I would love to take the phrase "wheelchair bound" and burn in a skip fire. I am freed by my wheelchair, not bound by it. I haven't given up, I found a way to to go on. By accepting my disabilities and pain, I learn to work around them. Agree with you completely.

I'm disabled and work in occupational health. 90% of the time when I ask people (over the phone) if they're using any walking aids, they retort with "absolutely not, I'm 50 not 90" or "I wouldn't be caught d**d in a wheelchair" or "I'd be too embarrassed to use a stick I'm in my 30's". It absolutely cuts me every time as I had a spinal cord injury age 24 and use a whole host of mobility and disability aids. But people really see it as embarrassing to be a woman in your 20's using a chair.

I had a doctor tell me to just sit out while my family enjoyed Disney rather than get a mobility aid because I can’t walk longer distances. It’s been years but I’m still mad.

I think this really has to do with how visible your disability is : for the boy whose disability comes from missing an arm, that is what people see, and when he wears a prosthetic, it tends to look more like a regular arm. Able-bodied people assume your disability is what they see, but for someone like me, whose disability mostly comes from chronic pain, using a mobility aid will actually make me "look more disabled" than not using it, despite it being really the opposite (I physically feel more free using a cane than nothing). Society doesn't feel comfortable with disabled bodies so people like it better when you look less disabled (aka having 2 arms, 2 legs, standing, talking etc...) but some people start looking disabled the minute they try to actually do something to make their life easier :)

If i hear another healthcare professional telling me (always in a condescending way) that im not ALLOWED to use a wheelchair im gonna sceam. One year ago i didn’t have one and i struggled to walk and was in incredible pain. I was stuck at my parents house completely isolated from the world and my friends. Now that i have an electric wheelchair i can live again. I got back to living alone and independently and back to my studies. And even tho its counter intuitive having the wheelchair makes me so much more active. After 2 year of unknown chronic illness without any help from doctors im doing better and thats thanks to my wheelchair.

Not going to lie. Im a bit nervous about publishing this video. It has kept me awake at night lol….I am in no doubt that people who may have limb differences, or amputations, have many, many difficulties, Obstacles and face ablism. All the jazz that comes with any disability. It would never be my intention to offend anyone. Gem xxx

I'm a leg amputee, so this hits home. After two years on crutches, my doctor prescribed a wheelchair. It was the most liberating experience of my life and instantly cured me of the wheelchair stigma. By contrast, my first moment on a prosthetic leg was painful and challenging. Prosthetic devices can be incredibly helpful, but they come with limitations and discomfort. It annoys me when people think I'm triumphing if I'm on a prosthesis, but failing if I'm in a wheelchair. They're both tools.

The Queen could have one of these high-end wheelchairs normal people can't afford in royal colours ... covered with diamonds ...

I'm an ambulatory fulltime wheelchair user, and my physical therapist thinks I should depend entirely on my wheelchair and not try to walk because it's risky. While I like the convenience being able to walk sometimes gives me and will continue to use it carefully, I was really happy when he told me that. I felt so understood and seen. Walking sucks! Wheelchairs are liberating! Without a chair, I am homebound and basically bedridden. I love my wheelchairs. ❤❤❤

Love your videos. Double leg amputee here. I do think that many people feel that a wheelchair means I gave up on walking. But using a wheelchair allows me to live independently. I am able to do more in the wheelchair than using prosthetics. Something that has started happening for me lately is that when family members or friends go to a new restaurant or store, they report back how wheelchair accessible the location is. I feel that they are learning about how it is to live with a disability. Awareness. Keep up the great videos. Thanks.

Great post. As someone who has "able-bodied" for 56 years and am now disabled the lack of positivity is harsh ! My wheelchair is, at present, my only means of getting around until I get a prosthetic leg. I love my chair, and indeed am saving up for a higher spec one - that should p*ss off the "wheelchair police" even more !

Hello Gem. There seems to be a misconception that people who are stuck at home are miserable. People who have to stay at home CAN be happy, even though they might be suffering. You CAN stay at home, live your life and be happy.

I have a very good friend who had an accident and became paraplegic 6 weeks before my first major MS symptoms. Over time, my mobility declined hugely, and after 4 years I started using a wheelchair full time. From my friends" perspective, her life had been free and her wheelchair embodied the limitations she now faced. In my case though, my life had become so limited that i could barely go out. When i got my chair it opened my life up again. I could suddenly go to a grocery store. I could go out to dinner. I felt free again! Same equipment, but two very different experiences. A decade later we do less rock climbing together but have many fun wheelie adventures 😁

When I started using a wheelchair to make my life easier I found everyone in my life apart from my wife and daughter kept asking "are you sure you need it". Made me feel quite deflated and depressed about something that has now made a huge difference in my life.

