use the cane, there are times when I get the "You're not really blind, are you?" attitude from folks. The fun of low vision (sigh).
O MY GOSH… finally someone that can understand me
I can understand you a lot, (sorry in advance but I’m still learning all the things in English so if you don’t understand something please ask) I wear glasses but they give me about 3 to 4 /10 but when there is less light I see worse (can’t see 3D and only see in shades of black and white), during the night or there is a light in the vicinity (so I see bad) or I am blind (completely dark).
Yesterday I went out to dinner with my mother, she guided me to the restaurant, since I know that place has a very low light I left my glasses in my bag because sometimes they are uncomfortable and why wear them if I will not be able to see anyway.
They have the menu handwritten behind the counter, my mother take us to a side and start reading to me the menu, the cashier had the audacity to say “buy her a pair or glasses or learn to keep her home, people are here to eat, not to see cripples. Your little b** is ruining everyone dinner” needless to say we left and called the police for discrimination (on the cashier naturally)
@@SuperBegh Your English is quite understandable. I'm sorry to hear about your difficulty, but I am not surprised. The cashier has no business working with the public.
@@GwenHoward I know, the sight is not the only thing “wrong” with me, just the most recent, I’m now used to the reactions certain people have, my mother is not and I’m sorry she had to witness it, sadly dealing to “people” like that is part of our world… but July is disability pride month, just from a couple of years, yet no one but us know it…
Yes, anyone with a problem that fluctuates has this issue. People don't realise that you can be legally blind but have some vision, or poor vision.
I’m an ambulatory wheelchair user because of a screwed up knee replacement. My left knee will randomly start hurting so much that I can barely walk to get in my chair. Fortunately no one has said anything to me, but I’ve seen looks that mean the same thing. So people would rather we walk and possibly hurt others by falling into them rather than be safe in a wheelchair. It’s mind boggling the shit people say and they don’t want to be educated. They want to stay in their small, prejudiced world. Their hate makes them feel superior and don’t want that image removed.
Its so hurtful! I dont want to leave my house because I feel judged. I was born with a disability and I am lucky to be able to walk but I can only walk for a few minutes before I am in loads of pain and I am also overweight because the meds I take for nerve pain has that as a side effect
Spot on gem, the previous chairperson of my local community fourm has actually gone around saying both to other committee members and members of the public either that I'm not as disabled as people think i am or that I'm not disabled because i can stand and walk a tiny amount when absolutely nessacery albeit in excruciating pain.
Why do people have to be such b...s?
My partner is a wheelchair user and they can stand and walk a tiiiiny bit. they drive and can walk around the car to get their chair in and out or, from the car to the sofa at my place(theres a bit of a step so its easier), but going anywhere, they need their chair, even around their own place
Im an ambulatory user, but i use a small mobility scooter, as my arms are too painful to self propel. You'd be amazed how many people don't think I'm properly disabled as it's not a wheelchair!
Thank you so much for talking about this! Especially since someone as you technically doesn't have to care about this topic... So many people are ableist towards ambulatory wheelchair users, because they are misinformed... few times I saw even full time wheelchair users being ableist towards the ambulatory (which I think is even worse on some level, because then I think a lot of people don't feel safe and accepted within the disabled community)... Honestly, people being ableist is one of the reasons why I'm kind of scared to be an ambulatory wheelchair user. They don't see my spine from the inside and the impact my spinal / nerve pressure / damage has on me. And I don't want to be harrassed because I moved my legs or stood up or something. Being in this situation really feels like I don't fit anywhere.
I can walk short distances but would not be able to enjoy my life if I didn’t use an ambulatory wheelchair. Could not enjoy my family
Amazing just how many people do t have any idea how hard using a chair is compared with walking.
If someone is using a chair… then that means walking is very difficult, to the extent that wheeling is easier or safer.
I am an ambulatory wheelchair user, because of Multiple Sclerosis. Around my home I can get around using a rollator/walker but outside my home I use my wheelchair. The day I decided I needed to accept that I needed to was when we were at an appointment for my kids at our local children's hospital medical offices. I was walking with my cane back to the waiting room and I fell. Luckily I wasn't seriously injured (except for my pride 😣), but it took 3 people to help me get up and onto a chair. If I had been injured, it would have been a huge problem because these offices are 45min away and I had all 3 kids with me. My husband was out on the road as a long haul truck driver at the time, so it's not like he could have come get us. It was a rude awakening, realizing just how vulnerable my balance problems, leg weakness, and neuropathy in my feet made us.
Another reason I use a WC outside of my home is for energy conservation. Fatigue is huge in MS, and the primary reason most people with MS go on permanent disability. There are things I absolutely could not do if my only option would be my rollator, and the WC is a tool I use to have a fuller, more productive life.
Great reaction explaining how it is. Hope your MS is not getting worse
Oh this little madam is dripping with fat phobia!!
