Confinement to a wheelchair can be difficult, especially when the wheelchair user has to watch able-bodied people doing the things that they would love to do. Able-bodied people take things like running up and down the stairs, negotiating tight corners, and using public bathrooms for granted.
Until recent times, the world was not wheelchair friendly, with few places offering the requisite facilities. Wheelchair users would often feel excluded from everyday life since their different needs were not catered for.
Even so, a lot of people still feel awkward when they encounter a wheelchair user, and unsure of what to say or do. They’re afraid of offending the wheelchair user by compromising their independence, but they also don’t want to appear inconsiderate.
Here are ways you can support a wheelchair user
Keep wheelchair users in mind wherever you go
Think about the world from the perspective of someone who uses a wheelchair, and what challenges it presents them with. For example, moving from one floor of a building to another, getting through doorways, and reaching surfaces can be very difficult.
Ask yourself how accessible the places you go to frequently are for wheelchair users. This list of places could include your workplace, place of worship, or shopping mall. You can advocate for people in wheelchairs to make sure their needs are considered.
Be an accessible host
If you’re hosting a meeting or event that a wheelchair user will be attending, make sure the venue is suited to their needs. There should be a ramp at the entrance to the building so that people who use power wheelchairs can get inside without any problems. The appropriate bathroom facilities should be available for the wheelchair user.
Maneuvering a wheelchair though narrow corridors is problematic, so you should make sure that the venue has wide corridors and wheelchair-friendly doorways. Outdoor events can be particularly challenging for a wheelchair user if the surface is uneven. Moving a wheelchair over patches of gravel, sand, and other uneven surfaces won’t be easy.
Don’t make assumptions about the wheelchair
Too many able-bodied people can’t see beyond the wheelchair to the person sitting in it. They are so focused on what makes the person different from them, instead of concentrating on what they have in common.
It’s a common assumption that a person who uses a wheelchair is completely immobile, which isn’t always the case. Some people have limited mobility and use a wheelchair to get around, although they can move around independently for a short time.
You should never assume that the person in the wheelchair is helpless. By speaking to the person and taking the time to get to know them, you can listen to their story and gain some insight into why they’re a wheelchair user.
Another assumption is that if a person is physically disabled, there must be something wrong with them mentally. This is what leads people to speak over the wheelchair user as if they are unable to speak for themselves. It is insulting to a wheelchair user for you to presume to understand them and their circumstances.
Don’t try and take over
When you see a person in a wheelchair, your first instinct might be to help. But the worst thing you can do is go to them and try and take control of the wheelchair. You are invading their personal space and challenging their independence.
There’s nothing wrong with offering to help a wheelchair user who appears to be struggling or waiting until they ask for assistance. Treat the wheelchair as an extension of its user’s body. You wouldn’t grab someone’s arm if you didn’t know them, so you shouldn’t grab someone’s wheelchair handle either.