This dramatic tale may seem a bit farfetched, something from
another planet, however it was very much my reality last Saturday. My wheelchair (which I’m now thinking about referring
to as the Starship Mobilize) has footrests that extend straight out in front to
accommodate my unbending legs. The ends
of said footrests about approximately 14 inches off the ground and have been
known to cause some damage. The list of
things I have dented, scraped, punched through, and taken the paint off of is
endless. I used to feel quite guilty for
ruining walls, doors, and furniture that blocked my path. However I’ve since learned that I only need
to feel partially guilty. See there
comes a point where my carful navigation can only get me so far. Sometimes I simply won’t fit. However when it comes to being able to get
into a restroom – I need to fit and should fit, especially when it’s the
restroom.
My extra
long chair takes some finesse to maneuver, especially in retail stores. I tend to forget that I’m in a chair since it’s
simply the way I’ve always been. However
when you’re happily driving along and suddenly hit something, you stop abruptly,
your head snaps back, and realize “oh no, I’ve taken out this entire store
display!” I would nearly throw myself
out of my chair to pick up the merchandise as quickly as possible, hoping that
nobody would notice.
One day when I had taken out
some sort of display I realized that this wasn’t entirely my fault. Public spaces are supposed to be assessable
for all people, and if this display was moved over 2 inches it would still be
standing. Instead of killing myself
trying to pick everything up I found the nearest sales associate and told them
what had happened. They came over to the
scene of the crime against accessibility and agreeably picked up the
display. I explained that this could
have been prevented if they took into account the space needed for a wheelchair
to turn, adding that stores are supposed to be accessible. This experience helped me realize that
navigating is not just the job of the driver, but the maker of the roads as
well. Highway organizations take into
account where it is safe for cars to drive, and drivers use traffic laws to
govern how they drive.
Navigating
my extra long chair is a challenge everyday, especially in my 150+ year old
house. I love this old house, so I try
to work around it but there is this one corner that I hit on a daily
basis. In the second part of this
navigation trilogy I’ll reveal some cleaver ways I’ve thought of to patch the
marks I’ve left.
Simple Text Format from above: A not so long time ago, in a bathroom not so far far away
was an exceedingly tight corner that was simply not fit for a wheelchair. Anaka Skyroller tried as much as she could to
navigate the narrow turn. Unfortunately
she was unable to keep the corner of the Starship Mobilize from colliding with
the great Swinging Door of Doom. The
screech of the beloved Mobilize slowly dragging across the Door of Doom was
heard throughout the whole galaxy.
Skyroller surveyed the damage to the ship first as she passed the confines
of the door. Her jubilance over there
being no damage to the ship was short lived as she glanced back and saw a deep,
8 inch long wound on the Swinging Door of Doom.
Small, sea foam green particles of industrial strength paint littered
the floor of the not so spacious doorway.
This is just another casualty in Skyroller’s quest to navigate this
world in the Starship Mobilize.
And how about that bathroom in Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island when you took out the liquid soap dispenser that was under the counter - I did feel sorry for the sweet girl who cleaned that up.
ReplyDeleteHeh....I've taken out a few displays in my day, and there's a distinct link between where my footrest is and marks on the doors....thanks for the giggle!
ReplyDelete