I did chuckle at the comment about getting away from our parents because my wheelchair certainly makes it easier for me to ditch my Dad in a shop when he's getting on my wick! 😂😂
You make some great points about the nuance in our community too. That in itself is important for nondisabled people to realise - we're all different and don't always agree on issues that affect us!
Gem thank you so much for this video. I have fibromyalgia eds3 and pots. So last night I went to a spa place and I got up and walked to get into a jacuzzi I was then lifted into it I walked into a sauna etc etc in the when I got up to dance "slowly" with my partner to his favourite song. By the end of the night I was in such chronic pain my hip was subluxing too. I was lifted out of the disco hall as I couldn't walk any more because of my pain. Someone who had seen me walk said why are they lifting you I saw you walk earlier. Fortunately my partner explained. But it shouldn't be needed and more understanding needs to be made of people like myself. So thank you thank you thank you for all the work you do your incredible and inspirational xxxx
I have severe stenosis in my spine from top to bottom, this causes me so many problems...balance problems, loss of sensation in my feet/legs, lack of coordination and proprioception....and also intense PAIN in my spine, legs...I have been truly lucky so far I think that I have not had any bad interactions out in public with people questioning my need for a power wheelchair. I am overweight (chubby) and feel like if I were just a little bit fatter I might run into more issues, people are so hurtful and hateful to overweight people, and make so many assumptions about how people end up that way. Its despiciable.
I hate the amount of sh!t that ambulatory wheelchair users get. Like others commenters I have seen, I am glad you talked about this and that you advocate for other members of the disability community that may not have the same "type" of disability as you. I try to do the same. It is tiring when so many people say ableist things without even being aware of it.
I used to use a wheelchair pattern time because I got tired. I was on a good day or so I thought. Then started overdoing it. Later that night due to wearing myself out I actually broken my back and became a full time user.
So I can say people do use them for safety from experience
If I am going some place where I know I will need to walk far, or stand - like in lines - I will use a wheelchair. Now, my wheelchair was my wife's who went from being completely able to walk to needing a wheelchair full time in 5 years. She would use the riding carts in stores because of her back which she repeatedly injured in falls because she was vision impaired all her life. I was using them because I fractured my heels in the early 1990s. This is why walking far and standing is very painful. To top it off, I have fibromyalgia so I have that further pain issue to deal with. Do I use it all the time? No. The last time I used it was toward the end of November. In fact, I loaned it to a friend on New Years Day who has a pinched nerve in her spine that affects her leg and when it flares up, she can not use the leg, so, while she might be able to walk in the morning, by noon the nerve has her unable to use the leg and she's in the wheelchair. She bought her own and I got mine back at the end of May. However, since there are times I need help around the house, I have a rolling stool I use. This is how I do the cat boxes on trash day. I don't really need the rolling part so much, but I have to sit, so it is what I use.
Before I even watch I understand people who can walk but also use a wheel chair. People who have health conditions that may mean they get pain or tired easily may need a wheelchair if they are going out for a long amount of time come to mind.
I am a ambulatory wheelchair user as i can just about walk with my walker but i get really bad pains plus i have joints that are unstable that is why if i go out i now use my wheelchair more than walking
Same problems
Hi gem, on a previous video I said about my experience with alber in getting my efix sorted. Well last week I finally got my wheelchair! 🎉🎉. I managed to go to a dog show (my hobby) and show my dog and not be bedbound for the following week! I was able to spend my spoons on having a look around (the show was At Cheshire agricultural show) and socialise with people outside my normal circle both before and after I went in the ring! And my boy (shiba Inu) was so well behaved especially for only his second time next to it.
I did notice a difference in how some strangers treated me, and when I was exercising my goldie (she doesn’t like showing but does like coming to outside shows for the people) I heard lots of people talking about her and surprised when I said they could make a fuss because they assumed she was an assistance dog, I didn’t mind because it’s better to assume all dogs are working than interrupt one.
Hi Kat. Wow so glad you were able to enjoy your time out. When bindi is out with me, with her K9 harness on People assume she is working too. xx
This is an excellent video!!! I sustained a complete SCI & can walk but it's literally hell many days & impossible currently in some situations (like airports, malls, big cities, etc)...great message of compassion & unity❤
thank yo so much for this, i'm super self-conscious of it as i don't use my wheelchair every day only when my condition is bad or need to save those precious spoons and its quite a new thing so if i bump into someone who doesn't know its super awkward
Another great video Gem! This video you’re analysing makes me want to climb through the screen, pin all those idiots down until I have explained things to them in a way that they finally understand. It’s not rocket science! They are just so biased and prejudiced- it’s heartbreaking!
