#new wheelchair user

[zebulontheplanet]

I want people to understand, as a new wheelchair user, I need patience. I need help. I need people to be there for me. Being a new wheelchair user is hard. Using a mobility aid is hard. Being new to using it, figuring out how to use it, dealing with the public, dealing with accessibility issues, all of that is hard. I need support.

My mom has been my support. She encourages me to use my wheelchair, she helps me get my wheelchair in and out of the car, she pushes me if i need it, she tells me to tell her if I need help. I appreciate that, and it’s the support I need. Me needing the support of others isn’t failure. Needing support isn’t failure. It’s thriving.

[autisticarachnid]

I GOT A WHEELCHAIR BITCHESSSS

[giantkillerjack]

Can anyone who uses a wheelchair (especially a motorized chair) please explain to me what the process was like to find the right chair?

I live in America and it seems that the doctors just want me to order one online without trying it at all, which seems insane for such a very very specific and very expensive medical device.

In order to find an office chair that didn't hurt my back, I went to every single furniture store in Chicago. So it seems wild that the selection process for something way more expensive and important would be so vague and confusing. I'm really scared that I'll get the wrong one.

How do you get the right wheelchair??????

[sourapplerings]

so i think im going to my first ever pride event in a week and a half, which is super exciting but a little scary. and im also going to a mother mother concert at the start of july!

the last time i went to a mother mother concert tho, i had a lot of trouble with my joint pain and ended up missing a few good songs bc i had to find somewhere to sit. i felt super awful bc one of said songs was hayloft, which my bf was really excited for

that concert was almost two years ago now (holy shit) and since then i got my grubby little mitts on a wheelchair. i’ll definitely be using it at the concert, and maybe pride since i’ve been not feeling well lately and i get heat exhaustion/sickness pretty badly

my question for you, tumblr dot com, is how to make these events a little more accessible and less stressful. i’ve never used a wheelchair in public, in fact i’ve only really used it once when i sprained my ankle and walking was really hard. the chair fits into my bf’s trunk, so transportation isn’t an issue. my current plan is to pack a mini bag with meds, water, maybe a snack??, some alcohol pads (for nausea), and maybe headphones and sunglasses for sensory reasons at pride.

for my chronically ill girlies (mainly ppl with stomach and joint issues, neurodivergent folks, and ambulatory wheelchair users) do you guys have any tips for navigating public spaces? what kind of hurdles can i anticipate?

[disability-can-be]

Took my new chair out on her first trip! I do have one question for fellow wheelers...

Static. How do you keep from electrocuting the people you love.

[roseamoungstthethorns]

Does using a self-propelled wheelchair ever get easier?

I got mine today (25, relatively chunky dude of average strength (no upper body difficulties) but with a balance disorder that means its gonna be needed for longer outings). I couldn't go for more than 30 seconds at a time without getting exhausted, and I'm feeling quite disenheartened.

Hi! Yes it does

I know how hard it is in the start

I recomend going out with someone you can trust to help push you in the start. You need to work up your muscles and you don't want to get stuck out somewhere!

Do short trips. Gradually build up to hills, gravel, curbs, long trips, rain, etc.

If you have ability to see a PT they can help train your muscles. Doing exercises that trains your traps, shoulders, and arms.

I know I know loose weight bs blah blah blah. But the less weight you have to push the easier it is. This can be physically your body, a lighter chair, lighter equipment, etc. So if you don't want to or can't loose weight try seeing if you can make other things lighter.

Also experiment where to put your extra weighted items. Some people like the back of the chair, some like under, some cross body, see what is most comfortable for you and your chair.

A few more small tips:

When you propel yourself think of making circular motions with your arms

Here is the result

A common mistake is leaving hands on wheels similar to this, pushing forward and letting hands glide back on the wheel.

Here it is in practice

Notice how much less smooth this is? And this is inside my own home with a level and smooth controlled setting. Releasing your hands and letting it naturally circle like shown before is really going to make it easier

Learn to pop a wheelie. This is going to make going up curbs etc. take a lot less effort. Do this by pushing forward and leaning back.