When people see me on crutches (which I HATE) they always get so excited. I guess it doesn't occur to anyone thay I can do absolutely nothing except walk in the dumb things, and I feel positively terrible the entire time. Wheelchairs are just better, folks! Accept them!

I fractured my heels in the early 1990s. I do not need a wheelchair to "get around." However, if I am shopping, or going to be standing for long, I either need a place to sit, or a wheel chair. My wife bought herself a wheelchair after she broke her hip, it was how the rehab place would let her out. Our house, however, isn't fully accessible, too high counters, too tight turns. But she had a rolling office chair she could use in the house since she did have use of her legs, just couldn't put too much weight on her hip, even though she'd been in rehab for 6 weeks. That is because the bit she broke was uncorrectable by surgery and would never really heal, it was just the ligaments that had been attached to the bit that broke off needed to learn the new ways of attachment. I now have the wheelchair. I used it before Thanksgiving - end of November - to go to a wine tasting thing at a large place that would require a lot of walking and line standing. I'd've never made it without the chair. My niece rented my sister's wife an electric rolling cart at the place. I do have a favorite wheelchair story. Back in the late 1980s, I was walking back into work after lunch. I caught up with a lady who worked in the unit next to mine and I slowed down and chatted with her on our way back in. She was born without the ability to walk and had been a wheelchair user all her life. I was in my late 30s, she was probably in her 50s at this point. This man coming out of the building stopped and asked why I wasn't pushing her. We both looked at him like he'd lost his mind. She said: "I don't need to be pushed!" and I said: "If she needed to be pushed she would've asked." I knew Jessica was probably out enjoying a nice day in fall in Texas. She told him she was exercising. I knew that she wouldn't have been outside if she had needed help getting around. Honestly, there are times when 'helpful' people need to think twice before they open their mouths!

My doctors totally don't want me to use mobility aids too. I have spinal cyst that makes walking painful, exhausting and it affects a lot of my body parts from waist down... but all doctors were only keen on prescribing me pain medication - which I was initially completely okay with... until it didn't help or had bad side effects. So then their plan was to give up on me. They're supposedly afraid of muscle wasting with mobility aid use, but if you lay in bed or only walk short distances around the house for years, suddenly nobody cares about the muscles. Which makes me think that it's not really about that.

As someone who uses a cane parttime people often think I'm "giving up" when in fact I can still walk because I'm using it. Its especially worse when your a teen I think. Because everyone expects you to be fully able bodied. And when you break that image it seems to hurt peoples feelings for some reason?

I DEFINITELY get treated different if I'm using my wheelchair instead of my cane. I feel like people think crutches, canes, and prosthetics means it's temporary, you're "getting better" or "getting back to being normal" vs the perceived permanence of using a wheelchair or being dependent on someone.

Oooooh yes! ❤ I love that you always talk about the positivity of having mobility aids! When I first got my cane (I still have her, and a brand new wheelchair!) my family and my coworkers and friends all felt so sorry for me. I asked them why, and they said "Well, you can't do what you used to because you have to use a cane now." I told them they had it backwards! I said, "No, I can do MORE now because I have my cane! I can stand for longer and walk farther, and even bend down easier with it." Helping them change their perspectives has been very motivating, and has helped even me see my disability in a different light! I have one good friend, though, who got it from day one and complemented my cane and asked me all about it. 😊 Love her.❤

My husband of 37 years was born with cerebral palsy. He has always used a wheelchair. His mother had her leg amputated in her late 70’s. She then became a wheelchair user. Shortly after, we offered her a ride to church. She actually told my husband, her son, that she couldn’t go to church in a wheelchair, that would be embarrassing. My husband let her have it. After a while she did start coming to church with us again. I’m still not sure she ever understood how offensive that was at the time.

It is still socially acceptable to discriminate against the disabled. Unless one can be like Rudolf, the red nosed reindeer (the disability saves the day), one is expected to sit at home and wait to die. We are simply seen as depressing. There is no feel good moment when anyone fixes our lives forever. As you say, any mobility aid is seen as giving up. “I’m so sorry” is often the response I get when they see I am “wheelchair bound” now. It just does not compute that the wheelchair is just a tool. It is no different from a hammer. No one would pound a nail in with a bare fist. Likewise, my chair is just a tool to replace uncooperative legs

I love this video People have this magical conception of prosthetic limbs, as they're the "missing part" and depicted as futuristic cool aids and this sorta things. An amputee should be able to have any prosthetic they want (they shouldn't even cost that much for people who need them but that's another topic) and if they get them they're absolutely valid. But they're seen as someone who conquered a part of their body that was missing. We don't have this cool opinion of wheelchairs too, because people associate "humanity" to having all four limbs, and still see wheelchair users as "more disabled". This is so ableist and people don't recognize it. They celebrate amputees getting their prosthetic but not a person getting their crutches or another mobility aid, which has to be celebrated and seen in the same way. This makes me so angry, especially when people less validate an amputee who doesn't want prosthetic, because they push so hard to "look normal", and don't accept that a disabled person can be comfortable in their own body without comforming to what their perception of "being normal" is. Ugh.

