Tag: 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.

The best I can do isn’t always what you ask of me.

On By Katy DalyIn BlogLeave a comment

I’m getting my hair done over the coming days, and I’m worried.

I’m worried because I can’t follow the guidance exactly how I would like to. But I’ve tried my best. I can only wash my hair on certain days in the week and in the evening, due to my carers. But this isn’t something that someone would know about me without me saying. And don’t know how I’m supposed to bring that up to people who don’t me.

When you need help to do things, doing things when you want isn’t always an option. But I do my best.

I have to deal with the anxiety of this alongside the anxiety of having someone new cut my hair. This is the first time I will be paying for someone to come to my home to do it. As the family members that usually do it are unable to do it right now, or ignoring me.

I don’t want to risk going to a standard hairdresser as I’ve done this before and it’s been difficult due to accessibility.

Once I rang a hairdresser to ask if they were accessible, and they assured me that they were. However, when I got there, there was a step outside the building.  I questioned this and their answer was that once so was inside the place was accessible. I pointed out that I couldn’t get inside due to the step. Their solution was to give me a free coupon for that Salon, the one I couldn’t get in.

So I don’t want to risk that again. This is why I’m using a mobile hairdresser. But it doesn’t come without concern for me, nothing seems to come without concern.

I have told them I am in a wheelchair, but I worry that they will just forget that. That they will say they can’t do it because I’m in a chair, or for some other reason I haven’t thought of. 

Logically I’m sure it’ll be fine, but I’m still worried.

Anxiety sucks.

And I just wish that I was able to go into a regular hairdresser and get it done somewhere where I wouldn’t be a problem. 

It’s difficult when dealing with a world that’s so inaccessible to you, to not blame yourself for the reason things are so difficult. Logically I know this is not my fault, but emotionally which is the side that always seems to win, its so much more difficult to deal with.

But getting my hair done seems worth it. After it’s done I just feel like I can breathe, if that even makes sense.

All this said, wish me luck for tomorrow. I honestly feel like I need it.

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.