Winter Wonderland... NOT

Since I'm sitting here, in Austin Texas, looking at icicles hanging from my house's eaves... I thought I'd write about winter's effect on wheelchair users.

Getting around in a wheelchair is difficult. There's the obstacles, there's the dirt, there's the stares. Add to that the perils of winter and you've got a recipe for frustration and pain.

Pushing a wheelchair thru snow and ice is nearly impossible. The wet snow tends to build up on the tires like a snowball rolling down a hill. Snow that melts and re-freezes creates lovely ice ruts. These slippery ruts are like wheelchair speed bumps.

If you ever do make it from your car into a store, be prepared for dirty wheels that track dirt and muck around the store. Oh, and wet wheelchair wheels squeak like the bad wheel on a shopping cart.

I usually stop on any available rug or entrance mat and literally "spin my wheels". I grab the wheels and spin them quickly backwards so that the wheels spin but I stay in place. This helps clean off and dry the wheels. What fun.

Let's see, what else? Oh, yeah, the dirt.

First of all, because it's cold, you have to wear extra clothing and a big, bulky winter coat. This makes your ass wider. Wider Ass = more skid marks on clothes. Your wide ass now rubs on your dirty wheels.

Add the fact that your wheelchair's wheel rims are freezing cold (they're made of metal) and I think you'll just stay home.

Winter and wheelchairs do not mix.
I am just staying home.

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