I started needing a wheelchair about 7 years ago. I use it part-time because I can walk very short distances. If I try to walk too much my leg will give out and I'll fall down. I've stumbled and fallen against my husband or one of my two daughters on multiple occasions when I tried using my cane or walker instead of my wheelchair. And once I get home I've had severe pain the rest of the day or even ended up having to stay in bed for the entire next day. It's frustrating when you have progressive disabilities that are taking away the use of your legs and then you have to deal with rude people who don't take the time to educate themselves running their mouths spewing hate, insults, and vile misinformation. I'm not using a wheelchair for fun. It's a necessity so I don't hurt myself or others if I fall and knock them down too. Taking the time to politely ask if a wheelchair user would be ok with answering a few questions would be a good idea. I know I'm willing to ask relevant questions if a person approaches me respectfully. I know others who are also willing to educate people as well. Just don't keep running around spewing vile comments and misinformation and acting superior, it's uncalled for and disgusting. It's not an "adult stroller" it's a wheelchair and it's a medical necessity. Unless you're my doctor you have no business saying what I do or don't need.
Jordan (the person in the video that Brett is insulting) is a pretty awesome activist! (And actually uses he/they pronouns. He has a few different medical conditions as well and gets so many ableist and fat-phobic comments that he combats all the time.) Gem, thank you for making this video. As an ambulatory wheelchair user, I get anxiety every time I use my wheelchair and get scared that if someone sees me walk or stand that they will yell at me... 😢 I have POTS and hEDS and use a wheelchair because I can't walk or stand for very long. I wish people would just keep their comments to themselves!
That's clearly a woman so it's a she😂
@@menacingwolf_2006not necessarily . If those are his pronouns respect them . Don't be homophobic and if they go by he/ they pronouns respect that . If you don't personally know this person then don't say who they are . They can be who they want and we as a community should respect that .
I have severe POTS and HEDS myself. Nice to encounter a fellow zebra in the wild. 😊🦓
@@Tealgirl*his. *
@@_______Charlie_____ yep thanks I will change it .
I don't know how many other AWUs can relate, but for me, walking on smooth surfaces is the problem, while uneven ones are perfectly fine - e.g. I can walk the 2 miles (1 mile each way) from the barn to the very back of the pasture and back perfectly fine (have to stop several times along the way to catch my breath because it's almost entirely uphill on the way out - thank you, POTS and asthma - but I can do it) without my legs giving out on me, yet can't walk more than about half a block on pavement before they do; nerve pressure in a twisted low spine (which has been there potentially since birth, but only started becoming a major enough problem to actually interfere with my ability to walk 5 years ago) causes my left knee to very stubbornly give out on me if I try to walk very far on a smooth surface - no pain, just sudden extreme and persistent weakness that I can only fight if I keep my knee completely locked. I feel like, for those of us who utterly and completely "go against the grain" (uneven surfaces good, smooth surfaces bad), we get even more skepticism and ableism thrown at us because the general public has an even harder time understanding us than it does even with understanding that young people who aren't paralyzed can be part time, or even full time, wheelchair users, or even just need a mobility aid regardless of the type. Not discounting in any way AWUs who have more trouble with uneven surfaces than smooth ones or any other wheelchair or mobility aid users, simply stating that it feels (at least in my own personal experience) that the more "against the grain" we are, the more the public throws skepticism and ableism at us.
I totally get this! I have hEDS and POTS and when I walk it's with high heels (for what ever reason they help so much with my chronic lower back pain..) and yet the number of people who discount my pain because I'm "able" to wear heels is astounding!
I am a amblutary weel chair with out it I would only be able to leave the house one a week maximum, due to pain form a cronic ilness. If I walk to much my legs collapse or become periodicly paralysed . I use a walking stick for about a year , until I was bed bound for 3 months due to pain and fatigue. At this point I decided to buy a powered weelchir. I can now leave my home anytime I need or what. I do not have to wait for my partner to get things form the shop for me ect. I am grateful for my weelchair and the freedom it gives me. I just wish that society was more understanding and was more acessable.
I can't stand long enough to do things others take for granted and I'm afraid someone will see me stand and put my chair in my car, so I never go anywhere or do anything. Unfair judgement has ruined every part of my life that Multiple Sclerosis hasn't. I'm angry and cry all the time while the people judging are out having fun.
This all so resonates for me since I am an ambulatory wheelchair user. I'm also, now, overweight. Why am I in a wheelchair then? Severe small fiber peripheral neuropathy. Why am I overweight? Medication and SITTING IN A WHEELCHAIR ALL THE TIME!
I love my wheelchair life, which is new to me, because it means I can get around and do things for myself. I'm not in a place where I can take advantage of my new found mobility, still in a rural area. I will be getting my all terrain tires soon so I can go out in the yard at least. I also have no place I can swim locally, which is the only way I can exercise my lower body, in the water. I will also be moving to a place where it is wheelchair accessible so I can get around the town/city that I move to.
Anyways, thanks for the video on this topic.
It would be interesting to know what kind of wheelchair(s) these women are talking about. And I don't mean that in any way that detract from the overall message, but there is a definite difference between manual and electric wheelchairs, and possible perceptions of "laziness".
I waited way too long before getting my first wheelchair - to the point I was picked up off the freezing ground by the police (because the paramedics couldn't get to me before I froze to death, and the lovely officers decided that was *not* on). I just hadn't been able to to on any further, with the pain.
