Page 9 - Success Story Newsletter Spring 2018

My Independent Life Between a Walker and the Wheelchair

Wheelchair vs. Walker in a significant amount of forethought into our
Hi, my name is William Volkmann, I am a 38 year trips. Another consideration for example, is non-
old guy living with Cerebral Palsy (CP). CP affects automatic doors. Since the walker requires me
me physically and when I was younger I used a to use two arms to operate, but the door requires
walker to help me get around. At nine years old, I one to open, you can see how I might have some
was able to walk without any assistant device, but trouble. Unfortunately, we are not born with three
when I turned 27 I developed a medical issue that arms, so I am forced to hold the door with one
required me to use a walker and put my walker in with
again. After a few years the other. My walker kindly
of using it again, I noticed holds the door for me as I
it was actually better to slip inside. It’s an awkward
use a combination of a dance, but a dance I must
walker and wheelchair. I do if I expect to get where
realized that if I wanted to I’m going.
do anything outdoors, using
a wheelchair was the safer If I go out to eat at a
option. The safety of the restaurant, most of the
wheelchair allowed me to time the tables are so
be more independent and close together that I have
free. What I didn’t see were the stark differences to ask people to move
in not only the different ways I have to navigate in their chairs in, which can be embarrassing. I have
public places but also the different barriers and to interrupt people’s meals or I am forced to walk
ways people act toward me. sideways with the walker, which creates an unsafe
action on my part. I experience a similar problem
In this article, I would like to put you in my shoes when I go out shopping. Most stores have aisles
and experience my everyday life of using a walker wide enough that I can fit down them, but random
and a wheelchair. displays or unattended carts cause me to have the
same problem as in a restaurant. Ramps, although
Let’s start off with the walker. If I’m planning on helpful can be dangerous, both with a walker or
using it that day, I must a wheelchair. If they are
know, not only how far I not maintained or were
will need to walk, but what built too steep, they could
obstacles I may encounter lead to me taking a nasty
along the way. I have to tumble. I could tip over
ask myself, “Is there rough the walker trying to stay
terrain? Is the sidewalk steady or, when I’m in the
uneven? Is the pavement wheelchair, I could pick up
cracked? Is it gravel?” too much speed where I
These obstacles increase can’t stop and end up in the
my risk of tipping over and parking lot.
falling. This isn’t something
those who do not have a Standing vs. Sitting
disability often need to After using a walker for
consider when going out. so long, when I first got
Those of us with a disability, however, need to put in my wheelchair, I felt a new sense of freedom

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