First Things First: I'm a Wheelist
It all started when I was 5. I was a chubby kid in kindergarten who had been diagnosed with cerebral palsy when I was 1. The school found me to be too slow of a walker so, they decided to put me in a wheelchair. Ever since then I've been in one. My legs have weakened and surgery to help me walk failed to make it any easier. It has been 11 years since I wheeled around for the first time and I can't imagine my life differently. It's both a blessing and a curse. I cannot go to most stores by myself due to my wheelchair being so large. I can't go inside friends' houses. Even though it sucks, it has made me who I am today.
In elementary school, people would beg me to take them on the elevator with me. They would bribe me with toys and unfortunately, in most cases, their one-day-only friendship. People thought it was cool to leave early and I thought it was cool to have friends. Those were the years that really helped define me as a person. I was too naïve to understand that they were using me, but when I realized what was going on, it hit me like a ton of bricks. One girl even told me people were only my friends because I am in a wheelchair. The sad reality of it is, I have found many people that do only like me because they feel sorry for me. One of my friends invited me to a birthday party of hers and I remember everyone graciously praised her. She was seen as the hero to the poor, helpless girl in a wheelchair.
Me: The Wheelist Girl You'll Ever Meet
My friends, however, do not see me as helpless. They see me as an average 16-year-old girl who just can't do some things by herself. I am a high achieving student who is highly motivated to kick ass. My parents have fought tooth and nail for me to get the same opportunities as everyone else. My friends do the same. I am extremely grateful for such supportive people surrounding me. Without them, I would probably be drowning in oppression.
11.2% of adult wheelchair users have graduated from college, compared to 21.6% of the general adult population. I plan to be part of the 11.2%. Part of my issue in school is lack of accessibility options. For example, I am always late for class because the elevator in my school is secluded. It is out of the way from any classrooms making travel time 2x longer than the average person's. This means I miss valuable class time because of something out of my control. I also cannot do cool projects in stairwells such as egg drops because of safety concerns. I miss out on a lot of amazing things but I make some unique memories.
So, This Is Life
When you're in a wheelchair, you meet a lot of different people. There are physical therapists, occupational therapists, service coordinators, aides, wheelchair salesmen, repairmen and people going through the same things as you. You will find helpful people and you will find people you hate. There will be lifelong friendships with aides, strangers that randomly come into your life to help. You will meet people that will do anything to make sure you're treated fairly. You may get used to being treated like royalty. People will stare, but you will get used to it. Rolling around is not always easy emotionally, but all the lame jokes about wheelchairs make up for it.
So this is for you, reader. This is a peek into the world of a wheelchair user. And maybe you know someone who uses a wheelchair. Maybe you'll refrain from parking in handicap parking spots when you're not disabled. Maybe you'll realize that life for us can be fun and we don't need sympathy all the time. For everyone in a wheelchair reading this, thank you. Thank you for inspiring me to write this article. I am not my wheelchair, but my wheelchair is part of who I am.
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