not looking disabled?!

Trialia

The amount of sheer ignorance in that post is almost painful.

How do you know, if someone walks into the supermarket, that they're going to walk all the way around it to do their shopping? They might have to snag one of the motorised carts most big supermarkets supply. I do, frequently. I can't walk all the way around the supermarket, and some days can't even manage from the other side of the car park, though you seem to think otherwise, despite using a walking stick rather than a wheelchair.

Now who's pre-judging people over whether or not they use a wheelchair?

jetta_wales

stefos wrote: »

Unequivocably, if you're in a wheelchair then you should be allowed to park as near to the supermarket entrance as possible. If you have two legs and can manage to walk around the supermarket then you can manage the extra 20 yards from where you parked the car. Too many people seem to qualify at the moment in my opinion. Unless it's raining of course, when everybody becomes disabled, obviously suffering from Ombrophobia!

There are any people who simply are no where near mobile enough to get out of a car without being able to open their car door fully, they may well not need a wheelchair but they still need the parking space.

Then there's those with an impeded sense of danger and they may well be stronger than their carer who's job it is to stop them from walking in front of that moving car and not having to negotiate a busy car park with them to get to the front of a store will be far far safer. Those registered blind are entitled to them also usually for similar reasons of safety.

And we think it's just non dissabled people that need better dissability awareness?

clarissa

stefos wrote: »

Unequivocably, if you're in a wheelchair then you should be allowed to park as near to the supermarket entrance as possible. If you have two legs and can manage to walk around the supermarket then you can manage the extra 20 yards from where you parked the car. Too many people seem to qualify at the moment in my opinion. Unless it's raining of course, when everybody becomes disabled, obviously suffering from Ombrophobia!

I think that you should use your amazing skills of being able to diagnose illness on the state of someones legs to better use at your local hospital, it would save the NHS a fortune.

I went to the shops today on my own for the first time in nearly 2 years as i've been feeling really good recently and thought I could manage it. I parked at B&Q (not in a disabled space but near to the shop) walked a short distance to the paint and to the till. I then moved my car to outside Boots about 50m away and did use a BB space. I went in a bought shampoo, paid and came out. By that time I had raging angina, dizziness and felt sick. I went home and slept for 3 hours. I'm now getting chest pain if I walk round the house. My legs are working well though and it's stopped raining, so all's good.

Mojisola

stefos wrote: »

Unequivocably, if you're in a wheelchair then you should be allowed to park as near to the supermarket entrance as possible. If you have two legs and can manage to walk around the supermarket then you can manage the extra 20 yards from where you parked the car. Too many people seem to qualify at the moment in my opinion. Unless it's raining of course, when everybody becomes disabled, obviously suffering from Ombrophobia!

If you're in a wheelchair, you do need wider spaces to get in and out of the car but don't necessarily need to be near the shop entrance as you may be very mobile once in your chair.

SingleSue

stefos wrote: »

Unequivocably, if you're in a wheelchair then you should be allowed to park as near to the supermarket entrance as possible. If you have two legs and can manage to walk around the supermarket then you can manage the extra 20 yards from where you parked the car. Too many people seem to qualify at the moment in my opinion. Unless it's raining of course, when everybody becomes disabled, obviously suffering from Ombrophobia!

My dad has two legs and doesn't use a wheelchair (he should really but is very stubborn) but he most def needs an extra wide space to get into and out of a car and one which is close to the shop.

He has been registered disabled (when it was possible to do so) since 1972, has used sticks since then (an accident at work) and things have become further complicated since his strokes last year when his left side (his good side previously) was affected.

So now he has one leg which at times refuses to move and another leg where he is not able to put much weight on...thus is very unstable.

I have two legs and one (soon to be two) crutch, I don't have a BB so I do walk the extra from my parking space....this morning, I had to abort my food shopping tripa quarter of the way through as I was in so much pain, I wonder how many more have to do the same.

So although a person may appear to be perfectly able to walk the extra distance due to having two legs and no wheelchair, that extra distance could be the difference between a successful shopping trip or an aborted one...or as someone else said, they could very well be getting on one of the shop owned buggies inside the store.

