Why our wheelchairs mean the world to us on International Wheelchair Day

The wheelchair isn’t usually celebrated in wider society. It’s often seen negatively. A device that you are “confined to” or “bound” by. But we know better.

We celebrate wheelchairs every day at Whizz-Kidz, not just on International Wheelchair Day. No other tool exists that can liberate your life to the same extent. To make you fully mobile. To give you freedom. To allow you to be independent. They enable everything from superhuman Paralympic gold medals and forthcoming adventures in Doctor Who’s TARDIS to the everyday trips that so many take for granted, like popping down the shops or taking the dog to the park. The wheelchair allows us to go further.

It’s not wheelchairs that restrict people. That’s down to kerbs, narrow doorways, doors that open the wrong way, no ramps, and stairs, to name a few. Wheelchairs open up our worlds and empower us. They can change lives. Yes, it’s fair to say we love our wheelchairs.

So to celebrate International Wheelchair Day, we asked members of our Kidz Board, the group of young wheelchair users at the heart of the charity, what does your wheelchair mean to you? 

Rebecca

To me, my wheelchair means freedom, independence and autonomy. It means I can live my life and be me.

Caitlyn

My wheelchair is my lifeline. Without it, I wouldn’t be as independently able to live my life to the fullest. Being a wheelchair user has created various opportunities and experiences, personally and professionally, that I could have only dreamed of.

Penelope

My wheelchair is more than just my legs; it’s a costly masterpiece which some struggle to understand. But precisely because I have it, I have the power to explain.

Caitlin

My wheelchair is my freedom, my life, my home. It allows me to wake up in the morning and take on the world. It is my independence.

Brandon

My wheelchair gives me the independence and the ability to live a 'normal' life. I have a job, I drive, I go out and socialise with my friends. All this wouldn't be possible without my wheelchair.

Hannah

My wheelchair means freedom to travel until my heart is content! My wheelchair means independence to do what I like when I want and without boundaries! My wheelchair means I’m equipped for the amazing journeys ahead and the future stories to tell!

Georgia

My wheelchair allows me to live my life to its fullest. Because of my wheelchair, I could complete both of my degrees, and I could socialise with my friends and live independently. I don't know who or where I'd be without my wheelchair.

Ella

“My wheelchair is me. It’s my connection to the world, allowing me to experience, grow and develop to become me.”