Brought to my attention by ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ysabetwordsmith. The only time that I've been in a wheelchair was during my 3rd pneumonia when I was sicker than a dog. I had to go to the hospital to try to produce a sputum sample. I staggered in while my wife parked the car, was told that the sputum lab was on the other end of the universe of the hospital, through a maze of twisty passages all alike, and this literal little old lady offered a wheelchair, which I gladly accepted.
My wife, an able-bodied woman in her earlyish 40s, had trouble keeping up.
We were amused.
About this story, one thing stood out from a technical nature: the static electricity problem. Is there something prohibiting attaching a grounding strap to the frame that would maintain contact with the ground, preventing a charge from building up? I'm not familiar enough with them to know. I know a lot of modern wheelchairs are made of plastic and carbon fiber, which would add some difficulty to that.
My mode of operation has been to offer help when asked for, hold doors when possible, happily get things off higher shelves in the store if requested, and otherwise stay out of the way and let them get on with their business. That seems to fall within these guidelines. I can't remember any kids in wheelchairs in my HS, at least other than on a temporary basis, but that was an awfully long time ago.
Very interesting read, quite informative.
http://weneeddiversebooks.tumblr.com/post/168752480342/things-they-dont-tell-you-about-being-a-first
ysabetwordsmith. The only time that I've been in a wheelchair was during my 3rd pneumonia when I was sicker than a dog. I had to go to the hospital to try to produce a sputum sample. I staggered in while my wife parked the car, was told that the sputum lab was on the other end of the universe of the hospital, through a maze of twisty passages all alike, and this literal little old lady offered a wheelchair, which I gladly accepted.My wife, an able-bodied woman in her earlyish 40s, had trouble keeping up.
We were amused.
About this story, one thing stood out from a technical nature: the static electricity problem. Is there something prohibiting attaching a grounding strap to the frame that would maintain contact with the ground, preventing a charge from building up? I'm not familiar enough with them to know. I know a lot of modern wheelchairs are made of plastic and carbon fiber, which would add some difficulty to that.
My mode of operation has been to offer help when asked for, hold doors when possible, happily get things off higher shelves in the store if requested, and otherwise stay out of the way and let them get on with their business. That seems to fall within these guidelines. I can't remember any kids in wheelchairs in my HS, at least other than on a temporary basis, but that was an awfully long time ago.
Very interesting read, quite informative.
http://weneeddiversebooks.tumblr.com/post/168752480342/things-they-dont-tell-you-about-being-a-first
