I went to a new GP today. The appointment was a long one, as I recounted my not inconsiderable medical history. The conversation was a bit stilted. As a result, the thirty minutes seemed like sixty. It surprised me that a doctor nowadays would have such an awkward ‘bedside manner’. Then, suddenly, the conversation became [...]
The iBot is a miracle piece of technology that leaves most people in awe when they see it. When it turns transformer-like from a standard wheelchair into a machine on two wheels at standing level, or when it climbs an unexpected flight of stairs in a friend's home, most people begin to see the benefits [...]
Three years ago, when we decided to move to Australia, to live near Sydney in Pearl Beach, Justine said "I'm buggered if we're going to be in Pearl Beach in 2011, and unable to stroll along it hand in hand together!" So began our search to find a powered wheelchair that could cope with sand, [...]
It’s New Year’s Eve. I’m full up after an overindulgent Christmas, and full of hope for the year to come. But, on reading the recent Office of National Statistics Life Opportunities Survey, my generally positive mood has been tempered by the survey’s bleak outlook for people with disabilities. The survey reveals that, wherever you turn, [...]
One of the accusations most commonly leveled at people with disabilities is that “they are always moaning”. Some people think that they’re forever grumbling about how others are thoughtless and selfish, about how environments are often inaccessible, about how poverty-stricken they are and about how life generally can be a real pain in the butt. [...]
I decided to start writing a blog (this is my first post) because I am acutely aware everywhere I go of being under-represented as a disabled person. Disabled people just tend not to be seen around that much. You could say that this is a group that’s almost invisible – seldom seen out and about, [...]