When I go out in my manual wheelchair, I get a lot of compliments on it. It’s cherry red in color and I added red silicone hand grips to the rims. I also wrapped bicycle lights around the spokes. The lights help me to be seen at night and are fun to turn on during special events. 😊

I am glad you made this video, I am 24 and getting ready to finally get a wheelchair made for me and used a borrowed one for awhile. My legs are constantly stiff and walking a lot puts me in so much pain but my grandmother and others have said I shouldn't get a wheelchair because it's giving up my independence and will make me reliant on the wheelchair. When I first started considering it I was nervous too but I got a cane then eventually the borrowed wheelchair and realized how much better I feel and that they allow me to have more energy and be in less pain.

I don’t know about other mobility aids being positive but I experienced the negative. When I was post op brain stem surgery I was on a walker to prevent falls. People starred at me. One guy even had the nerve to say if I lost 20 pounds I wouldn’t need the walker. Another said since I’m walking fast I don’t need a walker. (It never occurred to him that I can only walk fast while using a walker). Even though I still need to be on a walker this is one of the reasons I don’t. The other because it was destroying my good hand

I have a neowalk walking stick, but before I got that I used a crutch. I would get odd comments, and strangers asking questions about what was wrong with me but this doesn't happen now. I'm in my thirties so people would just think I was injured when using a crutch, but they seem to realise that I'm disabled when I use a walking stick. It also makes me feel more confident as it's clear with gold flakes and has a purple ferrule.

I 100% agree with your view here! I'm more recent to the wheelchair world. I've only been using one since about November. Everyone around me sees it as a negative thing, but I see it as freedom again! My job (at a hospital mind you!) Wouldn't let me return after being out on FMLA for a bit after surgery. They see me as a liability. I could still do my job! I even applied for a few jobs within this hospital that would be appropriate for a wheelchair user. I was denied those positions as well. It's time the world saw a different view!

“I don’t know why my husband stays with me” 😡. She should be glad her husband stays with her. It shows he loves her & doesn’t care about her scars (he isn’t bothered by them). Agreed that article was so negative.

It’s interesting that you use the example of The Queen not wanting to be seen in a wheelchair. I’ve been in and out of a wheelchair all my life and I have so much respect for The Queen. I admit I felt hurt that she had such an attitude. How great would it have been to see her comfortably using a chair when she needed it.

I would assume the Queen would have 💴 💰 had access to any badass wheelchair she wanted. Imagine being ashamed of that 🤦🏼 I would have gotten one that is all purple with pink light up rims. And light blue front wheels. 😊

Really great video! Did want to say though when you said about Katie struggling with her scars, just because you want her to view them positively doesn't mean she should. Like the whole "anyone is beautiful no matter their size" thing has been around a while, and when I see plus sized people I view them positively. However, I've put on a lot of weight recently due to ill health, and I don't feel positive about my own body. And I should be allowed to feel that way. I think saying that Katie should view her scars as stories, especially so soon after a life-changing accident is a bit too close to toxic positivity for my liking. Sure, you can view them as beautiful, but for her having just acquired them there is a lot of emotion there and she shouldn't have to feel positive about her own body just because it might make others feel bad about theirs. The Sun is wrong for publishing this without at least counteracting body positive messages, but that's not Katie's job in this situation

I've definetly noticed this too I think it's bc prostetics look the most "normal" and "replace" a normal limb, even though from what I've heard prostetics are a whole beast in themselves and can cause a lot of pain Wheelchairs, walkers, rollators, are definitely the most looked down upon. Canes and crutches less so from what I've seen, my guess is bc there seen as more "convenient" in terms of ease of use in traditionally non accessible places

I couldn't care less what other people think when I'm out in my wheelchair, I've had very negative remarks thrown at me, but I turn round and tell them that I can move faster than them and they shut up. Some people look at my feet and ask me why I have discolouration around my feet, I simply tell them that I have a disease and they soon move away, I do have a disease of the central nervous system but they think that it's contagious 😂 Thank you Gem for the video 👍

I am an ambulatory wheelchair user as I cannot stand or walk for any extended period of time, and I am currently trying to secure funding for a new wheelchair and electric aids so I can go back to teaching and I have found a much more welcomed view with the electric aids and more teachers wanting to use it as an learning experience for the children to show how you can still do life, but differently, yet I am struggling to secure the funding, it’s all so frustrating. Thank you for your videos, I love your videos, and they have helped grow my confidence and now I feel confident to tackle a holiday. ❤

I would love to post my beautiful wheelchair, which I have not named yet, which the U.S. V.A. gave to me, a disabled veteran, that has the U.S. flag painted on the frame and they stitched a U.S. Army patch onto the back of it! It is AWESOME! I even have new offwheel tires that will work once I get the right length axel pin. I'm not paralyzed but suffer from Severe Small-Fibre Neuropathy that causes me pain to step on my feet. I'm am so glad to have my wheelchair so I can actually live a more independent life. People react so strangely to the fact that I'm not paralyzed. Due to my new favorite wheelchair channels, like yours and "Wheels to Walking", I am educated about how to use my wheelchair, things that can help (I already bought an underseat pocket you recommended), things to look our for, how to plan my wheelchair excursions, etc. You are so helpful! Thank you! And, please, keep making videos.

