Stephen's Words For International Wheelchair Day

"Last Friday was international wheelchair day, and for those of us who use wheels instead of our legs to get around, our wheelchairs can mean different things.

Please remember, we are not all the same and we are not defined by our wheelchair. And the only restrictions our wheelchairs place on us are those that are designed, presented and not removed by society and non-wheelchair users.

- Just because we are in wheelchairs doesn't mean that we're not happy. Even though we deal with challenging circumstances, we live a very happy and fulfilling life.

- Some people think that everybody in a wheelchair can walk and just don't want to walk. Many of us have lost the ability to walk due to an injury or an illness.

- Some of us have never had the ability to walk, because of the way we were wonderfully made.

- We enjoy being included in the conversation. I know for me personally when I'm with my wife or children, everyone talks to them and not me, it's as though I don't exist.

- We are not inspirational just because we are living our lives to the maximum and most potential we can.

- We also don’t know every other wheelchair user on the planet.

- Wheelchair users don’t all go to the toilet in the same way, so please do not jump to assumptions.

Most of all, no matter what disability you live with, no matter how old we are, we do not have special needs, we have human needs."

Stephen

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