Creative home modifications!

My most recent blog posts have been a bit sour (and there will be several upcoming ones that aren't particularly happy and uplifting), so here's a post that is more fun, more practical, and will show some creative ways that I've reworked my living space.


Zebra printed satin sheets, oh yeah!

I live in a duplex in a historic neighborhood, where my apartment is the upstairs unit.  There are some things that have just made life easier recovering from surgery (like the satin sheets post-surgery to make repositioning and getting in and out of bed smoother), but my house is not particularly accessible. Getting up and down my stairs is still a big hurdle for me (from a pain standpoint, as well as balance, numbness, proprioception standpoint).  Because of this, I've tried to make the inside of my home as accessible as possible.  Some of my modifications are things that are just nice when I have to spend so much of my time lying down (I'm still having issues sitting for lengths of time...working is one part ice pack, two parts pain medication, one part heating pad, one part moving around, and eight parts pure stubbornness).

So, for your viewing pleasure, I start you folks off with the first picture, which I posted in my two week post-surgery update.  Satin sheets to make moving easier (seriously, satin sheets made a huge difference in my post-surgical mobility), comfy fluffy bathrobe (because trying to dry oneself off without bending, lifting, or twisting is hard), fluffy blanket because grownups need snuggles too, and my iPad for games, email, internet, Netflix, and whatever else catches my attention.  For the record, yes, I like animal prints and I'm particularly drawn to leopard print!

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My iPad suspended on the wall along with a pouch for my phone

Related to this is my bedroom wall setup.  I vehemently didn't want a TV or computer in the bedroom, but surgery recovery meant most of my time was spent in bed laying down.  I ended up buying an iPad cover on Groupon that was meant to rig an iPad to the back of a car seat so people (kids I'm assuming) can watch videos on car trips.  Well, this case plus a Command adhesive wall hook means instant TV/movie watching device (and audiobook listening apparatus).  I have two hooks on the wall for it, one for when I'm watching stuff with my partner, and the other when I want it closer or out of view (pain-related insomnia means that I sometimes turn it on in the middle of the night to get an audiobook rolling again or to put the white noise app back on). 

The other hook that is on the wall holds what is supposed to be a water bottle pouch that I earned volunteering at CONvergence, a sci-fi and fantasy convention in my home state of Minnesota.  I use it for an all-purpose thingie holder so I can keep my cell phone or other small items handy.  The strap usually hangs lower for general use, but I wanted to get a better photo so I hiked up the strap.

Seriously folks, I love these hooks...I use them for everything from a keyhook to jewelry holders to hanging the wall clock or lightweight picture frames.  I feel like a walking advertisement for them!

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Shower chair on aerobics step

The next photo shows how I managed to get my shower chair to work with the lovely claw foot tub that's in my bathroom.  This was a piece of equipment I didn't think I would need until I came home from surgery and realized how much effort it would even take to ponder bathing.  There was no way I would be able to stand long enough to even get my body wet much less clean.  Well, my home has a clawfoot tub, which is not what the average shower chair manufacturer must have in mind when they design these buggers.  The tub is too tall, or the legs on the chair are too short.

Thankfully, my fitness nerdness came in handy.  I own an aerobic step, which allowed me to get the chair up high enough to fit properly in the tub, plus it allowed my short legs to safely get on the chair to scoot into the shower.  I still do use the shower chair for getting in and out of the tub as the nerve damage that makes me wobbly is probably permanent, so it's either use the chair or install a permanent grab bar in the tub area.

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The rolling laptop desk (plus medical bills)

The last photo is something relatively recent.  I've realized that I'm having trouble doing any sort of work or computer-related leisure while sitting in any one position (or sometimes sitting at all), so I got a rolling laptop desk that will fit under a bed or a recliner.  Part of it tilts so I can use it while laying down, and the other part stays parallel to the floor to be able to place books, papers, or a cat (the cat isn't my choosing, and he's too heavy and wiggly to be on it, but he tries).  The height is adjustable as well, so I'm able to get it to the right height for most of my needs, and I think I could probably use it as a standing desk if I could stand long enough to use it like that.  This was one of my more expensive modifications, but part of that was because I already owned many of the items that I've jury-rigged for other purposes (or, like the shower chair, my insurance helped pay for).

