What do you see in a wheelchair?

Quick ahead 12 months and Worldwide Wheelchair Day is about to come back round once more. After seeing what a terrific alternative final 12 months offered, I needed to consider to have fun (for need of a greater phrase) it this 12 months.

Utilizing a wheelchair is sort of a subjective factor. It’s very private. Every part about it, from how your wheelchair appears to be like, to the way it impacts different elements of your identification, to the social interactions you’ve on the road while you’re utilizing it.

And in a lightweight bulb second, I realised that it’s not about me.

Whereas serious about what utilizing a wheelchair meant for me and what I may do for the day, I hadn’t been serious about these wheelchair customers that I had been working with over the past 12 months that weren’t in the identical place as me.

Excellent.

Working in faculties

Over the past 12 months, I’ve been educating wheelchair abilities in faculties to be sure that younger wheelchair customers are gaining access to the important life abilities.

Instructing in faculties has additionally given me a greater understanding what life is like for younger wheelchair customers. I’ve began to see what their aspirations and the place they get their info of disabled life-style from.

When serious about Worldwide Wheelchair Day this 12 months, I realised that working with faculties gave the proper alternative to convey a number of concepts I had collectively and begin some conversations about utilizing a wheelchair and disabled life.

With a fast e mail, the date was within the diary and a plan made to ship workshops are Marjorie McClure College, Chislehurst.

Want for velocity

I can simply say that this Worldwide Wheelchair Day is essentially the most enjoyable one which I’ve ever had. It was filled with enthusiasm, laughter, and studying.

Extra than simply wheelchair abilities, as we speak was about wheelchair life. Not only for wheelchair customers both. It was about elevating consciousness for different college students within the faculty and workers alike.

It was competitors time within the morning when college students, a few of them utilizing a wheelchair for the primary time, pitted their abilities towards one another in a slalom race testing out their velocity and turning abilities, aiming to finish up in pole place.

Each single class from the college bought concerned in what turned out to be a busy morning however an enormously enjoyable one. There have been some spectacular abilities being demonstrated by each youngsters and lecturers.

The expertise of the wheelchair customers confirmed although as they set the most effective instances of the day.

Speaking to the college

A full faculty meeting gave an opportunity for everybody to listen to about sorts of wheelchair (handbook, energy, assisted), why the abilities to make use of your wheelchair are essential and who would possibly use a wheelchair. Spoiler alert – anybody!

A lot of the youngsters who use wheelchairs, about 20 in whole, took their place on stage and shared their experiences of what they appreciated and didn’t like about utilizing their wheelchair. It was a terrific alternative for them to share their story and for different college students to study.

Regardless of the chilly lunchtime climate there was a giant group consistent with the main focus of the day and taking part in a favorite of ‘Bulldog’. Traditional playground video games provide a enjoyable option to practise transferring forwards, backwards and turning.

Taking again independence

Wheelchair abilities are extremely essential, however they don’t work in isolation and should be a part of one thing a lot bigger. Studying about life utilizing a wheelchair can be massively essential and these conversations don’t at all times occur. Particularly from a peer perspective.

Within the afternoon, we moved from the sports activities corridor to the classroom and talked about independence; what the phrase meant, the way it can look totally different for every individual, who you will get assist from and the way just about everybody, disabled or non-disabled, wants assist.

Independence would possibly look totally different for various folks, nevertheless it all comes right down to selection and management. Kids then confirmed off their creative abilities and drew photos of what independence appeared like for them sooner or later.

We wrapped the afternoon up with a mirrored image on what independence meant to every youngster they usually responded with some extremely insightful solutions round it being okay to ask for assist and serious about the little issues that you are able to do for your self.

What occurs subsequent?

What a improbable day. I used to be left questioning why I’ve by no means executed this earlier than. It was a lot enjoyable with a great deal of enthusiasm and was actually the most effective Worldwide Wheelchair Day I’ve ever had.

It was nice to see everybody at Marjorie McClure College getting concerned, having enjoyable and studying about wheelchairs.

Whereas in the future of elevating consciousness was enjoyable, it actually isn’t going to be sufficient to alter societal notion of utilizing a wheelchair. That’s why I’m engaged on a coaching programme that construct on every little thing that labored so properly as we speak and taking it out to extra folks.

What are your plans for 1st March 2024? Maintain it in your diary and let’s plan one thing enjoyable!