I was told I was "giving up" on managing my mental health when I got a Psychiatric Service Dog. I had been struggling for years, despite being in therapy, having coping skills, and literally trying super hard. In reality, my dog gives me structure, freedom, independence, and security. My life is so much better with my SD partner. Haters can fuck off 🤙

I have the option of using a wheelchair or giving up working. So many people use wheelchairs because they will not give up on having a life.

Representation does matter!

22 yr. Amputee here. January I made the decision to not use a prosthesis anymore and use a wheelchair. I have found I am more comfortable, no pain, and the infections have stopped. It’s funny how many people come up to me and tell me to use a prosthesis leg. I explain I have but it was no longer working for me and I’m much more comfortable and have found more freedom. They still tell me I’m wrong. Lol

This was interesting and I think you made some very good points. My grandmother really struggled when she needed to start using your wheelchair she felt like it meant she was giving up but I tried to freeze it to her as that it was something to increase her independence and made her more mobile

Someone we know was paralyzed due to complications during heart surgery at the age of 9 (yes, just like you, Gem - when I heard about her situation, I immediately thought of you), and my mom thought it was the end of the world that this girl had to use a wheelchair. Mind you, I had been using one part time for 2 1/2 years by that point (mainly for a twisted spine and multiple TBIs), and my mom had seen how much of a difference it made for me, so I'm not sure why she thought having to use one was so negative - sure, it's a huge adjustment for the person and the people who work with/live with/take care of the person, and it definitely can be really hard and it takes time (don't get me wrong, it can be really rough for all involved, and I'm not trying to make light of that in any way), but my mom was far enough removed from the situation that I don't know why she thought it was so bad, especially since this girl has shown from the very beginning that she's going to do everything she can to the best of her ability, and that if that means having to use a wheelchair to do some or more of those things, then so be it (she's even looking into wheelchair basketball because she heard that that was a thing). I'm very glad that she has learned that early on, because it definitely already has made, and will continue to make, a difference in how she views herself and the world around her. She's now almost 11 1/2, and, if she hasn't already gotten them, she is slated to get a SmartDrive soon to save her energy and shoulders, as well as an electric bike. My SmartDrive was what really gave me back full independence, and I'm stoked for her to get hers and the bike. And I've had the experience of a doctor telling me to not use my chair, which was outrageous, because the reason I was using it wasn't really related at all to the reason I was seeing him (the doctor who developed the tilt table test, of all people) - he didn't even bother to ask why I was using it, but if he had asked, he wouldn't have said what he said. I've also had people who'd worked in medical facilities in the past (one had been at a VA) tell me that I needed to "make sure [I] don't become too dependent on it" when they found out that I use a wheelchair part time, as if they knew my situation better than I did - they refused to explain what they meant by that, even when asked multiple times, so I have since decided that I will use my chair as much as possible when I know I'm going to be in their presence (most of those times, I need to use my chair anyway), just to drive home the fact that I honestly could not care less what they think. The one has finally stopped making comments about it, so I think she finally got the message. Personally, I've only ever run into one other person who has the same issues with walking that I do, but her telling my mom that she also deals with it, made my mom finally realize that I wasn't weird for having the opposite problem with walking than you'd normally expect - for a lot of people who have trouble walking, uneven surfaces are harder to navigate than smooth ones, but for me it's the opposite: because of my twisted spine and all the TBIs I've sustained, I can actually walk 2 miles on uneven ground (dirt, grass, gravel, etc.) just fine (I'll have to stop and rest several times if there are any hills involved, but I can do it), but barely half a block on a smooth surface (pavement, sidewalk, carpet, flooring, etc.) because my L knee will give out on me (not pain or exhaustion - it just fatigues out due to nerve pressure in my spine, even when I'm feeling perfectly fine otherwise).

