For my
assignment, I decided to do a “day in the life of” account of a
person in a wheelchair. In class a couple of weeks ago, I told
everyone about my own experiences in a wheelchair for four months
after a horrendous car wreck I had and some of the struggles to
everyday life I faced. Since I already have a first-hand account of
this lifestyle and have moved since I was in that situation, I
decided to test the accessibility
(the ease of movement through and use of an environment) of my own
home and my university. This assignment has turned out to be a
personal one to me, as it has reminded me of the hardships I faced,
and the ones that people in wheelchairs face overall have to live
with each day.
I
began at the entrance of my condominiums. There are two buildings
here, each with three handicapped spaces in the front of the building
and six in the back of them! There is a large parking lot but not
much outdoor space for activity
and it is rather hilly, which would be a struggle to wheel on or push
someone up or down. The ramp from the parking space to the sidewalk
is also rather steep, which I remember being quite a pain trying to
wheel myself up (I am not very strong!) and seems a little poorly
designed in my opinion (see picture below). One nice asset to my
building is that we have automatic doors that would save the awkward
door-opening procedure that I hated so much. It always closed on me!
Once through the entryway to the building, we have a wide hallway
that has marble tiles, perfect for rolling on and with plenty of
space! On the left we also have an elevator, which is VITAL in any
building that is more than one story. I live on the first floor of my
building and when I was in my wheelchair, living on the first floor
offered me the most comfort
because I did not have to sit and wait for an elevator every single
time I wanted to come or go home. My condo proved to be rather
comforting and accommodating as I walked through it and analyzed the
space. I have hardwood and marble floors, which are easy to roll
around on. I also have an open floor plan, which prevents some of the
feelings of crowding,
which is very important in my experiences because going from “my
size” to being in a big, square chair, really makes you take up a
lot more room and things appear smaller and cramped to you.
Adaptability to
this concept of taking up more space was very difficult for me,
because I had to literally readjust to every little detail in my
life- from going through doorways to bathing. It all takes so much
longer when you have to think about how to maneuver yourself to do
the simplest of tasks. I felt as if I had no control
over anything in my life anymore because of the struggles I faced
with these tasks and I had to ask for help with things that I did not
even have to think about the day before my wreck. It's hard. Overall,
I am proud that I have realized that my condo is accessible and would
be comfortable to someone who is in a wheelchair!
The
next morning, I drove to Kennesaw State (I couldn't do this when I
was in my wheelchair, I had to be driven anywhere I went). I parked
in the Central Parking Deck and noticed that there are many
handicapped spaces on each level, and also an elevator on each side,
which I definitely appreciate (I still have hip problems from my
accident). I parked on the seventh floor and took the spacious
elevator to the street level. The doors to outside were not automatic
and seemed rather narrow, which is a disappointment for a university
(or any establishment), in my opinion. Once outside, I did notice
that the walkway was very wide and flat on the way to Prillaman Hall,
which is a big plus for maneuvering. The doors to the building did
not have a button to open automatically that I could find, and the
doors are very tall and hard to open. Inside, the floors are marble,
though, and the wide hallways are great for accessibility. I noticed
a lounge area that encourages sociality
among students. This is also very important because, as I mentioned
in class, I felt very lonely and depressed because I was “different”
during my time in a wheelchair, and the friends that visited me truly
helped the situation for me mentally and had so much meaning
to me as a person. I took the elevator to the second level to work on
homework and saw that the tables in the study area were tall enough
to wheel under, which I loved. In my classrooms, there were also
tables that were high enough for this. Overall, I think that Kennesaw
State has a lot of accessibility for people in wheelchairs, but there
is definitely some room for improvement with the entryways to and
from buildings.
This
assignment was quite an eye opener to the things that I have become
accustomed to again since my time in a wheelchair, and I have
appreciated the experience that has reminded me of what all I have to
be thankful for in my life. Those four months were the hardest of my
entire life, and there were many times that I felt both worthless and
like I was a burden to those around me. As time passed, I did learn
to be more independent in my wheelchair, and comfort and
accessibility in public places and in my home really are the reasons
that I could become more confident, along with the support from my
friends and family. I hope that others also are reminded to be
thankful of what they have after this assignment as well.
No comments:
Post a Comment