You do NOT need to be this aggressive I just wanted to make sure it portrayed on camera what I was doing because I didn't find anything that really showed it to me when I was learning.

Get good comfortable gloves with padding and good grip

If available to you get rubber grip on the wheels and winter tires they are supposed to be very helpful (I'm still waiting on mine!)

[reasonsforhope]

"For [Tanner] Green, the chief engineer at Not a Wheelchair, this is one of the thousand complications standing between his team and a rather lofty goal: upending the manual wheelchair marketplace.

If you’ve heard of Not a Wheelchair, it’s likely because of its owners, Zack Nelson, the star of the 8.8-million-subscriber YouTube channel JerryRigEverything, and his wife Cambry, a para and manual wheelchair user. The Nelsons got into the mobility equipment business a few years ago when they released The Rig, an electric, adaptive off-road device with a simple yet robust and functional design priced significantly lower than anything else on the market. Now, they’re bringing that same ethos to manual wheelchairs.

Not a Wheelchair aims to offer a base-model, custom manual wheelchair at a similar or better quality than most of the insurance-approved wheelchairs in the U.S. for $999.

Yes, that’s just under $1,000 for everything — wheels, handrims, tires, side guards and rigid, angle-adjustable backrest included. And the company plans to have a turnaround time of weeks, rather than the monthslong slog that it typically takes from order to delivery.

When I first heard about this, it sounded awesome and a bit far-fetched. It’s hard to find a pair of quality wheelchair wheels for less than $500. Same with a rigid backrest. How were they going to offer both, plus a custom wheelchair frame without compromising on quality? I drove to their headquarters in Utah to find out...

So how does Not a Wheelchair’s base model chair stack up to other options on the market? I hate to sound like a preacher, but … it’s totally reasonable! It hits the mark of being at least as good, if not better, than the majority of insurance-approved wheelchairs in the U.S.

Touring the factory, I saw other prototypes scattered all around the facility. There’s a beefier, four-wheel drive version of The Rig that the company just launched. There’s a track wheelchair that’s still in development. It’s clear that Not a Wheelchair doesn’t intend to stop at a simple, manual wheelchair. Inexpensive components, more advanced electric off-road devices, power assist, it’s all on the table. “We’re just really excited to see where this leads,” says Green."

-Article and video via New Mobility, October 1, 2024

[dandelionsresilience]

Dandelion News - September 8-14

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $kaybarr1735 or check out my new(ly repurposed) Patreon!

1. Pair of rare Amur tiger cubs debuting at Minnesota Zoo are raising hopes for the endangered species

“[The Minnesota Zoo’s] Amur tigers have produced 57 cubs, [… 21 of which] have gone on to produce litters of their own, amounting to another 86 cubs. […] “They’re showing a lot of resiliency, which is something that we work hard for in human care. We want these animals to have a lot of confidence and be able to adapt to new environments just as they’re doing today.””

2. Powered by renewable energy, microbes turn CO₂ into protein and vitamins

“The team designed a two-stage bioreactor system that produces yeast rich in protein and vitamin B9. [… The protein] levels in their yeast exceed those of beef, pork, fish, and lentils. […] Running on clean energy and CO2, the system reduces carbon emissions in food production. It uncouples land use from farming, freeing up space for conservation[… and] will help farmers concentrate on producing vegetables and crops sustainably.”

3. JCPenney Launches Apparel Collection Aimed At Wheelchair Users

“A major department store is rolling out a new line of clothing specifically tailored to meet the needs of women who use wheelchairs featuring options for both everyday wear and special occasions. [… The clothing have] modifications like zippers located for easy access, pocket positioning and extended back rises optimized for the seated position and shorter sleeves to limit interference with wheels.”

4. Snails bred in Edinburgh Zoo sent to re-populate species in French Polynesia

“Thousands of rare partula snails bred at Edinburgh Zoo are to be released in French Polynesia to restore the wild population of the species.The last surviving few of the species were rescued in the early 1990s[….] 15 species and sub-species [are being bred in zoos for repopulation], the majority of which are classed as extinct in the wild.”