The extra nice thing about this over something that sits on a surface (like this kind of tilting laptop tray that I found on Amazon) is that I still have a 5 pound lifting restriction.  My laptop is a little over five pounds, so I would have to expend more energy (more spoons) to get my work done.  The rolling desk allows me to push what I need to the room that I need it in, plus it keeps my lovely Bela cat from trying to trip me in the process (he's afraid of many things on wheels, including my walker and this desk).  My computer stays safe, my cat doesn't cause me to fall, plus I'm able to bring more stuff with me in less trips.  Muy bien!

That, my friends, wraps up a post that I've been pecking at for several weeks.  Next post will be some thoughts about "graduating" from physical therapy....

Stairs versus elevator: Round 1...fight!

Ableist to say the least, moreso with the taped Braille

I was on Twitter and came across a tweet from Amanda at Fat Body Politics that really got my brain going.  The tweet had this photo of an elevator button panel (the photo on the right).  This photo has been going around my Facebook feed between my physical activity & public health scholar friends and my body size & dis/ability activist friends, with some varied results.

Many of my public health & physical activity-minded friends talk about how every day physical activity needs to be encouraged, like taking the stairs instead of using the elevator (also called "non exercise activity thermogenesis" or NEAT for short).  Sounds pretty benign huh?  What this seems to lead to is architecture that places stairs in a very easy to find and access places and the elevator in an inconvenient (many times hidden) place.  The other mode of thinking with this style of architecture is to keep the elevator more clear for folks who need it (people with mobility impairment or people hauling carts of equipment), but it can backfire.

So what's wrong?  Well, I'll use my personal experience as an example.  On days that I use a cane (or when my nerve damage wasn't as severe, on the days that I could manage without a mobility aid), I have to make a bunch of choices when I need to get to a different floor of a building (the same decisions happen with entering a building that has stairs, just sub "elevator" with "ramp").

Can I safely use stairs today?  Am I feeling my legs well enough to not trip going up the stairs or fall down the stairs?  Will taking stairs that are closer to my destination use more spoons than trying to find the elevator that's tucked away, nowhere near my current or final destination?  Will taking the stairs lead to pain that makes me unable to work, do scholarly activities, or even work out (and do more efficient physical activity) later in the day?  Which option will cause me less social grief as a fat person (because my body is seen as proof that I am sedentary simply because of its size)?

Not all disabilities are visible.  Some disabilities wax and wane in their visibility (see my post PassOut for an example).  A lot of invisible disabilities and illnesses involve a huge energy management component, and elevator usage can help that person live a more fulfilling life....when we aren't barraged with messages that tell us that we're horrible people for using the elevator for a "short distance" or that we're fat/out of shape/sick/disabled because we don't use the stairs for whatever reason.

As a doctoral student in kinesiology, I would love it if people were more active.  It's what I study.  It's something I'm passionate about.  But...making healthist remarks about elevator usage doesn't help people become less sedentary.  It's shaming and shame doesn't help people become healthier and happier people.  Shame creates stress and the biomedical literature shows over and over again that long-term stressors (like shame, bigotry, and structural inequality) create less healthy people.

So instead of creating more problems in people's lives over whether or not taking the stairs is a part of their healthy life, how about this.  We make sure that both modes of transportation are clearly marked in a way that encourages people to listen to their bodies, keeps them safe, and keeps them happier in the long run.

What would an accessible fitness facility look like?

For a moment, I want to share a dream with you.  This dream involves a space for fun physical activity for as many bodies as possible.  Tall bodies, short bodies, young bodies, old bodies, thin bodies, fat bodies, walking bodies, rolling bodies....you get the picture.

