Some of you may have read my blog post from just over a year ago when I first got a powerchair. If not then you can read it here:
Adventures with a PowerChair – Disability Information Scotland
I ended that with saying I was hoping to get a up a hill that I’d not been able to go up for 30 years since my mobility first deteriorated. I thought I’d update you all and share my joy at getting back up Calton Hill in Edinburgh to see the view again this summer!
Myself and a friend followed the throng of summer tourists one day in July this year. He was walking and I was travelling in my electric wheelchair. As is often the case in Edinburgh, when the haar (or mist) off the Forth clears it will leave some cloud but it was clear enough for me to see for miles once we reached the top. Here is the amazing view I’d missed since my younger days.
You can see the whole of Edinburgh if you go round the hill. I love that you see the Forth and all the way to Fife. When I see an expansive view like this it helps me put my life into perspective. Sometimes it’s only when you get something back you realise how much you missed it.
Why would I bother to share my experience of a short trip in the city I live in? I just want to emphasise that using a mobility aid is not a great tragedy or a sign of dependence or helplessness. It is simply a tool and it can bring great joy when you get to reclaim some parts of your life you’ve been missing. There can be misconceptions that somehow, you shouldn’t use a wheelchair or powerchair unless you are unable to walk at all. Many wheelchair users have some capacity to walk or stand but there are many different reasons why people use them. If your life has become more limited due to illness or disability then don’t discount any kind of aid out of hand and please don’t assume you can understand a person’s disability simply by looking at them.
If you want to learn more about what options may exist for you and if there is any funding that can help you afford disability aids that you haven’t been able to access through statutory channels then do call or email us at Disability Information Scotland. We can help you to think it through and point you to who can support you with your choices.