On our way from one city to another we stopped at a mall just off the freeway. We both had to use their toilet facilities and I wanted a bit of a run round the edges of the mall. I sometimes feel I am going to seize up whilst sitting on the passenger side. We […]
Photo description: my hands in wheelchair gloves with the fingers all worn out. I finally did it, I retired my old gloves. It was much harder than you might imagine. I liked the fit and feel of these gloves and they are hard to find replacements for. They are not designed for wheelchair use, […]
Today I had to wait for Joe to go get the rental car and then come pick me up. I had looked at the ‘accessible’ sign pointing up a ramp that had handrails on both sides. I couldn’t see the length of the ramp but immediately felt okay because I pretty strong when it comes […]
He nodded to me and it was noticed. Joe and I were leaving Blade Runner and had become ‘toilet runners’ heading quickly over to the loo. I was pushing hard, the carpet is thick, and as I went into the entrance to the toilets, which had a large entryway, a young man with Down Syndrome […]
Today is Joe’s 65th birthday. We have been together for all but 16 of those years. Our lives have intertwined in ways both planned and unexpected. He has earned every grey hair that he has. His work often goes unacknowledged but his commitment to the cause of disability rights and civil liberties is unrivaled. He […]
Joe arrived back in the hotel room saying he’d had a good swim. He hopped in the shower and came out dressed in his housecoat. There was a story that he wanted to tell me. I turned to listen and I saw his face and knew immediately that the story he had to share was […]
Last evening I made one of our family recipes. We have several of these. Recipes that were developed based on opening the fridge and seeing what was there and, from that, throwing a meal together. Sometimes a magic happens and the meal joins the list of our comfort foods. Food that tells us we’re home, […]
I’d just finished a really good breakfast at one of the eateries in the airport and were preparing to get up and go to the gate. I asked Joe if he wouldn’t mind, I always finish first, if I rolled back to the accessible washroom to ensure the tanks were dry before getting on the […]
So much of my life as a disabled person revolves around bathroom issues. Is it accessible, can I get into the stall and close the door, how heavy is the door into the bathroom – will it break my footrests, can I use the toilet, where are the bars, and the like. Then there’s the […]
Some of the things I haven’t said on my travels this year: To the woman working for housekeeping at a hotel: Stepping back into the room, to give me space, when I’m pushing by the cart in the hallways isn’t helping. To the guy who looked terrified at the gate when I pulled up: I […]