Me before my first wheeled 5k

Part of this dream comes from the multitude of frustrations I have with using the fitness facilities available to me.  I had the displeasure of finding out that I couldn't take the TRX class at my campus rec center because the door to the room was not wheelchair accessible.  I was able to use one of the recumbent bikes, but had to park my chair in the middle of the running track as the only piece of cardio equipment with enough space to park a chair next to was the handbike...assuming that the only people that would need wheelchair parking space would be someone who is paralyzed.

Needless to say, it was frustrating but really got me thinking about what a fitness center based on Universal Design principles might look like.

This dream involves a space that is welcoming to all sorts of bodies, even from looking at the outer structure of the building.  Wide walkways with places to park bikes, trikes, handbikes, mopeds, scooters.  Adequate parking with spaces designed for the various ways people get out of their vehicles.  A nearby bus stop that is close to the gym.

The building itself would have automated doors with wide doorways.  The check-in desk wouldn't have a turnstile, but would have some other method of traffic control that is accessible to folks with large gym bags, folks using wheels or scooters, and folks who are fat.  The building would either have no carpet or very thin carpet that is easy to maneuver for folks moving around in various ways.  Both the elevator and stairs (if it's multiple floors) would be easy to find and navigate, and wide enough to allow for easy movement.

There would be cardio equipment that allows for a variety of people, including recumbent bikes that allow for the seat arms to be pushed away so a wider person could use it, treadmills that a wheelchair user could roll on, and machines that allow a visually impaired person to set their workout.  The water fountains wouldn't be blocked by mats or rugs.  Group fitness rooms would be set up with wide doors, equipment that can be reached from a variety of heights, and with sound systems that are clear and allow the instructor to be heard.

Staff would be readily available and trained to assist in a variety of ways.  There would be someone in the free weights who can help move dumbbells and barbell plates, who can spot lifts if a person doesn't have a workout partner, and who can make sure benches and other equipment are maintained in a way to allow for free movement of people throughout the space.  The weight machines would be spaced far enough to allow for bodies of a variety of sizes to be able to get in and out, and allow for safe transfer from wheels to machine and back.  There would be child care that patrons could use as a part of their membership that would accept all children and give them fun physical activity.

There would be indoor courts for basketball, volleyball, tennis with appropriate flooring for both seated and standing sports.  Studios for dance, yoga, Pilates, martial arts.  Ideally pools with lap swimming, a heated therapy pool, and a hot tub, all with ramps and lifts to allow a variety of bodies to get in and out safely.  Maybe even a climbing wall.

There would be no messages about fat loss, calorie burn, or other body-hating messages.  It would be about fun, challenge, strength, joy, and community.

What am I missing?  What would you see in this space?

Back from Gen Con!

Me cosplaying as Oracle posing with Jennie Breeden of the Devil's Panties

I just got back from Gen Con (aka the "best four days of gaming") and I'm exhausted.  I thankfully had some pretty uneventful flights with Delta Airlines (so I probably won't be posting a "Flying with Wheels" post about them like I did for US Airways & United...and I'm pretty happy about it).

This was my first Gen Con, and it was pretty exciting.  Because of my experience with using my cane at CONvergence, I decided to just bring my wheelchair.  I'm really glad I did, even though the carpet in both the hotel & the convention center were hell on my shoulders.  This was the biggest con I've ever attended (at least 5 times bigger than CONvergence) and was spread out over the entire Indiana Convention Center plus all of the neighboring hotels. 

I made this scalemail dice bag!

Trying to alternate between wheels & a cane just wasn't going to happen because of distance.  I also wouldn't be able to guarantee when I was going to suddenly run out of spoons, something that could have kept me from attending events that I had prepaid for (like a Shadowrun Missions game, a Pathfinder Society game, a NASCRAG charity game, and a scalemail dice bag crafting workshop).  I also didn't want to be doped up on pain medication because it impacts my cognition & creativity...traits that I need to have fun while gaming.