I'm an ambulatory wheelchair user, i can walk and do in at home and in some Other situations and i sometimes will use my foot to push me in my wheelchair and it gets me very upset to have to tell people why im in my chair if i can walk

Hi Gem, here another note from Cananada (lol). Thanks for your ever so good uplifting advices. It always makes me feel good to listen to you and see you rolling around in your wheelchair. I am as I think I told 65 years of age now, and I bought myself a tricycle with hand paddles I will get it this week somewhere. I am looking forward to use it. And keep myself in a better shape than I am now. Keep up the good work and good mood. Sincerely Jan van Beilen. P.S. I am a man and not a woman. In the Netherlands is Jan a man's name. Take care, say hello to your family from me CU.

What a great show Gem! To me, getting out in my chair was not anymore uncomfortable then having my friends see me with a new haircut. I could be wrong, but I think the reason some people see others in wheelchairs is because of their perceptions. Very much what you said. If they see it as shameful, they will be ashamed, if they see it as cool, they will feel cool and unashamed. It's all in how we look at life. It's a lot like that when we openly talk about our illnesses. There is a stigma that we should not talk about those things. When I was a kid, it was embarrassing to wear glasses, now people buy glasses with clear lenses to be fashionable. I just bought my 1st manual, Rogue 2, wheelchair, and I am loving it! Because I have a disease, "Erythromelalgia", that makes walking very painful, I decided I didn't want to be stuck in the house and reliant on other as much anymore. The freedom I have now makes me happier and in better shape since I am no longer sitting on the sofa all day. I see wheelchairs as freedom and with my new Rogue 2, I am also really cool looking, even cool looking over 60!

I love your positive attitude! It's very encouraging to me. I subscribed instantly! I 'm in Austin, Texas. I've been homebound for almost three years now and have finally been approved for a power chair. I use a walker now and can barely make it to the Doctor's, with my neighbor's help. (C-Spine Cancer, COPD, etc.) Very tired of living alone! I should have the new chair in the next month or two, and can't wait to get out of the house. I can't believe I had to get approval from the neighborhood manager to have a back door ramp installed, when the law requires it! But it is finally all coming together, and I can hardly wait to see the sun! I'm 72 and drove a big truck (18-wheeler) for about 40 years. Yet now I cannot walk. But I have plans to do things again! Thank you so much for being there! My new ride will be a Pride Jazzy 613 EVO, in red, of course! And once I'm out there I will carry the message, just like you do!!!

My daughter has been really struggling the last couple years (possibly ME/CFS but working towards a diagnosis) and I recently bought her a walker for school (which she said she thought would help her a lot). When I tell anyone that we got it for her, they just sort of frown and ask, "what does SHE think about that?" ... as if she should be embarrassed as a teenager to use one. She sees it as something to lean on, sit on if she feels dizzy, to carry her books for her, and it's a really nice blue. If it helps her to actually finish high school instead of being stuck in bed all the time, she's all for it.

I think wheelchairs are seen as more negative because if someone uses a wheelchair they'll still need the environment, and thereby other people, to accommodate them (think ramps, lifts bigger walkways etc.). So able bodied people still have to make at least a bit of effort to make their homes and businesses wheelchair friendly. And that means that it costs able bodied people physical effort and often money to accommodate to people in wheelchairs, but with the bionic arm there's none of that. In fact it probably would mean people who use it need less help from their environment, which means less effort is required from the able bodied, so it's positive.

POSITIVELY MOBILITY IS AWESOME.

Everything you said in this video I absolutely agree with. Just recently I was looking online at Rollator Walker's to purchase for myself to help with my mobility issues. And on all the advertising it said "For the ederly" and only showed elderly people in the photo advertisements. I'm only 36 which is still relatively young. I wish mobility aid companies showed people of all ages, maybe if they did it would be less stigmatized and judged. Because its not just elderly or paraplegic people who use mobility aids, those of us who have chronic illnesses use them too.

As usual another awesome video Gem! I'm in the process of getting my first wheelchair and am so excited. I have EDS and dysautonomia. No more wondering how long I can stand until I'm too dizzy, no more burning pain in my ankles and Achilles, less knee and hip issues.... I'm a former teacher and new software developer. I'm going to my first ever developer conference in a month and am renting a good active user wheelchair from my seating and mobility shop. I'm so pumped! I can focus on the conference and enjoying the awesome dev community - without dealing with lack of oxygen to my brain and feeling like I'm on a roller coaster.

Every time I use my Omeo in public I am asked to explain what it is and am told how cool it is. I also have what I consider to be a very cool ridged frame manual chair with some technologically advanced wheels (Loop Wheels). The only person ever to comment on my manual chair was another chair user.

I struggled with the idea of using a wheelchair in my forties as it had the connotations of being ‘less’ somehow. Eventually I got in it and realised it does not disable you, it enables and legs versus wheelchairs = just different vessels to get you from one place to another.

