HandiCapable

Any time I go anywhere, my mind works triple-overtime. I come into a room, and I instantly start looking at everything - what tables are at a height I can use, what corner of the room can I park in where I won’t block traffic, what food can I order that I can handle on my own, how much I can drink and when, what doorways I need to be careful not to run into… etc. Constantly evaluating and re-evaluating the situation and environment so I can function as normally as possible. Why? Because especially around new friends or strangers, I want to appear as un-handicapped as possible. A wheelchair is hard to overlook, so I work extra hard to help people see past the chair to the human being sitting in the chair. I’d love for people to forget about my wheelchair, or at least consider it an accessory - just this thing that I sit in, not who I am. To do that, I have to think ahead, work out all my possibilities and options. Sometimes it stresses me out, especially if everything is new, but most of the time I enjoy getting creative about how I do things. Though it does require more thought and maneuvering, it’s important to me that people realize that my wheelchair is not a barrier in my relationships with friends.

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