Beside price, I didn't want to get an electric chair because I was worried about getting lazy. I was already overweight, because of a decade of pain (undiagnosed juvenile onset arthritis), and I knew I wouldn't get any exercise at all if i got an electric chair.
But, boy was i not expecting pushing to be so difficult. I'd used wheelchairs in supermarkets, but of course that was on a smooth surface. Outside was a different matter entirely - it's so much harder.
There are times I wish i had an electric chair, or an add-on like a mini batec - I'm in a hilly area, so there are some streets that are just unsafe, and I worry about going on holiday, since I think it would be very difficult to do the tourist things I used to take for granted. But I just can't afford one (not until my PIP appeal comes through, anyway).
My wheelchair is my freedom - it allows me to go beyond the confines of my house. It gives me a life, rather than simply an existence. Electricity would give me more freedom, more life, and it does the same for anyone who uses an electric wheelchair or scooter.
Yes wheelchairs are really tough to control, I borrowed a “lightweight” wheelchair (25 kg in total) a while ago and it was so hard to use! A few days back I bought a secondhand sports wheelchair and it is so much easier to use because it’s such a light frame (10 kg in total). Maybe your wheelchair is also too heavy? Idk just thought I’d share 😊
Great video! Your cat 🐈⬛ is adorable and talkative 😀 People use wheelchair for so many reasons and it makes me mad that this lady is saying it is the same thing as a stroller!
Thank you SO much for this video, Gem. ❤
I’m an ambulatory wheelchair user, I’ve got a smart electric wheelchair… and I’m fat!
I can tell you, that fatphobia and ableism towards ambulatory wheelchair users exist here in Denmark too. People can be so incredibly cruel and some of the comments I’ve had the last 15 months since I got my wheelchair have left me speechless and sad. People can’t see I’m in pain, got several chronic illnesses and that my walking distance is only a few steps, but they can see I’m fat… and that is what they attack. Even more so if they see I get out of the chair.
Thank God there are nice people too, but it’s the idiots that put you down that sadly gets to you.
as someone with a pinched nerve in my back and has been told to be watching for certain things that would mean that things have gotten so much worse and might need a wheelchair, i find those who have no idea what its like to have your legs not work right have to just take themselves and stuff them selves totally.
I've been really worried about Richard too. If you find anything out, please post an update so we know if he is ok. There hasn't been anything on his patreon for a very long time.
I've not seen anything from him online in ages, hope all is ok
I assure you the Comment Section person was referring to the fat creator & applying a fatist attitude and agenda. It was not only ignorant and Abelist but fatist as well.
There is a common misconception that fat people using mobility aids are using them because they are lazy or because they failed to take care of themselves and got fat. There is zero understanding that some diseases, illnesses, injuries, and genetic conditions will create a situation where a person gains a lot of weight. Often the medications used to treat certain diseases will contribute to weight gain or make losing weight difficult to imposdible. Illness can contribute to weight gain and not the other way around.
Regardless of why someone is fat and disabled, they still deserve to use mobility aides and still deserve to live the most complete lives possible without judgement. The bottom line is that a mobility aid isn't going to make you fatter or more disabled and even if it did ...if the aid allows you to live a more independent, safer, more comfortable life, you should use it.
Some non-disabled people are also failing to take into account that most gyms don't offer wheelchair accessible exercise equipment such as ellipticals and recumbent bikes in which a wheelchair users feet can be strapped in, or wheelchair accessible weights.
@@virginiajimenez7955 That is an excellent point. It makes it even more difficult to maintain or lose weight when you cannot find a facility that will accommodate a variety of body types.
@@virginiajimenez7955 Also, in my experience a lot of gyms don't allow disabled people to use their equipment without bringing an assistant.
Liked the video, some people on social media are crazy or after clicks. Love how your cat tried to comfort you, so sweet. Sometimes animals are smarter than some "humans"
PS. Like the cameo appearance of your delightful cat! 🌞
I'm ambulatory and in the lengthy process of getting my custom lightweight chair. I've had a disabled parking tag for over a year now and I have somehow not had an altercation, just dirty looks. I am scared about not being welcomed in the disability community and by full time wheelchair users almost as much as I'm scared of the potential drama from able bodied people. Thank you for this video and for all your wheelchair content. It helps me a lot, especially as a parent!
Sometimes I use a wheelchair, but I can also walk and stand as well as running a little bit one. I am having a good day, but I have CP so it makes it hard to walk along distances. So sometimes when there is a lot of walking, I use either a wheelchair or electric cart to get around.
Thank Gem, I have reluctabtly become an ambulatory wheelchair user due to a degenerative neurological condition and two strokes; I can walk a few yards with sticks, standing still for more than a couple of minutes is excrutiating, so far I've not had any abuse, but am certainly ready to respond if needs be!