This is true wheelchair is seen as you no longer care to walk but unfortunately we do but we just cant

Hi Gem, the little boy is from Oswaldtwistle Lancashire. ❤

My experience is so different haven't had binders put on me except the one I've put on myself love from TEXAS ❤

Maybe a bit too late but I have to say this. I would have loved seeing Queen Elizabeth looking radiant and sitting in a wheelchair like on her throne - gallantly pushed forward by her humble "men in black"... This would have been a great support for wheelchair users all over the world. Great video! Thank you for that! 🤩🌹💙

I use a power wheelchair( I deliberately call it “power “) but I still feel weird when someone compliments my wheelchair. Like do I say “thanks, I like your legs too”

I have multifocal motor neuropathy, it mainly affects my legs, and makes standing and walking for more than 20 minutes basically impossible. I also have POTS and EDS, both of which make standing difficult because I pass out or dislocate my hips. My doctor told me that using a wheelchair would be giving in, would tell my brain that I don’t need to work hard anymore, and that my body would stop responding to physical therapy. I’ll never understand how medical professionals can see so many disabled and chronically ill patients over their time practicing medicine, and still have ableist and outdated ideas about mobility aids.

I’m 67 and just bought a rollater because of fibromyalgia. I love walking but my word, I get really painful back, legs, bum and hips. But having the rollater has helped enormously. If a walking aid helps you do things you love and live your life, go for it and to blazes with what other people think.

Absolutely Gem.

My uncle has terminal cancer and the drugs he's on wear him out. When he goes out for an hour or two it takes him 2 weeks to recover. I mentioned once that maybe he should use a wheelchair when he goes shopping to help conserve energy and my family's response was, "Oh no! He would HATE that!" (My husband uses a wheelchair, so that's why I suggested it.)

Imagine living in a country where £13,000 seems expensive for a prosthetic.

My family literally said this to me yesterday. I asked if they’d support me to go to my doctor to see if becoming a part time wheelchair user their response was “no, if you want to use one of those why don’t you just give up and go live in a nursing home”

❤ I totally agree with whole thing

There is a wonderful movie called Music Within. It’s about Richard Pimentel, a Vietnam war veteran, rendered deaf from his injuries and his activism that help get the Americans with Disabilities Act passed

I use a range of mobility aids and the response to my rollator is, I think, the worst. Many people don't know what it is, and have only ever seen eldery people using them. It's so strange to me! The fact I'm using a cane today and not a wheelchair is not a sign that I'm recovering - only that I need less support TODAY (or that it's not wheelchair accessible, so it would cause more hassle than it would help). Isn't it amazing that these tools are available to help us live the best lives possible?

around 5:30 you started talking about where I am today Giving up. I am ready for a wheelchair I am in pain all the time but I keep pushing, because I feel I have to I can't let anyone down. My Family, my Doctors, Nobody wants to talk to me about going to a wheelchair. It is something that going to happen sooner or later. I would like to make the decision as to when I get my wheels. My life is not going to stop. I will still go and work out and be able to go and do things. I want to enjoy what life I have, and not be in so much pain all the time. When I was younger as a U.S. Marine I was taught to "Improvise, adapt, and overcome" I have lived my life by this code. Using a wheelchair for me is adapting and overcoming. I have improvised all I know how I feel it is time to Adapt

"YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH" it's a story they want ? it's a story they'll get ! Lol😂😂😂

The media definitely plays a big role and I want those stories changed stories in shows of a person becoming disabled and suffering aren’t needed we need disabled people do every day normal things and living there life

Having a wheelchair means that my 90 yo, blind & stroke survivor mother can get around her house without falling & injuring herself

I had foot surgery 3 months ago. every time my husband sees my foot, he says, "good you're not a model." The scars are much better than they were but I assume that I'll have some visable scars for life, but who's looking at my feet anyway. but scars aren't going to stop me from getting my other foot fixed or using the wheelchair again to make sure I don't fall on and damage a foot in a cast. I think the media prints comments of the famous when they are injured and depressed about it, i know that I felt useless at time when I was in a wheelchair and couldn't reach things to help the family, but I knew that it was a short period of time and that if it had been long term things would have to change/remodel.

Much as I understand the general thrust of this, I find myself questioning some of what you're saying. You say "When someone needs to use a wheelchair it's always depicted and always seen as so negative." You say this sort of thing a lot, and you need to be really careful with the word "always." One way to wind people up on this sort of subject is when you try to tell someone else what they think, then criticise it. When you do that, you risk losing the support of people who would instinctively support you totally. I've known people who used wheelchairs day to day to save their stamina for sports. Fine, brilliant. I've also known someone who hated being in a wheelchair with every fibre of her being. One of the things she hated most was being told she wasn't allowed to say it sucked. For her the wheelchair was not a tool of liberation, it was a prison (and that opinion was hers to hold, and it is not up to me, or you, to query it). That's a lot less brilliant. So, what I actually think is that it isn't always depicted or thought of in any particular way. It depends on the person. But generalising is a really, really bad idea.

