Things Not To Say To A Wheelchair User

As a lot of people know, I have an incomplete spinal cord injury amongst a number of other conditions that limit my walking abilities. I can't walk without suffering a great deal of pain and fatigue, often I'm know to have trips or falls espciallly when I'm outside my home because of this I use my wheelchair whenever possible.

I've used a wheelchair since a young age, long before my spinal injury due to the pain, fatigue and breathing struggles but I never really heard many comments until I was paralysed and used my wheelchair at an older age. Here are a list of things I personally hate hearing as somebody who uses a wheelchair.

"You're SO lucky you're in a wheelchair, you don't have to walk anywhere!" I don't understand how you think relying on a wheelchair is lucky. I'd LOVE to be able to walk anywhere, long distances but I can't. I know I'm lucky in the sense things could be worse but I really dislike this statement.

"Can I have a go in your wheelchair?" No, no you cannot. Please don't even think of asking any wheelchair user this in any circumstances.

"Why are you in a wheelchair if you can walk?" this has to be one that bugs me the most, people tend to assume ANYONE in a wheelchair is completely paralysed. People use wheelchairs for a number of reasons.

"Don't you need a license for that thing?" This isn't a car or a motorbike, it's a wheelchair. Why would I need a license? I understand people are joking when they say this but I don't often see the funny side anymore. It's something you hear often and has become old and over-used.

"Don't run me over!" When I hear someone say this, it is quite frustrating. Of course I'm not going to 'run you over.' I'm not stupid enough to do that. It's surprising how many people say this, it's something that I've heard on numerous occasions -especially when I was in school.

"Nice to see people like you out and about." I don't quite understand what you mean by 'people like you' but I really dislike being told this. Why shouldn't wheelchair users, disabled people be out and about? We're just like any other person, just with a different way of getting around.

"I used a wheelchair when I broke my leg! I know exactly what you're going through!" no, no you don't. You're not even close to know what I'm going through. This is a quote that's very belittling to wheelchair users. We're in our chairs for the long haul, I cannot see my future without a wheelchair, just like thosunds of others.

As a wheelchair user, you do hear a number of different comments made to you on a daily basis. I spoke to one of my friends who's also a wheelchair user and has a spinal cord injury about what she's heard as a wheelchair user and here's some of the things she told me:

"Don't drink and drive in that thing."

"My Grandma uses a wheelchair!"

"Do you know Brian? He's in a wheelchair too!"

"With your effort and attitude, I KNOW you'll walk again."

"Everything happens for a reason!"

- Via Twitter @AlexaJBH

Thanks for taking your time to read this post. What are things you've heard as a wheelchair user / person with a physical disability? Share them with us and we might just feature them in a blog post.