Bringing the wheelchair also gave me a quick and dirty way to do a little cosplay, something I've wanted to do for a while but hadn't managed to put together a costume that is flying-friendly.  Armed with my wheels, a Batman logo shirt, a headset, and my iPad with Batman logo on the back, I cosplayed Oracle, aka Barbara Gordon.  She's one of the few comic book characters that uses a wheelchair (the only other one that comes to mind is Professor X from the X-Men comics).  Since she's not generally "in the field" much like other heroes, she doesn't have a specific costume, which makes cosplaying her both easy (minimal props/outfit) and a challenge (trying to be recognizable as her instead of just a nerdy wheeler). 

Crosswalk in downdown Indy with accessible lane

Despite the carpet, the difficulty I had finding elevators in the skyways, and the problems trying to navigate crowded halls full of distracted people, it was a pleasant trip.  There were times where I would find other wheeling folks (particularly other manual wheelchair using folks) and we would just smile at each other in between hard pushes to get down the plush carpeted hallways.  A friend that joined me for the con says that the carpet didn't feel padded from a walking standpoint, but I had to ask her to push me a few times so I wouldn't give myself a rotator cuff injury...and it led to an interesting discussion about universal design.

I also had a chance to meet a few folks that I've only met online through our shared geekery of City of Heroes (an MMORPG).  Meeting up with them was a little difficult just because of the barely accessible skyway, slow-as-molasses elevators, and the normal difficulty of navigating restaurants that have tables and chairs too close to each other for easy wheeling (I've had to learn to speak up and be more assertive to get through these situations...it's still hard for this introvert though!).

I'm planning to go back next year, finances and work willing.  I have plans for making some of the stressful things more manageable, better plans for hitting up the exhibition hall in a more relaxed way, and ideas to make the most of my time & energy without feeling trapped in a strict schedule (especially since it's the weekend before the semester starts).

Wheee!

Re/becoming a dancer

A woman doing a veil piece in a wheelchair

Late last week I received an invitation from one of the owners of Twisted Dance, a local belly dance studio, to join them for a video shoot.  I've been thinking about trying to bellydance in my wheelchair for a while, so I decided to drop an email to the person that sent me the invite.  I wanted to make sure they were cool with me using their event to try dancing this way, and if they were cool with it I needed to make sure the building was accessible.  I got an enthusiastic reply back with instructions on how to get to the elevator (the building is pretty old, so it was retrofitted to be accessible).

I'm not going to lie, I was nervous.  I'm an introvert by nature, and I get nervous in situations where I could be the center of attention or be the oddball in a group.  I prefer to be in control when I know I'm going to be the odd duck (I have a shirt that I bought when I first started using adaptive aids that says "I do my own stunts" because I'd rather diffuse staring with humor).

Friday night I dig through some of my belly dance gear.  What do I want to wear, what am I comfortable wearing, can I wear a hipscarf without getting coins or fringe stuck in the spokes, do I need any props for the video shoot (we were doing mock/mini classes for a videographer for promotional purposes)?  I settle on a pair of workout leggings that I used to wear for dance classes, a short skirt over the leggings (in lieu of a hipscarf because of the spoke concern), and a plain shirt.  I find my practice zills (a set of Saroyan zills) and my silk veil, both just in case.

On Saturday, it's raining and raining hard.  I'm really concerned about bringing the chair because I don't have a good way of cleaning the tires to make sure I don't mess up the floor.  I have a towel packed in my bag just in case I need to try to dry off the tires or the frame, and just pray that I don't leave tire tracks on the studio floor.  I decide to walk the chair into the building with my cane because I don't have a folding cane and trying to wheel with a cane plus a bag plus deal with non-hydraulic doors is a pain in the butt.

I get to the elevator without much problem, and it spits me out behind the studio near the bathrooms.  I feel a bit like I'm sneaking into the studio since the main entrance is near the stairs.  I open the back door and park my chair to let it dry from the rain, and hobble with my cane to the front lobby of the studio to check in.  I chat, get settled, talk to the owners & teachers to give them a heads up, and everything gets started.  Thankfully my chair dried off while I was socializing, so no wet tracks on the floor!

