Life in a Wheelchair

Bit late but here's my contribution to 'blogging against disabilism'.

Wheelchair use ain't easy and one of the best ways to see this is to see life from a wheelchair users perspective. It seems to me a great use of video to show this and 'put yourself in their place' for the able-bodied, plus a great way to silence moaners about having to create ramps etc.

I hope at some point in the near future to produce a video showing this in my home town.

Here's some videos showing what I hope to show and some other talky ones.

Life on Wheels


Getting up from a Laying Down Position


Is a joke, right?


Ask me first!


One challenge after another


Also have a look at the clips from this documentary.

It definitely helps to show people. Listening to a screen reader, watching a very disabled person use the web, experiencing a wheelchair - all of this changes perspectives straight away.

It's also important to enable people to raise concerns. Life with a disability is tough and so being the 'complainer' just adds extra work. Any time you can encourage disabled people to take the lead on accessibility, take it.


Postscript: forgot to mention that this post occurred to me when I read How People with Disabilities Use the Web on the W3C website - I thought this idea could use some video.

Commentator asks 'where's the subtitles' - good point. If I find them I'll post them.