#mobility assistance

[catmat]

Who made this? And can it breathe fire?

[cpunkwitch]

Hey while it's snowing and you're out clearing your driveways

I not ask but highly encourage you to please also clear stairways, ramps and as much sidewalk as you can get.

Yes you need to get your car out but it's even harder for us disabled folk during the winter to leave our places of residence when there's snow and ice in our path.

Wheelchair users are literally unable to go anywhere without either getting their wheels stuck in the snow or sliding uncontrollably on the ice. Disabled people in general are at a higher risk of injury or worsened conditions in weather like this.

Salt as much area as you can, clear away snow to grant safe paths PLEASE

Not all of us can acquire nor afford let alone have spikes/snowshoes for our aids or feet. Personality the "snowshoe" I have on my cane will only do so much and I can't afford myself any actual footwear that will protect me right now.

It doesn't just help your community but also protects you and your loved ones from accidents by doing more than just your driveway.

It might take some extra time but it's highly appreciated and worth it to provide the assistance to others.

Especially when it comes to sidewalks, snow plows cover those up like forgotten secrets under the rug.

If your main concern is your car sliding on ice, that exact feeling is what a lot of us have just leaving the house this winter.

Please for god sake go the extra mile and clear more than just your driveway

[sinkopation]

inconvenient vs. inaccessible: let’s talk about it.

often, i’ll find myself in scenarios that to me (and other people with physical disabilities), are inaccessible, but to others, are merely a minor inconvenience.

i have had to live with the fact that the world is not built for people like me.

once the world is accessible for disabled people, the world becomes accessible to all. the problem is, the world is typically, and majority, run by abled people.

seating options: while at college, i had to go through the Student Access Services department in order to get accommodations for a chair to sit in during class time. this is outrageous— a person should never have to go through the trouble of filling out paperwork just to have a seat. similarly, the world should NOT be limiting seating options in public either. anti-homeless architecture is not only impacting homeless populations, but disabled and fat populations as well, creating a hostile and quite frankly ableist atmosphere for society. this should NOT be a hot take; even if you are able-bodied, understanding that disabled people exist and need these seats and spaces to comfortably exist is essential to being a disability advocate.

traveling options: public transport should not be a luxury, it should be an essential aspect of everyday life for everyone. many disabled people cannot drive or transport themselves safely and rely on public transport and other ways to get around. further, the world is full of stairs, of ups and downs, of cracks in pavement and lack of sidewalks— THIS IS ACTIVELY CONTRIBUTING TO THE WORLD’S INACCESSIBILITY. for you, it may be in inconvenience to step over a pot hole, for a disabled person, it’s the thing preventing them from headed into work that day.

the space between things: for an able-bodied person, walking through a doorway or having to walk a few blocks to pick up the laundry at a laundry mat are just aspects of daily life. sure, it might be inconvenient if it’s four blocks away or if the door is heavy, but these small things are HUGE roadblocks for a disabled person. that heavy door without a button to open it? is a wall to a person in a wheelchair. that four block walk is agonizing for a person using a cane.

this certainly isn’t an exhaustive list of all the daily life inaccessibilities, so please feel free to reblog or comment your own experiences and add onto my list.

the world needs to be more accessible, because once we can accommodate those who need it most, then we can say we’ve accommodated everyone. disabled people should not need to rely on able-bodied people for nearly every aspect of their lives.

so next time you’re out, i implore you to think:

“if i had a walking cane, or crutches, or a wheelchair, or a white cane, or a walker, or a body brace… would i be able to do this?”

[sunnycanwrite]

I have feelings about sidewalks.

That probably sounds weird, it's just a sidewalk. But you know how many city's do not keep up with the sidewalks properly. And the effect this has on mobility aid users. Do you know how hard it is to wheel yourself on a slightly sloped sidewalk? How about uneven bricks? The way it feels to roll over messing chunks in a sidewalk, or get your cane stuck in it.

[tiredtourettic]

If I had a fucking wheelchair I wouldn't be in this much pain right now.

I overdid it again today simply because I had no choice. My hips, knees and ankles are killing me. But when aren't they?

If I had a fucking wheelchair I'd actually be able to live.

[theatrekidenergy]

GUYS!!!!!!!

HJDJSJAKAIWKWNNSOAOOW

[only-knives]

no but really, so what if someone needs a mobility aid because they're fat? when it comes to mobility aids, it doesn't matter why you need them outside of understanding what your needs are. what really matters is how it would improve your life - make you happier and healthier, like you deserve to be.

this goes for any treatment and support you need because you're fat. fat people have the same right to healthcare that thin people do, and being fat never means you don't deserve wellbeing and safety. fatness is not a wrongdoing. it impacting your health doesn't mean being fat is bad - or that you're bad.

the moralization of disability and fatness is not your fault. please do what you need to be as healthy and safe as you can be. this is your life, no one else's. live it as best you can.

[sirpuntine]