We get warmed up and do various movement drills.  I realize that I probably should attach the wheel locks to I don't roll.  I wince every time my seat cushion makes a weird noise.  I figure out that while I can do some seated hip movements, they still hurt (which is a pretty major "duh" moment because it means the unstable joint is moving...but I'm stubborn).

 I ultimately realize that while taking dance classes might take quite a bit of modification on my part and willingness for an instructor to let me do my own thing during lower body movements, I can still belly dance.  It'll take some figuring out how to modify some movements, especially if I'm learning a choreography with non-wheeled dancers...but it's doable.  I also have to be mindful when I'm choreographing or being choreographed to make sure I have options for my less able days.

The day ended with some awesome chitchat with some of the teachers & owners of the studio, talking about the picture I have above (and a video that's somewhere on YouTube with the same dancer), talking about the logistics of dancing with a wheelchair (like getting a veil stuck), the fact that there is one company that makes wheelchairs specifically for dance, and my promise to the instructors & owners that they would see me more often now that I know that this will work.

Hooray!!

My next dance adventure is going to be reviewing a dvd for this blog called "Chair Aerobics for Everyone: Chair Bellydance."  I received a review copy of the dvd, so we'll see how it is.  The weight loss lingo on the box bothers me as someone that comes from a Health At Every Size standpoint, but maybe the instructor will have more of a holistic approach to fitness/movement.

More fitness frustrations

Before I get too far writing this, I want to clear something up about my previous post.  My comment about 30 minutes on the recumbent bike is a personal fitness expectation not an arbitrary benchmark for physical fitness.  Every body is different, every fitness level is different and even the same body will vary depending on a bunch of factors.  As someone who has done triathlons, endurance cycling, and CrossFit, that particular workout at a low cadence and moderate gear felt like a reasonable "getting back into the gym" workout.  I apologize if anyone was offended.

This is a part 2 to the "Fitness Frustration" post from a few days ago.

As a bit of a gymrat by nature, I went back to Planet Fitness to work out.  I wanted to lift weights as I was having one of those days where I needed to feel physically strong.  I like feeling strong, I like lifting things up and putting them down, so the gym seemed like the best place to satiate this desire.

I go in, check in (and get my picture taken for my account), and head for a recumbent bike.  My plan is really just to warm up for about ten minutes to lift weights, but I get caught up reading this book that a Facebook friend/professor acquaintance suggested (for those of you curious, Too Late to Die Young: Nearly True Tales from a Life by Harriet McBryde Johnson).  I had the same leg pain & numbness as the previous day's workout, although I used the end of the chapter as my benchmark (lots of things are more bearable with a good book, in my opinion!).

I hobble off the bike and do a loop around the gym to see what equipment is available.  I'm not that fond of strength training machines as I'm 4'11" and usually have to do some strange balancing act to get them to fit right.

I go past the cable machines (something that works better for me biomechanically than the Nautilus-type machines) and they are too packed.  I'm bummed as these are the best for me as I don't have to move plates or dumbbells to a bench to modify the intensity of a workout.

At the end of my lap around the gym, I'm at the free weights.  I find a free bench, find a pair of dumbbells that I can pick up one-handed and that I know will work for all the upper body work I'm planning to do, so they're a bit too light for bench press and overhead press, a bit tough for bicep curls.  Three sets of 10-15 reps of each exercise.  No problem, lots of awesome sweat.  I have my cane perched on the bench for easy reach.  I realize that I've forgotten to do incline presses.  No worries as the bench can be set up for them...so I think.

CRASH!

Realistic battle damage on my cane

The bench slammed down from it's 45 degree incline back to its original flat position...onto my cane.  My beloved flame cane.  The cane I bought for my masters degree commencement ceremony.  My "I'm gimpy but I can still kick your ass" cane.

I set my cane on the floor, reset the bench (making sure that it was fully locked in this time).  I finished my incline rows quickly, grabbed my cane, hobbled my dumbbells back to the rack, and really took a look at the "realistic battle damage" (as my SO puts it).  Because it's damaged on the bottom part of the hook of the cane, it should still be structurally sound but it's hard to be sure because of the cracks.