My husband said I was giving up when getting my wheelchair. We are going away in a couple weeks and I've asked for assistance and he rolled his eyes. We don't tend to leave the house together so he doesn't see me struggling as much. The only people that seem to understand is my kids. They see me being slow or struggling so they get it and they even like tp help push 😂 I'm hoping this holiday he will actually see me struggle when I'm out the house x

I would like to say, I think part of the problem as to why some mobility aids aren't seen as liberating is because they A) don't look like the average able bodied person. B) The world isn't made for certain mobility aids so they still are technically "restricting" rather than fully freeing.

I totally agree with everything you are saying! Great video 😊

I am blind, and use a symbol came. I sometimes feel embarrassed to be seen using it out and about.

I think that wheelchairs can be embarrassing, depressing, detrimental, a barrier etc when they are done wrong. But when they are done right they are so positive, they work, they make you feel better. I think people get a bad reaction or a bad image because of this take Katie Price for instance I wonder what her reaction would of been like if she had a better wheel chair one that was fitted to her that met her needs. People get stuck with the basic hump of metal which are heavy to use and either too big or too small like I was when I got my first chair, it got sent back the next day it was that bad, the next one was better but still had problems then finally I got a nice built for me wheelchair that fitted just right, was nice and light and easy to use. That changed ne a lot.

I’m not so sure.. I go around in a Freee (same technic as the Omeo) and in an manual wheelchair. Most of the time people give positive reactions. Sure, the Freee amazes the people, especially males have a lot of technical questions, really funny. Good to try normalize wheelchair use.!!

Thank you so much for this video! I love how you talk about how the newer technology is seen as more cool, it is very true. Media really does still show wheelchair users as the poorly of the disabled community. For those who are ambulatory users even the Drs see it as a downtick, I get asked at my appts if I have HAD to use it and if I did I get a frown from them. Why is it not a good thing that I got to go out and do something fun because I do have my wheelchair. The stigma is very deep though, I even feel as I can’t self propel my wheelchair is not as cool as others. Mine just looks like I’m using a hospital wheelchair in my brain, even though it’s colorful. I feel better about myself and my disabilities when I use my electric wheelchair instead of my manual. I am all for erasing these stigmas and I need to start with myself.

I agree with everything you are saying. I think society in general is beginning to recognize the difference between active user wheelchairs and hospital type wheelchairs for the elder. But you're right even within the disabled community there seems to be a hierarchy of mobility aids. Thank you, I really appreciate you opening the discussion on this another subjects.🤔❤✌️

I know that this isn’t quite the same but I have type one diabetes and something I’ve noticed is that when I was doing injections and using fingerpricks to manage I would get a lot of stares and told to hide it but when I switched to a pump and cgm people that modern technology is amazing and that I’m inspiring simply for having a chronic illness. I find it interesting that changing how I managed made it inspiring instead of something to be hidden

I have chronic pain, joint subluxations, blood circulation issues and struggle to walk or be outside the house for more than 3 hours. I brought up getting a larger mobility aid than my cane to my family and they saw it as me giving up. I’m 18 so it’s a bit jarring to them that I’ve lost my mobility and need mobility aids. The doctors have said there’s not much to be done for me currently so my parents want me to try alternative medicine, gut cleanse, energy healing, acupuncture, instead of a mobility aid. When alternative medicine can work for some I just want to be able to walk and wish mobility aids were seen as more liberating instead of having to defend myself on why I want a walker to make my life easier and less painful

Unfortunately people see disabilities as something to overcome and when someone does it’s a huge inspiration to able bodied people. It’s quite annoying because most people cannot “overcome” their disability and people just cannot understand that.

Can't help but wonder how much is tied to subconscious association with private needs and vulnerability. 🤔

Thanks Gem, another great video.

I use smart crutches. Need more. Have a rollator in the shed ready to use but just can't bring myself to use it 😢

@wheelsonheels I have a question what type cushion in your wheelchair do you have? Love your videos ❤

People don't only associate the elderly with mobility aids. They also associate the elderly, along with the disabled. I often hear people say, "The elderly and the disabled." Why do we have to be associated with them? Now, I'm not saying that it is a bad thing to be elderly. It isn't! All I'm saying is, "We are not the same."

