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#Wheelchair using folk - what is something you wish non-wheelchair users knew? Or something you didn’t realise until you got your first chair?

Because there’s definitely stuff I never realised before I used one.

For example - if you’ve never had mobility issues or used a wheelchair you probably have no idea just how slanted the pavement you’re walking on is. Feet are really good at compensating for that shit without you even noticing.

Dropped curbs and cambers are one of the most awkward things I navigate every single time I go out in Roach.

Generally, the easiest way for me to get across them is to hug the side of the pavement furthest from the road because it’s usually less of an angle.

If you stop to let me pass, please don’t flatten yourself against the fence/hedge thinking you’re just giving me space. You’re actually forcing me to use the steeper bit of the slope.

At best it’s going to make me have to lean a fair bit to stay upright.
At worst, my chair may drift into the road…

Roach is a folding powerchair. She wasn’t cheap but she is on the cheaper end of the spectrum of these things, so it may not the case for every wheelchair user you meet and it may not even be the case outside the UK, but it is something I didn’t even consider before I had Roach.

#Disabled