I'm an ambulatory wheelchair user and for me it depends on how bad my condition is that day and what I'll be doing. On an average day that doesn't require a lot of walking I'll just a cane, medium walking I'll use a rollator and anything else like touring a museum or going to a convention or a fair I'll use a wheelchair. A lot people don't realize that when you are in chronic pain it causes fatigue then you are not enjoying what you are doing and are not fun to be around as well. I also use a disability parking placard and since I'm 41 and appear healthy (invisiable disability) I'm constantly paranoid that someone will complain that I shouldn't be parking in the disabled parking spot. In my state in the U.S. they actually issue the disability parking placards with your face on it so there is not doubt that it's for you.
So I was quite thin when I was injured (t-11 complete SCI). In fact after my injury I went from a healthy 120 lbs to a very unhealthy 86 lbs. I’m assuming it was from all of the fun my body went through but anyway. I was injured at 17 and I’m 41 now. After I had twins at 35 and I developed severe edema after my c section - so sever that I sometimes leak water out of the pores in my legs etc. I have put on a significant amount of weight from this. and have since torn both rotator cuffs and had to switch to a power chair. The change in peoples’ behavior toward me since the weight gain, the comments people have said - even around my kids - are just so incredibly mind-blowing. There is definitely an assumption that people who are in wheelchairs that are also fat are simply lazy, so lazy that we have gotten fat or whatever. It has been a wild ride.
Also an ambulatory wheelchair user due to POTS & Long Covid. The treatment by the public is so awful. And not just strangers, people that were close friends. Many became so nasty I just disengaged. Comments like many others echo here: “do you really need that?” “It seems like you just want attention.” “Why are you giving up?” “You seem fine to me…”
All so painful. And the dirty looks and rude comments from strangers in public have me almost afraid to walk or stand bc I just don’t want to deal with the harassment.
They tell us we’re “giving up” by using the chair but when we try to walk, they harass us. I feel like I can’t win.
As an AWU who also is large, I would like to go up to those ableist people and ask them if they would like to find out what it is like to not be able to walk for a while. I would be glad to roll over both of their feet with my rehab wheelchair. Just kidding, I would never hurt someone on purpose, but the temptation is there.
Anyone know if the ADA law in US actually helps take effective action against people who discriminate or harass people with a disability eg: calling police on someone legally using disabled parking or verbally abusing them, claiming they are "faking". Would you be able to sue someone known to you for defamation?
I've wondered this myself. It would certainly make discriminatory people think twice before screwing around.
@@virginiajimenez7955 I think the Anti discrimination laws need to include this. I've just written to Human Rights Commission in Australia. If anyone can be bothered to do likewise to their relevant body you can use my email
"Is it possible / practicable to update the law to cover a newer problem? Possibly partly due to social media it is not uncommon for people legally using accessible parking to be called out as "faking" it, and repeatedly abused verbally especially ambulatory wheelchair users who can walk and get their wheelchair out of the car boot. Similarly for people using a rollator or even a cane. That is they have LIMITED mobility from a variety of medical conditions. Or people with a hidden disability.
Or if you are simply shopping and other customers harass you for using a mobility device, even a cane! Much less a mobility scooter. The law seems to only cover business owners or employees at present. But this abuse bites deep to someone already struggling with pain and other issues. It can lead them to socially isolate or try not to use needed mobility equipment leading to further damage or injury.
Perhaps customers caught or witnessed doing this could be detained by security and charged and fined. The matter could be dealt with in a Magistrate's court. Similarly if harasser calls police on someone LEGALLY using accessible parking they are charged with harassment.
I realise this is not as dire as being refused employment or housing but many people with a disability are affected by this on a regular basis simply because they want to buy food, clothing, medication or other necessities. It is an unwarranted and unnecessary form of discrimination and abuse.
So please consider it. Having it as a law, and having it known in the community that it is illegal to act in this manner may help diminish it's incidence.
Thank you and best wishes."
If we complain about this abuse instead of taking it, things may change. At least it puts these "people" on notice.
Gem, you’re right. Even if a person can stand, sometimes the pain is too much to make it worth it. I can stand, assisted, but I can’t stand on my own because my legs are too weak and an arch in my back pushes my torso forward. In a hypothetical world, I would be an ambulatory wheelchair user, but I’m not because I weighed the pros and cons, and decided that my disability was far more painful than ableism. I learned to embrace my disability and to not apologize for messing up people’s perception of normal if they’re ableist. If I teach people by then seeing me and my chair, so much the better!
I have a combination of MS, EDS, and proprioceptive problems. I can walk, but not far (most of the time), and never with stability. After broken teeth and bones, a couple of concussions and lying in a parking lot for two hours, i admitted it isn't safe for me to go out on my own without my chair. And like you've mentioned about others, my family are the worst about accepting either my service dog or my chair. I've had very little pushback from strangers, even ones who've seen me stand to get out of the chair, off the ground, or to reach for things.
