My journey to get my active manual wheelchair was difficult as I am an ambulatory user, meaning I was ineligible for most statutory help and did not have the means to self-fund. Therefore, I spent 6 years in a basic hospital chair that I could barely push myself. This resulted in me being very reliant on my friends to push me, and a permanent shoulder injury on my part. Now, I have a proper active chair (Quickie Argon 2) and a rear power assist (SmartDrive) that have opened up the world to me. I immediately went to the post box all under my own steam for the first time in years (having a disability defiantly teaches you to appreciate the small wins) and even pottered around town without needing any help from my friend!
Getting the mobility equipment I needed was such a journey, and one that felt so overwhelming at so many points – lots of sales pitches where everything cost an extortionate amount of money and incomprehensible order forms. With no one else in my life who needed any of this equipment to turn to, I felt alone. Enter Access Your Life! They were exactly who I needed when I was getting my wheelchair and I wish I had discovered them sooner.