And that is just for physical disabilities....mental disabilities and blindness are a complete different kettle of fish where shopping can be extremely uncomfortable, difficult and impossible without the help of being able to park close by.

woody_56

I wonder how these runaway mouths would fair,trying to pick themeselves up after being given two broken legs.

People really should stop and think,problem is most of these gabby people don't have a brain.

mitchyjules

Trialia wrote: »

The part about HRM was addressing Daska's last comment - basically saying that if the NHS won't let me have a powered chair, I can't afford to get one by myself.

I'm really starting to worry though, there is a threat of losing funding to my local Shopmobility and if they do that, I won't be able to go out anything like as much as I currently manage - I can only walk so far with only my walking sticks without running myself into the ground, and it isn't very.

Why do I have trouble using a manual chair? Well, because my shoulders, wrists and fingers (and most of my other joints too, but they're the relevant ones here) dislocate at the slightest wrong angle or pressure on a good day - on a bad day, they're even worse. That's why I can't self-propel - even with any aids I've seen. I live alone, I can't rely on my carer being there when I need to go out.

No, I don't. Mostly because although my current GP agrees I will need one full-time sometime in the next couple of years, she also thinks that there's no point in harassing the hospital so long as I'm trying to do my best not to use one unless I'm out shopping or at the hospital. That said, we're going to have to re-evaluate that if they do scrap SM for the city, because I won't have access to mobility help beyond my stick then, and I cannot manage going around town more than from the bus stop to chapel without it, most of the time.

Unfortunately, I also can't "continually ring" anyone - phobia of telephone calls because I struggle to process unfamiliar voices out of the feedback that comes with phones. But if it comes to that, I could always go in every time I'm at the hospital - once a week or more! =P

I'm in the same boat as you - cannot self propel (maybe we have same problem - i have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome with fibromyalgia).
I know my condition is degenerative - so it's not a case of "if" i need a powerchair, but "when".
I have kids, and enjoy days out with them, but need to rent the wheelchair at the attraction - but then i need someone to push me. I bought a scooter off ebay - but it's got a faulty motor and keeps conking out (no fun halfway round the zoo!!).
My OT can help with a chair - but not until i'm using one in my home for over 4 days a week. But how am i going to get one in the first place to prove i need it more than 4 days a week?
My car is a godsend - and i will not trade in my DLA for a chair!
So i'm stuffed either way!

mitchyjules

Trialia wrote: »

The amount of sheer ignorance in that post is almost painful.

How do you know, if someone walks into the supermarket, that they're going to walk all the way around it to do their shopping? They might have to snag one of the motorised carts most big supermarkets supply. I do, frequently. I can't walk all the way around the supermarket, and some days can't even manage from the other side of the car park, though you seem to think otherwise, despite using a walking stick rather than a wheelchair.

Now who's pre-judging people over whether or not they use a wheelchair?

I totally agree
I spend most of my time cooped up indoors - so doing the weekly shop out of neccessity rather than choice is probably my main form of exercise and socialising!
I start out ok - but unless i can bag a scooter - i end up shuffling round like a pensioner (i'm 36) halfway through as my hips and legs have gone.
I'm then bedbound when i get home!

mitchyjules

just want to add, about the small minded people doubting BB holders when parking in a designated bay.
What they don't realise, which i'm sure many of you can relate to is this.....
you are seeing me here, going shopping, because i'm having a good day! The rest of the time, it's too painful to even walk to my loo indoors - so you're not going to see me out on a bad day!
nuff said??

Trialia

mitchyjules wrote: »

I'm in the same boat as you - cannot self propel (maybe we have same problem - i have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome with fibromyalgia).
I know my condition is degenerative - so it's not a case of "if" i need a powerchair, but "when".

That is exactly my problem, yes. Hypermobility type too, I take it?

I use my walking stick(s) around my house, but there would be no room for me to use a chair even if I could self-propel a manual chair, and I live by myself, my carer is only here an hour a day.