Tag: Electric Wheelchair

Dear people who use trains with babies, can you not leave your buggies in the wheelchair spaces. Thank you.

On By Katy DalyIn BlogLeave a comment
Image Description: An over the shoulder photo of a buggies on the edge of a wheelchair space on a train.

As I write this post I am still on the train. It is worth noting that the buggy was moved so I could get in before the photo was taken. Before this, it was completely in the wheelchair space. The owner of the buggy is nowhere to be seen.

I know that children and buggies have every right to take up space, but please remember your buggies are optional, my wheelchair is not.

It’s one thing to leave your buggy in the wheelchair space with you there. But to leave it there while you go into another area of the train is even more surprising to me. Why would you do it? Why would you leave your belongings unattended like that? Is being in first class really that important to you?

While the buggy has been moved out of the area, it is now blocking the isle and other passengers. It is not as easy for me to move as it is for you to not leave you things in the way in the first place.

A fun day out.

On By Katy DalyIn Blog, My Disability Truth1 Comment

So I’ve recently attended a friend’s birthday meet up. I get invited yearly, but usually can’t go, this year I’m was very happy to be free. And I have to say what a relief it was that they are also a wheelchair user.

I know it’s a horrible stereotype that disabled people should only have disabled friends. But it just makes things so much easier. I know that when we do things together it’s going to be accessible.

I wasn’t worried in the slightest about how accessible the day would be. I even went happily to somewhere I had never been before, something I wouldn’t normally do. If I was going somewhere completely new I would do a trial run of the area to figure out both how to get there and how accessible it is. But I didn’t need to do that here, and that was such a relief.

They even agreed to meet a few of us on the way to the place somewhere that we knew, including myself, to go to the place together. How nice was that?!

I spent a day not feeling disabled, not worrying about needing help. I was still slightly insecure over my incontinence issues, but as I got more comfortable in the day it was easier to deal with. But overall it was such a fun day, I was so comfortable and just got to be me. This doesn’t happen often.

This is why it’s easier to be around other disabled people, around other people that understand what it’s like to be you. It’s so nice.

Other people need to learn to be more inclusive and society needs to be more accessible in order to change this in anyway. Having fun shouldn’t be stressful, and for once it wasn’t.

Well at least you’re in the building.

On By Katy DalyIn Blog1 Comment

When was the last time you saw a live performance?

This is the prompt for today, but as I’ve answered it before it won’t let me answer it again. I’m at one now.

Getting into this building wasn’t easy for me, it was honestly testifying. It was something I can’t be sure I would have done if I knew what was expected of me from the start.

I was essentially pulled up several flights of stairs in my wheelchair, using an old but honestly good accessibility aid. I’ve included a picture of me using this below.

Image Description: A photo of myself in my electric wheelchair being pulled up stairs. My hands are gripped tightly on the armrest of the chair.

As this photo shows the whole experience was terrifying, and as I write this I have to go back down again.

Knowing the artist I’m here to see, I’m certain it was worth what it took to get me in here. But if I’m honest with myself I’m still upset by this whole experience. I shouldn’t have to go through this to have fun. Fun shouldn’t be this hard. Fun shouldn’t be hard.

The anxiety of this experience is going to leave me in more pain than usual for the next few days.

I’m torn between writing more about this now, while the emotions are fresh or focusing on the fact I’m about to here one of my favourite artists live.

I’m going to focus on the music for tonight.

No.

On By Katy DalyIn Blog, Writing PromptsLeave a comment

Have you ever been camping?

I suppose to answer his question it depends on what you mean by camping.

If we’re talking in a tent, I have vague memories of possibly doing so as a child. Definitely in my garden and definitely on the trampoline. But there is also a possibility that we went to a campsite to do it.

If we’re talking in a caravan we definitely did this growing up, I can vividly remember it. We also had an awning that the children would sleep in as we didn’t have the room in the caravan.

So yes. I did go camping as a child. It’s not something I do now as it’s not the most accessible activity when you’re a full time electric wheelchair user.

The purple heart.

On By Katy DalyIn My Disability Truth, Writing PromptsLeave a comment

What are your favorite emojis?

This one: 💜

That’s because purple is my favourite colour. But there are some other emojis that I really love.

There’s this one: 🩶 the grey heart.

There are two reasons I love the grey heart. The first is because my cat Ellis is grey, so I often use this emoji when posting about them. The second is because it means I can post all the colours of the Asexual Flag in emoji heart form: 💜🤍🩶🖤. That’s the purple heart, followed by the white heart, followed by the grey heart, followed by the black heart.

I feel like here I need to take a second to inform you that for my dogs Bella and Immy I also use coloured hearts. For Bella I use the brown heart: 🤎, and for Immy I use the yellow heart: 💛. And now just because I have an excuse to, I’m going to include a picture of all three of my furbabies below.

Image Description: From left to right lay on my bed is Bella, my brown with white markings caviler king charles, Ellis my grey cat with white markings, and Imogen my yellow labrador.

So back to emojis. Obviously as an aminal lover I love the dog and cat emojis: 🐕 🐶🐈🐈‍⬛️😺. I particularly the black cat emoji and the panting dog emoji: 🐈‍⬛️🐶, as I think they are similar to Ellis and Bella. Then we can’t forget the paw print emoji: 🐾, which is just so cute.

