Wheelchair Etiquette and Safety aka The Day Aunt Berda Rolled Away

Dear Viki,

Why don’t people help when they can see you are in trouble? The other day I was trying to get my father in his wheelchair through a narrow doorway when some guy pushed his way through ahead of us and then let the door slam on my father’s foot.

As someone who has been pushing relatives in wheelchairs for 25 years, I know how difficult it can be when nobody will open the door or give you a hand. I also hate it when someone parks really close to the edge of the handicap parking space. I remember trying to get my mother, who could barely stand, out of the car and into her chair. Even on the best of days, it wasn’t easy. And when someone parks too close, then you can’t roll the wheelchair up, put the chair at an appropriate angle and then get the person out safely.

The other day, I saw it again, a lady trying to push her mother in a wheelchair through a heavy door. Nobody stopped to help. I did because I know that it isn’t easy to manage a heavy door with one hand and try to push a heavy wheelchair through the doorway. So please notice the next time you see someone struggling, stop and ask if they need help. Always ask first. And then respect their answer and provide help if they would like you to help.

And one more thing, don’t forget to always use the brakes on the chair. Not some of the time, all of the time. One day I forgot to and my aunt went rolling down the parking lot incline. She and I had a good laugh about it because we knew she could stop herself, but the man who came running across the parking lot to help didn’t know that and was in a panic. We felt badly that we had scared him. After that, Berda and I set the brakes to protect her and those good people that cared about her safety.

Have a kind and respectful day.