Ever See an Empty Wheelchair Beside a Hiking Trail?

The phrase wheelchairs and invisibly disabled people seems like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? After all, if you’re in a wheelchair, you can’t walk. Right? If you’re in a wheelchair but can get up and walk away, you must not be disabled. Again, right? Wrong on both counts.

People – like me – have neurological deficits that let them function, but only to a degree. I can walk around my house but not into, around, and out of a store. So I use an assistive device to extend my abilities.

Which brings us back to the title question.

An empty wheelchair? Our grandson and the other grandchildren loved pushing around my empty wheelchair, especially in campgrounds. But, can you imagine seeing an empty wheelchair along a hiking trail?

Decades ago, when I could still walk, the guys pushed me as far as the wheelchair would go on trails. Then I got out and walked, so I could enjoy more scenery. I always wondered what hikers behind us thought when they came upon an empty wheelchair. Where was the person? Were they okay?

I’m going to shift direction this week. Instead of offering help, information, or encouragement, I’m sharing vignettes of my family and me with my wheelchair. Some may make you chuckle, Others may be eye-opening. Maybe you or someone you know has had similar experiences. Or maybe they’ll all be new to you.

I hope you enjoy these views of a wheelchair and an invisibly disabled woman.

First adventures

When we planned our Yellowstone vacation in 1985, we remembered our friend’s experience. She borrowed a wheelchair at Disneyland to conserve energy and extend strength. Thinking that was a good idea, we rented one to take with us.

Oh, the places we went! –A trail with lots of tree roots. So each boy grabbed a seat arm and Joe the handles, picking up the chair with me in it, and lifting it over the roots. –Pushing/pulling it up a steep, grassy hillside, so we didn’t have to go the long way around. —Leaving it by the trailside, so I could get out and walk further.

We had a grand time!

Unique situations

Years later, at Glacier, Bill and family wanted to hike to a lake. The trail began with a very long boardwalk climbing a hillside with 2-3 steps every so often. With 2 adults and 2 teens, we thought the trail to be doable. When we came to steps, I’d get out and Joe would lift the chair over the steps. However, the further we went, the more we realized that wasn’t gonna work!

On a day trip to Yosemite, Joe, Tom, and I were “hiking” down the Big Oak Flat paved road (now a trail) to see large trees. It was rated  easy. But it was very steep! Joe and Tom took turns pushing me downhill. A young son remarked on the sight, and his father answered, “How much they must love her to do that!” How right he was! At the bottom, we got caught in a thunderstorm; they ran, pushing the chair, back up, trading off when tired. Watching lightning outdoors while sitting in a wheelchair? Not reassuring!

Fun times

But my wheelchair provided fun, too. When the grandchildren were kids, they loved pushing me. How enjoyable!

And then there was the time we were camping when Bill was a teen. Bill sat in my chair, pushing himself around the campground, stopping to do wheelies once in a while. I often wondered what others thought of this “disabled” teen.

And, of course, there is the packhorse wheelchair. Packing me high with packages or luggage saves lots of trips.

Closing thoughts

A wheelchair gets used from necessity, not desire. Even though we’ve had fun through the years, given my “druthers,” I’d much prefer walking, running, and carrying loads. So never think when you see someone having fun while in a wheelchair that they are choosing to be there. And, please, never judge someone to be a faker who gets up and walks away from it.

What unusual experiences have you had?

This article deals with more than just wheelchairs and the invisibly disabled; it covers daily life problems caused by invisible disabilities.

Check out my last post for a humorous incident.