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July 2006 - Posts
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When people mean well, but say the wrong thing I once heard a wheelchair-using comedian speak on terminology. He said in the 1940's he was known as “crippled”; in the 1950's he was called “handicapped”; in the 1960's he was considered “confined to a wheelchair”; Read More...
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If it's not accessible, we make it accessible! Perfect accessibility is a wonderful dream and a worthy goal. In reality, until stairs are eliminated, technological aids are everywhere, and smooth terrain covers the earth, there are still plenty of obstacles Read More...
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Weather isn't exempt from the rule "No white after Labor Day!" I love snowmen, skating and salted sidewalks, but I hate getting my wheelchair tires stuck in the snow and having my batteries die because of the frigid cold. Unfortunately, the dreaded white Read More...
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Choose your own Adventure I've learned that no matter how I choose to conduct myself, life is an adventure with pros and cons attached to every choice I make. My being in a wheelchair raises many personal choices that are associated with my physical versatility. Read More...
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How Living Life to the Fullest Plants the Trouble Weed The root of conflict between me and many healthcare professionals is planted by our differing perspectives. For a healthcare worker to be effective, much of their world revolves around the medical Read More...
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Finding a New Kind of Independence in 3 Steps Complete physical independence has never been an option for me because I depend on a wheelchair to get around. However, there are notable differences between my reliant years and my satisfying independent Read More...
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Finding Balance Between Special Needs & Special Treatment As a person who depends on a wheelchair I can tell you firsthand that having a disability makes life challenging. I don’t think anyone would argue that those of us who must use wheelchairs Read More...
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Minimalist Wheelchair Gets Users Rolling in Less Developed Countries When considering my autonomy and independence objectively, one might suppose that I appreciate my wheelchair because it gives me the freedom to move. They might also assume that I enjoy Read More...
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Everything You Want in a Girl on Wheels Here she comes…Miss Wheelchair America. She can’t walk, but she certainly stands tall in the face of scrutiny that the Miss America pageant is often criticized for. There’s no doubt that the Miss Wheelchair America Read More...
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A Further Examination of Special Needs vs. Special Treatment In my experience, the scale weighing special needs vs. special treatment is very complex. The privileges I receive range from my being moved to the front of my favorite band’s autograph line Read More...
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Spring has sprung and love may be in the air I don’t pretend to understand all the complexities of true love, but I do know that there are many happy couples with very diverse qualities. I’m also sure that the tantalizing flavour of true love is partly Read More...
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Spring has sprung and so have my relationships While interacting with family, friends, acquaintances, attendants and others, I have come to learn much about relating to people on different levels, and how my disability affects my various relationships. Read More...
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Who needs to earn wings when you’ve already got wheels? It has been said that one can’t know where they’re going until they understand where they’ve come from. So two summers ago my cousins, my grandfather (my Opa) and I visited some relatives in Holland. Read More...
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Smooth travel requires a little pre-planning on your part I love my home town, but I would not appreciate it so much were it not for travelling elsewhere. I have been organizing out-of-town adventures for myself since the age of thirteen. Granted, travelling Read More...
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My name does not include wheels! I am Chantal Huinink. I'm a rarity because I'm an only child in a Dutch family - granted that's not as relevant as it is rare. Born 22 years ago and 2 ½-months premature, I was diagnosed with spastic quadriplegic cerebral Read More...
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