Angrily, I go back to the recumbent bikes for a cooldown...which turned into more of a "let's push myself more to try to burn off this anger."  I'm thankful that I didn't get my hand slammed in the bench, especially because I use my hands to earn a living and to help me get around.  That slam very well could have broken bones in my hand.  So I push longer than I should, fueled by frustration and eventually cooling down with several pages of the book.

Back at my car, I take a closer look at the damage and take the above photo with my cell phone.  My fingers rub against some of the damage when I walk, but it should still serve me while I save up for either a replacement (probably in carbon fiber, which is more expensive) or something different that still has style...maybe a clear lucite cane (seriously, I think Fashionable Canes needs an affiliate program with all these links...or maybe just consider this my birthday wish list!).

This is still a work in progress for me, and it still makes me dream of a gym that is created through the principals of universal design.  Access to fitness opportunities, fun physical activity, and health for all!

Fitness frustration

So I've been having some mental health issues because of my inability to find fulfilling physical activity.  I'm a mover, a shaker, a wanderer, a wiggler.  I like to lift heavy things then put them down repeatedly.  I like to get my heart rate up, push my body, and just sweat.  I like to challenge myself in new and interesting ways.  Since I'm still trying to figure out what feels good both mentally and physically, I wanted to give a more traditional gym a try.  It's been a while since I've been in a traditional gym as my last gym was a CrossFit box

This gets a bit more complicated because of the varying levels of dis/ability I live with.  I need something workable on cane/crutch days and something workable when I'm wheeling.  This takes the campus rec center completely out of the running, if nothing else because there is a massive hill leading to the building wtih no handicap parking at the top of the hill.  The inside of the building is barely accessible for a number of reasons, so sadly I really don't get to utilize a facility that my student fees pay for.

My local YMCA is more accessible but is pretty expensive, even at the student rate.  Additionally, the hours are a bit terrible for a person that works and goes to school.  They also tend to get pretty darn busy, and I'm not that convinced that the free weights space is particularly wheelie friendly.

My local Planet Fitness

So after talking to a few friends, I decided to check out the local Planet Fitness.  I looked them up online and saw their rates were reasonable.  They're also open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week...something that's really great for me during the school year as I sometimes keep some odd hours when my writing and research muse grabs me by the ears.

The next step was an accessibility check.  This Planet Fitness is in a shopping center that really needs more parking, and specifically more handicap parking.  Not the gym's fault, but frustrating.  It didn't help that this was the post-work crowd that was at the gym, but I really wanted to see the place at it's potential "worst."

I hobble up to the door and find that they have automatic doors...not sure why they have them, but that can be an awesome accessibility feature no matter who you are (universal design ftw!). I limp in with my cane and am immediately greeted by several staff members.  I tell them that I want to check their gym out, they offer a tour, and we walk around.  He shows me the rows upon rows of cardio machines, which includes a ramp up to the treadmills (a bit strange IMO since they didn't have any treadmills for wheelers).  Tons of ellipticals (something I used to be able to use without much pain or nerve issues, but it's been about a year since I've tried).  A bunch of bikes, both upright and recumbent, but without enough room to park a wheelchair next to (dear fitness industry, some of us wheelers have legs that can bike if we don't have to balance!).  I'm bummed that there are no rowers or hand bikes, but those are things a lot of traditional gyms lack.


The tour continues with him telling me what each piece of equipment is...but I cut him off as he starts to tell me what a Smith machine is by telling him that I'm working on my PhD in kinesiology (want to scare a fitness professional?  Tell them that you're getting a PhD in kinesiology.  He looks shocked, but recovers quickly and he starts talking to me about the corporate philosophy of Planet Fitness as a "judgement free zone."  The free weight area might be a bit tight for wheeling, but since benches are moveable, it ought to work.

So I joined Planet Fitness.