Thanks for this video, I'm a ambulatory wheelchair user myself ❤
Thank you for pointing out that sometimes within the disability community, there is just as much ignorance and hate. My husband and I are both ambulatory (he is C4, incomplete. I have nerve damage in one leg and bad osteoarthritis in both knees. I just ordered myself a mobility scooter). My disability placard was given in 1984, never expires and looks different from modern ones. Constantly questioned or given the stink eye when I use it. Keep up the wonderful work you do, you are a joy. (word has it that Wheels to Walking is taking a break. We miss him too)
Thanks for addressing this. I'm a new ambulatory wheelchair user due to spinal stenosis, fibromyalgia and arthritis. It's incredible painful to walk. Since I started with my wheelchair, my quality of life has improved dramatically. It's really too bad that judgmental people like the young girl in the video are making ignorant statements that so many other young people see. It does a disservice to everyone; not the least of which are themselves, Keep educating!
I have nerve damage in my back along with arthritis in spine, hips and knees. It makes walking for distances or standing any length of time very painful. My sister invited me to join her & her 8 yo daughter for a girls trip to Disney world this Christmas. I was afraid to accept since i knew i wouldn't be able handle the walking or standing in long lines. Her nect sentence was, you can rent a mobility scooter while we're in Florida and I'll arrange so you can have a wheelchair at the airport. So, we're spending Christmas & my big sister's birthday at Walt Disney World 😊
Yes, I used to be an ambulatory user and I used to get the abuse when I went to get the chair out of the back of the car. I can't walk but still stand (with help) and get disapproving looks.
I have cerebral palsy and I use a power whèelchair when I'm out and a walker in my apartment. The reason why I use a power whèelchair when I'm outdoors is because I live in an area where there are hills and pushing a manual whèelchair up a hill is hard for me, so a power whèelchair makes more sense for me.
I have EDS, and Dysautonomia and I only use a wheelchair when I’m at church but that’s because my church building is huge and I would be in a LOT of pain and/ or lightheaded enough to blackout and I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the service.
The Issue on all this is that the variables are massive. So many variables that there is no answer. As to the numb jerk about adult stroller is one of our biggest problems. Those knowing little but feel they have the ability to make comments that are just hurtful and show their ignorance. I'll just end this that most of the disabled are those that have hidden issues. I have it easy because it's obvious that I'm a paraplegic.
I have a cousin, who until a few years ago, was an ambulatory power chair user. She's now a full time user. Its not because she gained a lot of weight or she paralyzed. Its because in September 1951, she caught polio and spent nearly a year in a polio ward. She was able to relearn to walk, but when she got older, she became more prone to falling, so she used s power chair when outside her home
i have unfortunately gained abit of weight since i have become less mobile
For real! It’s not easy to propel a manual chair but it’s so much easier for me than the pain and dizziness of walking. But for people who don’t have that they’d be out of that chair instantly
in grocery stores my mom has to use the motorized cart, basically a kind of wheel chair for shopping, not because of her joints, but because of her heart, she had 3 heart attacks( the last time the damn hospital, SOMC, the m stands for malpractice center, ignored her for almost 2 and a half hours, putting covid ahead of her, bad move, cardiac comes first), a tavr, and 2 bypasses, more stents than i can remember, she can walk some, but she has to use a walker, so when there isnt a wheelchair or motorized cart, she can sit and rest.
Im an ambulatory wheelchair user in the UK (although when im out, I use it 99% of the time) but im too nervous to stand to stretch my back if my pain gets too bad because of how people might react.
I've googled Richard, dug around, ... and I cant find anything from/about him. His videos are so great, but he did seem to be struggling in his last few videos. Prayers all is well and just that the robotic device he was getting changed things for the better.
I sometimes wonder if the UK is worse then the US, but people can be horrific anywhere.
I think I already mentioned I have Waldenstroms (a slow, treatable but incurable cancer- average prognosis around 10 years with treatment) with associated neuropathy. Before chemo, I was down to being able to walk around 50 metres, which is why I got myself a (secondhand) wheelchair. After chemo I built up to being able to walk around 5km, ater which Id need to rest one or two days, being completely exhausted after the effort. My energy is a very finite resource! So I'd rather use my wheelchair ( now with a motorised Battec style wheel for example, doing my shopping etc & save my energy for something I enjoy doing more like kayaking/swimming in the sea. ( My arms are less severely affected by the neuropathy than my legs).
I've earned my retirement, & the right to enjoy it to the max in the time thats left to me.
A common treatment that causes weight gain is steroids, which tend to increase both appetite and fluid retention. There are hormonal problems that similarly affect weight, like thyroid deficiency, not to mention mercenary food producers who add too much salt, sugar, starch to prepared foods & sell to us with aressive marketing!
Anyhow, if you're tempted to be judgemental about wheelchair users because you see them walking, think again. If you're unfortunate enough to become a wheelchair user in future, you will quickly come to understand the issues, inconveniences and attitudes towards wheelchair users.
