HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1987-07-29, Page 3CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 1987—Page 3.
An hour in a wheelchair is an experience to remember...
• frougl page 1
now has some use of her hands and arms.
Geri now works fon the March of Dimes.
Accompanying Kelly and myself were
Jamie McDermid, Regional Director for
the March of Dimes working out of Kit-
chener, and the News -Record's own David
Emslie, who, as you can see, took the pic-
tures to go with this story.
After finding out who our helpers were,
we quickly stole a look at our tasks. Mine
seemed simple enough - Go to Knechtel's
and bring back a bag of oranges, and go to
Wesley -Willis Church and bring back a
brochure.
Shouldn't be tooterribly difficult.
After my wheelchair was brought to me,
1 sat down and my legs were bound to
restrict their movement, giving me a. fur-
ther feeling of the disability I was to have
for a short period of time.
Participants then watched a film which
was to "get us in the right spirit'' before at-
tempting our tasks.
After the short filen it was time for me to
roll.
My first real test occurred as soon as I
was out the door at the Legion ( where
Awareness Day was being held) where I
was to make my way down the ramp.
Doesn't sound like much you say? Well,
sitting in a wheelchair, that you don't know
how to operate, and trying to figure out
how you can go down the hill slow enough
to be able to turn before being thrown
against the steel rails, sure makes it
frightening. I had just learned how to
negotiate a corner and then they give me a
hill!
Luckily for me, Denis was the first one
down the ramp so I yelled, -"Hey Denis, did
you use your brakes or grab the wheel with
your hands?"
I was told he was slowing himself down
with his hands as he wasn't too confident
using the brakes.
Okay, Denis made it down safely, and
Kelly was between me and the rails, so I
thought I'd give it a try.
No problem. I made it down the first por-
tion of the ramp, turned the corner and
went down the second portion, turning
myself before hitting the car parked at the
bottom.
Now, my next task was to wheel myself
out of the parking lot and down Kirk Street
Gradual hills, small cracks in sidewalks and
obstacles blocking the way make it difficult
for those in a wheelchair
to Highway 4. That, I thought, would be
simple, but once again I was proven
wrong.
Do you know it is difficult to keep a
wheelchair going straight? I'm not sure
whether it was because my left hand is
stronger than my right hand or whether it
was the wheelchair or the dope of the
street, but my wheelchair and I kept going
to the left side of the road instead of
straight ahead.
However, I soon made my way to the
corner and crossed the highway with little
difficulty. Kelly, Jamie, Dave and myself
made our way down Maria Street, them on
foot and me on wheels. This portion was on
a slight hill, in my favor, so it presented
very little problem.
Gradual Hill A Killer
Next it was a turn on to James Street,
heading up towards town. Those who are
familiar with this part of town will know
that there is a small, gradual hill you must
climb before reaching King Street.
I prepared myself for this hill, determin-
ed to make it on my own arm power, and I
almost did.
Although I was sweating buckets (it was
right around noon), I kept going. I saw an
uneven portion of sidewalk coming up but
thought I could fly over it. Well, fly was
just about what I did.
My front wheels hit the protruding
sidewalk, stopping dead and almost throw-
ing me face first on the sidewalk as my
legs were bound. It was my helper to the
rescue, pushing me over this, and perhaps
one or two similar incidents.
Once on King Street I had to cross the
road to get on the proper side for
pedestrian traffic. That wasn't too dif-
ficult, but parked up further was a truck,
half on and half off the sidewalk with
either hoses or wires blocking the remain-
ing portion of sidewalk.
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I must say, this rally ticked me off.
After wheeling my way up that hill, I was
not pleased with having to find a way off
the sidewalk and then make my way back
on to it again.
The remainder of the way to Knechtel's
was not difficult. Then it came' to entering
the store from the King Street side.
The pathway was more than adequately
wide, but the sudden slope just before the
door caused me some concern.
(While still at the top of the slope, a lady
was waiting to hold the door open for me
but then decided she'd better get out of the
way.)
I made it down the slope without great
difficulty but was unable to get in the door
without assistance. However, once in, I
found the aisles very wide and the level
floor a welcome relief.
"Well, I'm here," I thought to myself.
"Now to get the oranges."
I wheeled myself over to the oranges and
was disappointed to see that the bag which
I thought had the best looking fruit in it
was at the back. I tried to get as close to
the shelf as I could, reached up and grabb-
ed the bag.
If I cheated at any point during my task,
it would have been here - I think I used my
legs to help push my body up so I could
reach that bag of oranges.
Now that I had the oranges I had to pay
for them. I knew that, the end checkout
would be no problem so I thought I'd try
one that was a little narrower. It was tight
for my standard sized wheelchair, but far
from impossible.
After paying for the oranges I had dif-
ficulty finding a way to carry them and
still move my wheelchair. Kelly kindly
suggested I get someone to put the bag
handles over the handles of the
wheelchair.
Next it was up the Mary Street hill to
Wesley -Willis United Church for a
brochure. This meant crossing King Street
which was done rather easily. But another
obstacle awaited me on the other side - no
curb cut.
Much to my liking, Kelly did all the work
getting me up there.
I figured the easiest way to get into
Wesley -Willis when in a wheelchair would
be the back entrance by the Royal Bank as
there is only one step. However, these
doors were locked and my mission was not
to be completed.
With one triumph and one disappoint-
ment, I headed down Highway 4 to the
Legion. By this time, I could feel a blister
or two developing and my hands were
filthy. Nevertheless, it was down hill.
Around noon, crossing the highway is not
an easy thing to do in a car, let a lone a
wheelchair, but we made it. The only thing
left for me to conquer was that ramp which
had given me my initial scare.
Once at the bottom, Kelly said he'd bet-
ter give me a hand, but being the stubborn
person I am, I told him I could do it myself.
However, how I did it was not the way he
thought I would have.
Instead of trying to wheel myself up by
pushing on the wheels, I grabbed the rail-
ing and pulled myself up, allowing me to
start and finish my tasks, for the most
part, on my own.
The aching of my hands told me I'd pay
for my stubborness, and after washing my
hands, red marks which soon blistered in-
dicated I was correct.
Marie, who was also in a wheelchair,
had her arm rubbing on the arm of the
wheelchair and caused a nasty cut. I was
thankful this hadn't happened to me, but I
later discovered my arm, by my arm pit,
was badly bruised.
Once ih the Legion and out of my chair, I
found the back of my shirt and pants soak-
ed with sweat from the vinyl wheelchair.
I have never been insensitive to what
those with disabilities go through, but I
never had any idea how difficult it was to
simply go to the store for a bag of oranges.
I guess you really do have to put yourself
in the other person's shoes to know what it
is really like.
The Awareness Day certainly did give
me a whole new respect and outlook on
that portion of our population.
The only thing I have to say is I'm glad it
only lasted for an hour or so for me. For
those of you who face these difficulties and
more, each day of your lives, you've got
more spunk, determination and guts than
I'll ever have.
Awareness Day is
an eye opener...
• from page 1
range of disabilities," she said. "But I wag
disappointed with the public's response."
The public was invited to drop by the
arena and take in the 14 displays and listen
to what the participants had to say after
completing their tasks.
As well as having the displays, Alf Dale
of Seaforth, was on hand with his mouth
paintings. Geri Babcock, who was
parali7ed from hPr nPek Mown in a ^^-
cident,' ; a also on hand to explain some
difficulti --she and husband Kelp en -
count n ery day life as well as answer
questions any.ne had.
A similar event is planned for Goderich
on August 6, and if the event proves to be
successful, Mrs. Armstrong would like to
see an Awareness Day held in towns and
villages across the county.
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