Well, day one workout was a half hour on the recumbent bike.  It's something I don't need balance for, it's something I can get on and off without problems, and they tend to be fairly fat-friendly.  At ten minutes, my back hurt at the fracture point.  At 15 minutes, I'm starting to get electrical jolts down my legs.  At 20 minutes, the nerve pathway all the way down to my big toe is on fire.  At 25 minutes, I'm determined to finish but I'm watching the clock.  At 30 minutes, I smash the stop button, mad at myself for torturing myself, angry at my body for "failing" at a workout that ought to be one of the more spine-friendly workouts that exist.

I'm not only frustrated at the spine-issues related to the workout, but I'm frustrated because I was hoping that outdoor recumbent triking would be an option for me both for recreation and bike commuting.  I'm trying to remind myself of the bad swim workout that I had a while back that resulted in a fantastic swim the next day.  I'm trying to remind myself that failing a workout isn't really failing.  I'm also trying to tell myself that maybe I need to work up to that much biking and that maybe, just maybe I can get back on the road.

It's not the easiest road, but I'm going to keep trying.  Stay tuned...

Being geeky & disabled

My fist-sized d20

One benefit of being more visibly disabled is meeting other folks with disabilities.  This felt especially true when I volunteered for a significant chunk of time at a convention.  So CONvergence, a general science fiction and fantasy convention that is held in early July in Minnesota, ended up being this really neat place for me to interact with other geeky crips and the nerds that love us.

While I wasn't so easily pegged as disabled when I worked at the Registration table (my cane was tucked away since I didn't have to get around), I was very visible when I was on badging duty.  For those of you who might not be familiar with the term, all it means is I sat at a designated area and made sure that the people going past my station had visible and authentic con badges.  This is one of my favorite places to volunteer at a con because it means that I get to talk to a bunch of people, see tons of costumes, and contribute to the fantastic organization that runs the con.

Depending on how I was doing with pain, wobbling, and feeling my legs or feet, I was either using my flame cane or my wheelchair.  If I was hobbling it, my cane was usually in my lap (which got some great compliments or amusing comments, like "do the flames help you walk faster?").  The day that I spent most of the time on wheels, I either stayed in my chair (because I wasn't going to transfer to a less comfy chair) or transferred to a big comfy chair with my wheelchair next to me.

It was fun to talk to the other geeky gimpy people that were around.  Some folks had awesome adaptive aids, like red forearm crutches and other folks with flame canes.  One woman had her rollator dressed up as K9 from Doctor Who.  I chatted about all sorts of disability related stuff, from life as a part-time wheeler to Push Girls to WisCon (a feminist sci fi con that uses universal design) to "the best crutch tips ever" with a writer Haddyr Copley-Woods.  We both admired a compact motorized scooter that another patron was using called a Travel Scoot (it weighs less than my manual chair!).

A different person later that day who I'd badged several times commented on how people don't get that wheelchair users want to sit in something different sometimes (as I was sitting in the "badging" chair with my wheelchair next to me).  To have someone else around, even a stranger, that you can talk about how awful wheeling on carpet is, what equipment can make a smoother ride (Frog Legs suspension forks), or just kvetch about DC Comics' reboot of Oracle/Barbara Gordon and how having one less disabled superhero in the comic book world hurts...especially because there seems to be a lot of geeks with disabilities in the world.

I also learned how to navigate a dealer's room on wheels (very carefully yet assertively so I wouldn't get myself trapped...being waist-height to everyone can be rough) and discovered that the prevalence of canes-as-fashion (like in steampunk and neo-Victorian costumes) makes it so people don't realize that you're using an adaptive aid and leaning on that cane (thankfully I didn't fall the couple times this happened).  I was amazed at both the amount of disability awareness and simultaneous unawareness that seemed to be prevalent in geek-space.

In less than a month, I'll be at GenCon in Indianapolis, the biggest gaming con in the U.S. and I'll find out how my experience at a mid-size con of about 6k people translates into a 4 day event that hosts more people than my university has for a student population.  I'll also have another "flying on wheels" post about flying with Delta Airlines, and probably more griping about the TSA.  Maybe I'll have more awesome conversations with gimpy geeks while we roll dice and role play :-)

A couple neat things I found recently

Since swimming has been on my mind lately, I wanted to share a couple things I found recently.  The first page is entitled "Plus-Size Swimmers Find Support Making Waves" (it's an audio file).  The fabulous Dr. Linda Bacon was interviewed for it.