5. [NH Joins 19 Other States] to Provide Essential Behavioral Health Services Through Mobile Crisis Intervention Teams

“[CMS] approved New Hampshire’s Medicaid State Plan Amendment for community-based mobile crisis intervention teams to provide services for people experiencing a mental health or substance use disorder crisis. […] The multidisciplinary team provides screening and assessment; stabilization and de-escalation; and coordination with and referrals to health, social, and other services, as needed.”

6. Recovery plan for Missouri population of eastern hellbender

“It is expected that recovery efforts for the Missouri DPS of the eastern hellbender will reduce sedimentation and improve water quality in the aforementioned watersheds, which will also improve drinking water, as well as benefit multiple federally listed mussels, sport fish and other aquatic species.”

7. How $7.3B will help rural co-ops build clean power—and close coal plants

“[The funds are] serving about 5 million households across 23 states [… to] build wind and solar power, which is now cheaper than coal-fired power across most of the country. […] Some of it will be used to pay down the cost of closing coal plants[….] federal funding could help co-ops secure enough wind, solar, and battery resources to retire their entire coal capacity by 2032, cutting carbon emissions by 80 to 90 percent and reducing wholesale electricity costs by 10 to 20 percent[….]”

8. Native-led suicide prevention program focuses on building community strengths

“[Indigenous researchers have] designed programs that aim to build up a community’s endemic strengths, rather than solely treating the risks facing individuals within that community. By providing support and resources that enable access to Alaska Native cultural activities, they hope to strengthen social bonds that build resilience. […] “In a Yup’ik worldview, suicide is not a mental health disorder, and it’s not an individual affliction, it’s a disruption of the collective.””

9. Another rare Javan rhino calf spotted at Indonesia park

“A new Javan rhino calf has been spotted in an Indonesian national park, the facility's head said Friday, further boosting hopes for one of the world's most endangered mammals after two other […] calves were spotted earlier this year at the park, which is the only habitat left for the critically endangered animal.”

10. Transparent solar cells can directly supply energy from glass surfaces

“[Researchers have] unveiled a method of supplying energy directly from glass of buildings, cars, and mobile devices through transparent solar cells. […] It has also succeeded in charging a smartphone using natural sunlight. It also proved the possibility that a screen of a small mobile device can be used as an energy source.”

September 1-7 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[jenny-94]

Fertig zum ausgehen mit den mädels 🥰

Ready to go out with the girls 🥰

[boarloved-art]

i like the car movies a lot.......

[houstonxbreed]

Having a severe disability that gets progressively worse over time is such a lonely experience. The more you decline, the more your loved ones leave because your limitations become a “burden” on them. Meeting new people is exhausting because you have to constantly explain your disability just for them not to understand and end up leaving you anyway. You’d think that people would wanna support you when you’re in such a vulnerable position in life but people are just quick to throw you away. Disabled people are forced to deal with the physical and mental distress that chronic illnesses cause all ALONE because society refuses to be empathetic.

[allthecanadianpolitics]

Canada's chief accessibility officer is taking airlines to task for failing to treat wheelchair users with respect after Air Canada forgot last week to bring her wheelchair on a cross-country flight.

Stephanie Cadieux said that when she flew from Toronto to Vancouver on Friday, she discovered that her wheelchair had been left behind.

She posted about the incident on X, formerly Twitter. Her posting received overwhelming support — almost 650 retweets and more than 2,500 likes.

"This was immensely frustrating and dehumanizing — and I was furious," she later said in a post on her LinkedIn account. "The tweet has been widely viewed and shared. Air Canada responded and my chair has been returned to me."

Full article

Tagging: @politicsofcanada

[verycleverblogname]

A couple months ago, I went to pride with my family. I was in my wheelchair, and a little kid runs up to me and says “Did you break your leg?” XD

I explained that I was disabled, and explained what that meant to them. They then said “ok” and immediately went to my sibling to complement their outfit. It was cute and hilarious.

Their mom was very grateful for my understanding and for explaining it to them.

[minaespen]

apparently i'm supposed to mask how i really feel even tho i dont express it at all

how dare i answer "how are you doing" with "not the best"

[flamingo--ing]

tried to do a church fit check but someone came over but anyway