I have fibromyalgia and just don’t go out when I’m too fatigued because on good days I could maybe even walk for 30 minutes, so it’s not worth me getting a wheel chair for the days I’m too fatigued to even get dressed. Cause a wheelchair I’d have to power with my hands would be more fatigued than just walking. Using a stick is often also too tiring to lift. So I use my disabled badge to limit the amount of walking I need to do when I’m bad, but always feel eyes are watching me because I’m ‘able’ to walk.
Exactly why my life is small and getting smaller daily as I can’t bring myself to be an overweight ambulatory wheelchair user. Unfortunately just reaffirms my decisions
Interesting educational and relatable Jen as always
Hi, firstly thank you for your videos, you have helped me out a lot over the last few years. Please keep up the great content. Am an ex- military guys developed nerve problems in feet/and back after serving in the gulf in the 1990,s but was still able to walk. Little did know that over the following years that ability would get less and less as I continued to add wear and tear onto the damage. Back in 2021. I got that ill and was bedridden for almost a year. I have recovered a little know and have been diagnosed with ME so am still unable to do a lot and walking makes me really ill. When I was told to first use a chair I was so set against it that I only excepted 1 to prove it wouldn’t help at all.. how wrong I was. I owe most of my recovery to this stage to that chair, You for helping me except it and you and Richard for helping me to learn how to use it..
I am in uk and yes people here really don’t get it and they do the strangest things when they see me putting the chair away in the car park, but in person they are willing to learn and am always happy to explain if approached. On line that doesn’t seem to be the same since the whole COVID thing people seem to have convinced themselves that what they think is right and there can not be any other possibility. Which is a sad thing.
But I ramble all i really wanted to say is thank you for everything and what are your views on wheelchair flags do they help make you more visible or just look stupid lol..
No one ever thinks maybe the weight is from the chair and struggle to be as active…. It’s always a case of weight being blamed for the disability 🙄🤦🏻♀️
Good video. I've become an ambulatory user due to AS causing severe pain on walking .
I was fit , active , a healthy weight . No I did not want an adult stroller , what a silly childish person that was. It might be her one day.
I accepted using one because it's the only way to keep some independence. I can't get more than a few steps without severe pain , it's a massive help to me.
I’m an ambulatory wheelchair user, yes I can stand, yes I can walk, sometimes when I walk you can’t even tell that I’m disabled because I might have a decent time at the time (which can quickly change)
I have hEDS, I can get dizzy if I’m standing at my full height (thanks to POTS) and I easily get very fatigued from walking and standing and it also increases my pain significantly and most definitely increases my risk of dealing with post exertion malaise for days afterwards if I’ve walked more than my body can tolerate on that given day. Not to mention the constant risk of me losing my balance or having a joint partially dislocate mid step so I either stumble and risk dislocating something while trying to not fall, or I outright fall and risk even worse injury.
I use my wheelchair a majority of the time when I’m out and about because it’s my safest, most effective and energy efficient way of getting around.
I can literally have an SI joint partially dislocate on me from just trying to get up from bed or partially dislocate a hip from just leaning forward while seated to reach something or go up a curb, when walking something in a knee can suddenly slide out ever so slightly and cause instant pain, same with bones in my feet or ankles. I have a handicap parking badge because I need the space around the car and no matter if I walk or take my chair, I need the shorter distance to conserve energy
Before I got my first wheelchair little over 10 years ago now (March 17th 2013) I was very limited in what I could do because I got more and more limited with for how long I could stand or walk. There were so many things I’d miss out on because I just couldn’t be on my feet for the duration of that errand or event. My wheelchair gives me so much more freedom and I have attended both expos and concerts thanks to my chair, I’ve even been to the big outdoor festival “Sweden Rock Festival” as a chair user, and I can tell you that there would have been no chance in hell for me to have been able to manage that day without my wheelchair! It was long distances, only standing place for the concerts (and the wheelchair ramp of course so those of us who were relying on mobility aid could have a safe, raised place to see the shows, I wouldn’t have been able to walk around there because it was too far for me, and I absolutely wouldn’t have been able to stand up even to watch my favorite band (Queen+Adam Lambert that I went to the festival to see) heck, even in my chair I was in panic amount of pain more than once during the day and especially during the for me main event of the full concert length performance that Queen+Adam had late in the evening (it started at like 21:00 or even 22:00, mum and I came back to our hostel accommodation at like 2 at night as we also had some 20-30km drive between our accommodation and the festival)
I did go have a rest in my recliner by the car for a few hours in the daytime of our festival day, just to have my spine in as good condition as possible for the Queen+Adam concert. I’m usually fine sitting in my wheelchair if I’m going around in shops and such, but just sitting still like waiting in a queue or just sitting in my wheelchair at an event where I’m just in one spot, it quickly turns into pain panic.