My lovely physios at a specialist hospital one of them told me i was going to be dependent on my stick (abd walker) and then the other one was like why are you using them (energy conservation and pain management) and she was like okay cool your gate is ok still contine so that was wired

After watching this, at least you have shown able body people what it is like to be disabled. By people saying that they are embarrassed by being seen in public using a wheelchair or any other aid even if it is only temporary they should not be ashamed of this. It sort of puts us disabled people in a bad light and we are an embarassment to everyone. When my husband and I get a chance to go out sometimes he will push me but other times i will do it myself and i see people looking at him as though to say i feel sorry for you having to deal with that. But becoming an amputee was not a life choice it was necessary. I even had to have more surgery 4 weeks ago to reconstruct my stump and it is now covered in very large scars which i am proud of and do not mind people seeing them even if they do not like the look of them. Yes i do have a prosthetic leg which is silver grey but when i was wearing it people just looked in disgust as though she should not be out. Even the hero arm is awesome at least the kid will have something cool i wonder if they do it for prosthetic legs? One can hope. I also have a stairlift which I must admit i was not keen on getting but i am glad i did, yes i am young but not as young as you. So keep up the good work and speak about what you are passionate about. Brenda xx

On a different subject what Robot vacuum do you have please?

Alot of people associate wheelchairs as little different to a larger version of a pram/stroller. They call the ones without push rings.... transit chairs Wheelchairs come with the stereotype assumption that if your in one, your not good for much, and are a burden to others. Today's largely G o d l e s s world is largely about s e l f gratification image & social reputation. I cannot go for a walk around the block with the aid of crutches, so I use a wheelchair for independence and to keep fit. There will always be stigmas attached to wheelchairs. And for many ...it's because they have never experienced what it's like to be in one. One of the biggest aids/services, I would like to see made free for all wheelchair users ...is better maintained public path ways, and the easily available option, of obtaining, manual lever propelled chairs or push ring wheelchairs, and that are public health & government subsidized and provided. With a built in help & maintenance schedule. These changes would make a big difference to each individuals independence mobility and self confidence. Providing help for individuals with disabilities , should Not be a big business for profit, money g r a b for big cooperative and pharmaceutical global g o v t entities. It should be non profit based. and subsidized Without G o d people grow cold C h r i s t i a n Charity ... that in truth... is a genuine service and act of compassion and much needed human right disappears 🙂🙏

Ayer cumplí 64 años y como que ya la edad me pasó factura, ya no puedo hacer las cosas que hacía, como salir a pasear, viajar, conocer trabajar, soy técnico en electrónica, a los 9 meses me dió poliomiitis, me movilizó con soportes en las piernas y un par de muletas y eso nunca fue impedimento para mí, pero hace unos tres años he empezado a sentir cansancio al caminar, los brazos perdieron fuerzas y tengo que cambiar las muletas por la silla y lo haré, es un nuevo reto para mí, empezaré una nueva vida en una silla de ruedas, algún consejo amigos, algo que pueda ser de utilidad.....

Im not disabled (although I do have hidden disabilities) but I think it’s dreadful when disabled people are treated differently than regular people, when they cannot do something & people just stand and stare or walk past them, when people gawp. Iv had disabled friends and colleagues and I just go up and have a conversation with them like they are a normal person, offer help if they actually need it (if they cannot reach for example). I really don’t understand why people should have such a stigma against people. I was marginalised at school due to my epilepsy so I think it’s so wrong that disabled people are marginalised because they are in a chair. We should be teaching our children to respect everyone.

Perhaps many people see a robotic prosthetic more attractive than a wheelchair. If so, that would be a shame.

I don't need or juse a wheelchair ❌ but i go up and down stairs and stuff like that slower then other people. I don't want to share it on the internet why. But people are sometimes so inpatinent and try to cut me of on the stairs and it's not easy to just stop just like that and it trigers me sometimes (sorry for my spelling i'm not that good at typing 😅) Much love and support from Belgium 🇧🇪✌️

I am an amputee that need to use a wheelchair. One of the worst 'discussions' I have had was with another amputee that used a motorized scooter. He had seen me shopping in the supermarket and wanted to see my modified car. I showed him the modifications and as the discussion went on, everything i was doing, i was doing wrong. I needed to also use a motorized scooter. I use crutches in my house, that was also wrong I do not care what people think about me. I like my manual chair as it more maneuverable than a scooter

I'm not physically disabled, but have chronic psychiatric illnesses that affects my entire life, making me disabled. I'm writing a book about a guy who loses his leg and he refuses to use his wheelchair. I'm having another disabled character question this and have exactly this conversation about mobility aids being more freeing than embarrassing. When he gets a prosthetic leg he decides to get rainbow crutches instead of boring gray ones, to make the mobility aids his own and have them feel more positive. He works through his internalised ableism and starts to like his crutches as a fashion and political statement. (He's a queer acitivist.) Videos like yours gives me so much inspiration in what I write, and I hope I manage to give some accurate and positive representation of the physically disabled community in this book. Know that there are people out here that sees you, understands you, and do what we can to support you and bring awareness. Hugs from one disabled to another!

I'm currently having this "battle" in myself and in other people - I've just got a wheelchair to try and increase my quality of life (less pain and fatigue) but part of me feels quite depressed that I've "given up" (internal abelism?), and I'm also having to explain to everyone around me my "excuse" for using one now and that it's freeing for me.