Then I’ve got to say that I love the wheelchair emojis:👩‍🦼👩‍🦽🦼🦽👨‍🦽👨‍🦼. I love that there are different types of wheelchairs included in these emojis, and this one: 👩‍🦼, is similar to my wheelchair, which makes me even happier.

I also have a family member who cannot read or write, but who uses the colour of emojis as one of there ways to communicate. Which is really nice.

I think emojis are both a great tool for accessibility as well as just being a bit of fun. It’s nice they can tick both boxes.

Going to a concert

On By Katy DalyIn Blog, Writing Prompts2 Comments

Describe a risk you took that you do not regret.

I had a great experience at last night concert, surprisingly.

I’m not sure if I will ever get used to having a positive experience at a concert. This was lovely.

I actually got to go slightly in front of the barrier, so this was probably the only time at a concert where I’ve actually had a clear direct view of the artists on the stage.

My view is usually blocked if not by people, which is expected, then by the height of the barrier. But this time was great.

I honestly don’t think that it’s too much to expect to be able to see the artist at a show you’ve paid for. But some people seem to think it is when you’re disabled.

That said I would rather be part of the crowd than in a separate area any day of the week. Though there are rare occasions that this can have advantages, this is very dependent on the venue.

Probably a dancer.

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When you were five, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I’ll be honest I can’t completely remember, but at that age I probably wanted to dance, if I’m honest I still do. For awhile I did wheelchair dancing, but I’ve been unable to find a competitive group for adults, so I haven’t done it in years, and that makes me sad honest.

I love dance.

It’s just my luck that I’d enjoy something so much that doesn’t work in the way people expect when you’re in a wheelchair. Even when I’ve found dancers in wheelchairs, they’ve almost always been in manual wheelchairs and had a lot more movement than me.

Moral of that story is dancing doesn’t really work for me.

International Wheelchair Day 2024

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So today is International Wheelchair Day 2024.

And funnily enough I’ve just had my wheelchair fixed. My wheels bring me freedom, I’d be stuck without them. They are the reason I get to be a person.

But the truth is the world isn’t built for people like me. It’s difficult using a wheelchair, because of the inaccessibility around me. Being in a wheelchair takes a lot of effort and planning just to get out of the house some days. Memorising routes and hoping nothing is going to block them. Not being able to go to concerts and have the same experiences as everyone else.

But without a wheelchair I wouldn’t even have the freedom I do now. Yet growing up as was told I needed to do as much as possible, to not become “wheelchair shaped”. Despite this being my eventuality and it causing a considerable amount of discomfort to attempt to delay it.

Using a wheelchair isn’t bad. Not walking isn’t bad. Mobility aids and physio need to be given for the best outcome of the individual, and not simply to push someone towards the societal norms that can actually be damaging to them.

Wheelchairs are not bad.
Mine is a life saver

Image Description: This picture shows myself facing the camera in my wheelchair with Imogen Ava Daly sat on my right and Bella sat on my left. Both dogs are looking at the camera.
Image Description: This picture is art by @Colourblind_Zebr. It’s shows a purple manual wheelchair with the text “My wheelchair is my FREEDOM not my PRISON”, with freedom and prison written in rainbow.
Image Description: This picture shows a picture of me slightly in the distance, on an angle facing left but looking towards the camera. Bella is stood in front of me, and Imogen is stood behind me with her front paws on my knee. We are all looking at the camera.

I got injured doing something stupid.

On By Katy DalyIn Blog, My Disability TruthLeave a comment

The annoying thing is it isn’t wasn’t even that stupid, and I think that’s what makes it stupid. All I was trying to do was trying to ring the bell to stop the bus, and the way I had to move my arm to do this ended up twisting my shoulder.

While I am able to get on to buses and this is a step forward in accessibility, there’s still ways that things can improve. It’s not unreasonable to want to be able to use public transport, especially without being injured.

Accessibility should not cause pain.

Speaking personally I am reliant on public transport due to my disability. Therefore it being accessible to me is more important.

It’s rarely just once.

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So I shared, as I occasionally do, a pavement obstruction in my local Facebook group. It’s not the first obstruction or obstacle I’ve faced today, in fact it’s one of many, but it’s the first one I had the confidence to share publicly.

My confidence with sharing these issues can be fragile. It fluctuates, and it’s difficult, even though I know I’m right to share these problems.

This issue is the inadvertently the cause of some of the people I share it to. So pointing it out is easier. But other issues aren’t as black and white. It can be harder to pin point who exactly causes the issue, so it can be harder to share.

Who’s fault is it that a lift is broken? Machinery brakes. It takes time to fix. It wouldn’t be fair to blame a specific person for this issue, when it’s a system. But does that mean I’m not allowed to share it? I don’t always know to be honest.

I definitely couldn’t share all the issue inaccessibility issues I face on a daily basis. It would be too difficult to share, and would mean I’d be focusing unfairly focusing on the negative for me.

So just remember when someone gets the confidence to share an issue with you, it’s rarely all that they are dealing with. They’re sparing you the full picture. Be kind.