Without my wheelchair I’d essentially be stuck at home and unable to even do my grocery shopping independently because the time it takes to actually do grocery shopping and not just picking up some milk or a snack or something to drink, is both too long time on my feet and a longer distance than I can walk
Just getting approved for a wheelchair as an ambulatory wheelchair user can be a nightmare, at least in the United States. When my doctor and I were first talking about getting me a wheelchair a year and a half ago, my physical therapist told me that I probably wouldn't get approved because insurance won't cover a wheelchair if you can get around the house. She was right, they denied me. At the beginning of this year, we tried again, my symptoms had gotten worse, and I was starting to have issues getting around my apartment. My doctor and I went over the mobility assessment for the insurance with a fine-tooth comb to make sure we'd included every little detail that might be helpful. This time I was approved but it shouldn't have taken so much stress and work. Not only do insurance companies make it incredibly difficult to get approved but it's archaic to judge someone's need for a wheelchair based off whether they can get around their house or not. Disabled people should be able to leave the house too.
Here in Germany you can get something called "Pflegegrad" tonget support for your disability. In the assessment, one part is "mobility". And they list only your mobility IN the house! WTF. How do I get my food etc., how I do medical appointments.... Besides participation, meeting friends, "go" for a walk. I said to the guy who assessed me: "My appartment is my prison."
I was born with Spina Bifida which is a curvature of the spine. It comes in varying degrees of severity. From being able to walk (as in my case) to paralysis. I used to be able to walk, run and do pretty much everything that able bodied people can do. Its only in the last 3 years that i have had to lease a mobility scooter from the Motorbility Scheme here in the UK. So that i can go out and do things like going to the shops or going to see my mum round the corner. Ive become so unsteady on my feet, that the scooter has become a necessity. I've also got a Careline Alarm unit with a button pendant that I can press if i have a fall and need assistance.
Yeah I faint All the time and faint maybe once a week from a chair nearly daily otherwise. And was also born with legs twisted in such a way that walking is VERY painful because my tendons are trying to pull my knees into place where they don’t fit. I’ve sprained my ankle if that’s a 10/10 then normal walking ranges from a 5-7 and is unable to be repaired with surgery. Plus my neurological condition means I have limited feeing from about belly button down so I’m prone to injury….
Some complex needs from childhood with learning and physical needs use a stroller designed for there disability as they have never developed properly .
I love that when you're fat and need a wheelchair it's your own fault period and when you're an extreme sport person who does on purpose something that has high risk of injury, and then gets injured they can't help it?
I'm not saying they should get this hate instead! Neither should.. but i don't think people understand what "their own fault" means
Ive had people say crap like that to me
Only a few minutes in watching. When you referenced that you would be reacting to that specific video I remembered when I saw it. At the time I remembered thinking oh ill bet Gem and Jessica would have a thing or 2 to say about that reaction.
Would you ever consider doing more content that is more specific to you like morning and night routine and day in the life and more question-and-answer videos?
I am a full-time quadriplegic wheelchair user, I totally agree with you, it is horrifying how much prejudices based on total and utter ignorance harm people with various pathologies who need a wheelchair, it pisses me off that if they have doubts do not gather information before speaking, in any network or social platform there are thousands of videos and documents about it.
The analogy with the baby carriage seems correct to me because it has had a great impact and that is always better than leaving you indifferent, and it makes you think.
Just yesterday I thought of Richard, I also hope he's well, it's funny because just as I follow you, I also follow other people who followed Richard, Freddo, the guy in a wheelchair (Fred England)
Paralife tv (Shane Canada)
Empower For (Britney Canada)
For tips for para (Tanelle Canada)
we all have the same vision on disability and curiously we all follow Richard ♿💪👌
I had similar by other kids when I was in school. I have CP and can technically walk assisted but only for a minute or 2. we faced comments like that all the time
12:29 I'm ambulatory wheelchair user, my SPMS means I can get severe pains in my legs, like nerves on fire. I can stand, walk, have good balance etc but It doesn't take long for the pain to kick in. I had to fight for 2 years to get a decent wheel chair that I could use. after my Physio and OT recommended that I should get one. Now I have one it's been a godsend, letting me do more etc. The other thing that annoys me as well is the difference of the way people are treated (Now I am going to upset some people, sorry in advance) people with SCI's seem to get better treated in terms of support and help in terms of lighter wheelchairs, training in wheel chair skills etc. All of which seem to be missing if your in a wheelchair because of other reasons I have asked about these and got "Well you don't qualify for them" So either I use videos form people like you, that's how I found you or pay out for private help which there is none in my area.
There definitely seems to be this perception that everyone that uses a wheelchair is paralysed from the waist down and unable to feel or move their legs! So its either that or you're able bodied!
I am an ambulatory wheelchair user. I often can't be bothered to walk. It hurts, is absolutely exhausting and increases the risk of falls and injuries. It is just not worth it, I'll just use my chair, thanks
Imagine using all your energy to be ablest and hate on people who are helping themselves and bettering their lives by using wheelchairs. Maybe she should try to work on herself instead of judging others for something that doesn’t effect her AT ALL. Sending love to all my fellow disabled friends no matter what aid you use. You are valid and so amazing❤