Posts tagged as:

accessibility

Managing Your Holiday Shopping Experience from Your Wheelchair

by Tiffiny Carlson on December 16, 2008

With Christmas a little over a week away, everyone is scrambling to finish up their shopping (me included). So far, I’ve only bought two gifts. And I have about eight more gifts to buy. Not a crisis-amount, but it still seems a lot if A) You use a wheelchair, a B) Live in a freezing cold climate like I do (it’s -8 in Minneapolis right now). Not very conducive to leaving the house…I’m not new to this wheelchair-using existence though, and have over 15 seated-Christmas shopping experiences under my belt. Shopping while using a wheelchair can be both awesome and awful, and here’s why.

Why It’s Awesome

- Your feet never get tired and you can shop for hours on end. The bad thing about this, you could end up spending too much.

- If your chair has push handles (raises hand), you have the perfect place to hang all of your shopping bags. This is especially awesome if you’re mall shopping and slowly accumulate more and more bags as the day progresses. Drawback: You may end up looking like a bag lady.

Why It’s Awful

- Everything (and I mean everything) is crowded. Whether it’s the crowds of people crowding everything from handicapped parking spaces to the wheelchair-accessible bathroom stalls at the mall, to the crowds of merchandise placed awkwardly in stores, making it next to impossible to get through certain establishments, it’s enough to make you want to give up and go home.

- The condescending “Merry Christmas” chats you’ll get from random strangers while out shopping. A lot of able-bodied “do-gooders” will get in your face around the holidays because they feel sorry for you, thinking this is the perfect time of the year when they should be conducting random acts of kindness. While they’re generally well-meaning, for people like us, it can be very annoying (at least for me it is). It’d be nice to go through my holiday shopping experience unscathed one year.

Shopping Solutions

- Online shopping has been around as long as it has for one very good reason: Because it’s awesome. I’ve been online shopping since the mid-’90s and have loved every second of it (except for that time I bought a Tina Turner t-shirt on Ebay from a seller in Bangkok, only to have the shipment permanently delayed due to rioting at Thailand’s airports). Online shopping is like magic: You move your mouse around, click a little bit, then wait a few days, and voila! A package is delivered to your door. Online shopping is so perfect for people who use wheelchairs, it’s almost as if it was invented just for us.

Shopping at Mall of America or online, either one can be done from my wheelchair!

Tiffiny doing some early Christmas shopping at a thrift store in Venice Beach this past summer.

- Be wary of where you place your purse/ money-holder on your person while you’re out shopping. I usually hang my purse on my right push handle, but when I’m shopping amongst throngs of holiday shoppers, I move my purse to my lap because the purse could be easily swiped. Beware! Just because you use a wheelchair doesn’t mean people won’t steal from you. Believe me, they will.

I’ll be fighting the massive crowds at the Mall of America later this week, and will be arriving freshly caffeinated with a hat on (that way I don’t have to worry about my hair throughout the day), and will also (most importantly) be determined and ready to get it all done in one singular day. Oh, and having a MP3 player helps too. It’s all about concentration. I’m like the Michael Phelps of shopping, people. Maybe I should put some Lil’ Wayne on my pink Zen Stone?

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A Wheelchair Doesn’t Slow This Boy Down! Ryan’s Youtube Video

by Jackie Kaufenberg on October 29, 2008

Ryan has Cerebral Palsy and uses a power wheelchair for mobility, but doesn’t let his disability slow him down. He does fun therapy in his standing frame, walker, and bike to keep his muscles strong for other activities. He goes horseback riding, skis, swims, and does many other things that able-bodied kids do. His mom, Luann, shares how Ryan stays healthy and active through daily standing therapy and a variety of other great activities.

When you see Ryan, you see a glowing kid, full of potential. Ryan started standing in an EasyStand Magician-ei when he was only three years old; he worked his way up to an EasyStand Magician Comfy and is a third grader already! We had the pleasure of meeting Ryan at his home during a photo shoot with the new EasyStand Bantam. In this video, you see Ryan standing in the Magician-ei, Magician Comfy, and Bantam.


What do you think of Ryan’s story? What activities do you do for fun?

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Bad weather, dead car, inaccessible polls: What’s stopping you from voting?

by Jackie Kaufenberg on October 8, 2008

This powerful and encapsulating commercial from Liberty Mutual shows the challenges a young woman in a wheelchair experiences, while going out to vote. Nothing stops her, including a car that won’t run, rainy weather, or an inaccessible polling place. This inspirational commercial stars our friend and EasyStand Glider owner, Teal Sherer.

Teal is an L.A. based actor, writer, and activist for performers with disabilities. You can read more about Teal’s story and ambitions on her website at www.tealsherer.com

This commercial is a great reminder to get out and vote, and not let small obstacles stop you from doing big things.

Have you run into accessibility issues at the polls? DontBlockMyVote.org helps to engage people with disabilities and their supporters in the election process.

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Enjoying Standing & Independence

by Jadian Foley on September 30, 2008

Me in My EasyStand With My Wife Desiree

Whenever my wife, Desiree, and I go on trips, my stander is among one of the top things that I can’t wait to get home to.

I have had T-5 paraplegia since July 7, 2003. Among the medical equipment that makes my life easier is the Evolv Mobile stander. I originally had the EasyStand 5000 and upgraded to the EasyStand Evolv about 6 months ago. The Evolv Mobile standing frame improves my overall quality of life! It is so nice to have things that make my life ‘normal.’

I experience endless benefits from standing including (but not limited to) decreased spasticity, increased circulation, temporary relief from my nerve pain, and most importantly my independence! I love that I do not always have to rely on other people to get me things. With my old standing frame I was just stuck in one place while I stood, because it did not have the mobility option.

I am a religious stander! Sometimes I stand for hours at a time. With my EasyStand Mobile standing frame I am able to wheel myself around anywhere I want to go. I like to wheel outside on the driveway to enjoy the weather.

Another thing I can do much easier is prepare meals for myself in the kitchen. I can move about the kitchen to the cupboards, refrigerator, and stove. I am able to stand right above the stove as opposed to having the flame on the stove right near my face. I also play games, read, eat and relax in my standing frame. Without it I would be hurting. Whenever my wife and I go on trips, my stander is among one of the top things that I can’t wait to get home to. I am thankful to have this helpful equipment!

My EasyStand Customer Story- PDF
YouTube Video of Me Using the EasyStand

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