What is a wheelchair????
Webster's Dictionary defines a wheelchair this way "a chair mounted on wheels especially for the use of disabled persons"
I would define my wheelchair as my legs. It is an extension of my person and not just a piece of equipment.
The other day I was in the office and I was working at my desk. There were a group of men putting together tables. Now I had previously told my manager that I didn't want a table next to my desk because I put my wheelchair where the table would go. I like to transfer from my wheelchair to my desk chair and then I leave my wheelchair next to me. However, I don't think the workers got the message that I was not requesting a table in my cube. One of the workers began to roll my wheelchair away to place a table in my cube, I screamed don't touch that and I said I don't want a table. He sort of coward a little and said I was told to put this here. I said I don't care where you put it but it's going here.
Now, you may have read that exchange and thought "why where you so mean to that poor guy". He was just doing is job right? Yes, that is true but this is the problem with what he did. My wheelchair is not a piece of furniture to be moved around like a desk chair. It is not a file cabinet to be moved at a whim. My wheelchair is my lifeline. My ability to move and be independent. What happens if there is an emergency?
You might still think I over-reacted, but let me enlighten you about something. I was scared to death! My legs were being stolen from me without my consent. I reacted out of instinct. I felt like I was being trapped. Of course that was not the man's intention but that is how I felt I had to do something fast in my mind.
This is just one example, sometimes when I am in a store pushing through, just doing my shopping, and a helpful stranger will come up to me and start pushing my chair. They are trying to help and the mean well but if you saw someone walking down the street would go up to them and grab their hand and pull them down the street of course not. That would be weird and inappropriate but doing that to someone in a wheelchair is exactly the same.
Think of my wheelchair as an extension of my body. You would not touch me without permission and my chair should be treated that way. It is always OK to ask if I need help but it is not OK to force your help on me. Keep in mind that just like you I don't want to be put in a situation where I feel unsafe.
