Wheelchair Simulation

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to do the simulation for the wheelchairs. I didn't realize that it would be as strenuous as it turned out to be. I thought for sure that 2 1/2 hours of being in a wheelchair would be a walk in the park. Little did I know, it isn't nearly as easy as I thought it would be. There were so many day-to-day tasks that were incredibly difficult to do in a wheelchair.

The start of my wheelchair experience began in the Hinckley Building. As me and one of the other girls in my groups for class set out in our wheelchairs we found our way to elevator. Upon reaching the elevator, we found that it was out of order that day. It was amazing to me to see that just one tiny inconvenience for those out of wheelchairs was the difference between being able to leave a building or be trapped there. I thought of how frustrating it could be if I had no other way to get out of the building. After getting the chair down to the main floor of the building, we came across another problem. There is construction going on in front of the main handicap entrance to the building. So we had to wheel all the way to the other side of the building and go clear out of the way to reach our destination. There are many little things that become huge to you when you are in a wheelchair.

As I worked my way through campus I found that there are a ton of stairs, but there is not always an easy route for wheelchairs to get various places. One thing that really stood out to me is how much work steering and controlling a wheelchair can be when you are going downhill or are on uneven ground. It took a lot of effort to keep the chair going straight and at a pace I could easily stop myself at. As I entered through various doors and the bathroom, I found it hard to move past some of the lips on the floor. Sometimes there was just enough of a bump created by the lip that I would get stuck and have to try multiple times to make it in or out of a place.

We entered the I-Center and we realized that there are doors leading into the auditorium that have no handicap access buttons and the handles are so high that a person sitting in a wheelchair cannot open the doors and go through unless someone helps them. Fortunately for me and the girl in my class, there was people willing to help us open the doors. One thing I noticed is that people who didn't know me that thought I was actually in a wheelchair would often look away and avoid eye contact with me. On the contrary, there were many people who offered help to open doors, push us up hills, or just help to get us around. It was interesting to see the two extremes; I definitely understand how it can be frustrating to have people avoid you as well as have people try to coddle you.

Overall, I found this simulation to be very helpful in understanding what students in wheelchairs go through. It is not easy to have to do everyday tasks from a wheelchair. There is a lot of strategy and effort put into getting around in one of those. I actually ended up with some cuts on my hands and a bruise on my arm from trying to navigate the wheelchair. I definitely have a slight understanding of what people in wheelchairs go through, and I for one will definitely be more aware of how I can help make things easier for those who can't walk.