Another page is Fat Swimming.  They say that they are a "site was created by fat folks who love to swim, for fat swimmers and our friends and allies. The intention of this site is to celebrate our fat bodies, promote the joy of swimming and other aquatic activities, and support fat folks of all genders and abilities to find safe, accessible places to be ourselves and have a great time in the water."

Social support makes exercise more accessible to folks of all walks of life.  Seeing bodies like one's own makes a space, a place, or an activity feel more welcoming.  Thanks to everyone out there who help to make these spaces!

Preparing to fly with an atypical body

Picture of clouds from an airplane, from Wikipedia Commons

I have two trips coming up this summer, one being my annual trip to visit my family and friends in Minnesota in July and the other to go to a major gaming convention in August.  I've been flying several times a year since I fractured my vertebra and have been using either a cane or forearm crutches in that time, but this will be the first time that I'm flying with wheels.  I have to admit that I'm a little nervous, particularly with the uproar about whether or not fat people flying should pay for more than one seat, and in what circumstances, and how one ticket for one person is a human rights issue.

This will be one of those times where I will get to see the interactions between ableism and fatphobia mingle.  Which will matter more to the airline employee, my size, my use of adaptive aids, or will it be one big mess of both?  Will I be seen as being disabled because I'm fat, or fat because I'm disabled, or will that even matter?  Would I be treated differently if I wasn't a young-appearing white cis-appearing woman?  Should I dress up for my flight to appear more upper class in hopes of better treatment?  Which part of my identities will be validated or invalidated as a part of my desire to travel across the country?  Will I have to milk the privileges I have in order to be treated with dignity and respect....and how crappy will that make me feel?

I have a month before my first flight to wonder about this.  My Expedia itineraries have the designation "special assistance, wheelchair needed (can climb/descend stairs)," so hopefully I won't have too much trouble.  I'm also gathering information from season wheelchair users to see what I can do to make my trips less of a headache.  Thankfully it seems like the airlines are starting to understand the various needs of their disabled passengers, so hopefully I'll be able to fly with my rigid chair without too much hassle (hopefully!).

Graduated!

I'm having one of those days where I can't recall what I've said here thus far, so please forgive me if anything is redundant.  I'm avoiding pain medication as I'm leaving my office shortly, and I don't drive under the influence (even though there are days where I might be safer driving with medication than with pain, but laws are laws).

So this past Friday I graduated with my masters degree in Women's and Gender Studies.  I was a bit worried about my ability to walk at the ceremony, but I somehow managed...even though it almost gave out at the end while trying to get back to my car.  There were so many things in the physical building and in the ceremony structure that were so inaccessible that it was frustrating.  Stairs to the floor of the stadium, narrow aisles between seats that made it hard to walk with my cane (or even walk for the students that weren't very thin), hard seats that were jammed next to each other, not being able to see the platform because of the height of the platform, the stairs to the platform (irrelevant for me as my institution only has doctoral candidates cross the stage)...the list goes on.

In hindsight, I should have used the transport chair I have (it's this model in green...got it on a good sale), but the number of "special" accommodations that would have had to occur to make that happen were numerous.  My line would have likely either rerouted or I wouldn't have been able to be with my fellow masters graduates.  I either would have been put at the end of an established row without chairs moved (making me not fit in the block of bodies) or someone would have had to move a chair mid-processional as we don't do a rehearsal walk-through or have assigned seats.  Same issues getting out...either would have had my own special route or the line would have to be moved.

Universal design for the win, y'all.  Even folks without disabilities benefit from accessibility.  The young women wearing the six inch heels (not kidding...wow) or any number of slippy shoe issues.  Or the nervousness of a big ceremony with lots of people.  Or any number of reasons that stairs can be bad, or that sardine-packed seating can be bad (that much body heat all packed into one area for instance).

Anyhow, next adventure, PhD :-)