People In Wheel Chairs How Do You React To Them?

[poconoproud]

I'm always looking out for everybody. I try to treat everyone the same, but I do realize that certain people deserve special courtesy. Pregant women, elderly people, injured people, and disabled people could use a little hand now and then. I've been pregnant, carrying babies in my arms, and been helped - it felt good. I've been injured, and recv'd help from strangers ~ it felt good.

The grocery store is not wheelchair friendly. I have helped many people reach numbers at the deli that they can't get to, brought down products way too high on unreachable shelves, and even down to handing them the thingy that seperates our groceries at the checkout. I personally think there should be a hollow area at the outside edge of the checkout counter that houses these stupid things.

[Nancy in Nokomis]

I do confess that sometimes I am afraid to make eye contact because I fear they will think I am staring at them. I always make sure to help them if needed. I remember not to long ago when I struggled with a baby carriage and people would not even help me with a door - just push past me and let the door shut on me.

[Lindsey_Mcfarren]

I would never be so intrusive as to ask a person in a wheel chair what happened.

I had a health problem, a re-occuring bone cyst in my right arm in high school, I was in and out of a cast and in and out of surgery. I grew weary of answering the questions about what happened.

When I see someone who is in a wheelchair, I talk to them like I would anyone else but if we happen to be like at a grocery store for example, I will reach and get things they can't get for themselves, I have bagged groceries for them and I have helped them out of their chair into their car as well as putting their groceries away.

When we were on a cruise my daughter and I met up with a Father who was a quadaplegic in a wheelchair and his son. I helped him when I could and he was appreciative and there is a way to do things like that for people so they don't feel uncomfortable.

I will never forget when I was in a cast one time, I was in Colorado and it was cold so I had a heavy coat on but my casted arm would not go down the sleeve so it hung in the sling I had and the right sleeve of the coat was just empty. When we walked into the restruarant, people stared, people whispered, people assumed I had no right arm. Part of what was so upsetting is that it was a posibility that I might NOT have a right arm that much longer. I was terribly embarassed by it. I was struggling with the whole situation to begin with, nevermind the spectacle I felt like in front of people.
I do my best to NOT make others feel that same way.