Waiting for extended periods of time for a wheelchair or repairs, getting the wrong wheelchair that creates rather than solves problems, not having use of a wheelchair and thereby loosing your independence.

These are sad realities that face many wheelchair users in many places.

These issues are presently under debate in the United Kingdom but with just a tiny bit of imagination they can be applied to a much greater population. Perhaps even to many of our own wheelchair users right here in the United States.

Here are some excerpts from an article written by Dave Anderson, MP for Blaydon, and chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Muscular Dystrophy regarding their present situation. Might it apply elsewhere?

“During the extensive inquiry that preceded the report, we heard time and time again from people who have waited for years to receive their powered wheelchair, or made to pay to get a wheelchair suitable for their complex condition.”

“The evidence shows that across England too many people are forced to wait far too long for the electric wheelchairs they need while others are denied essential features that aid independence and improve quality of life.”

“Not only do families deserve a better service, this will also be far more cost-efficient at this time of limited public spending. Getting the right chair at the right time can prevent the development of pressure sores, contractures or skeletal deformity. The provision of the appropriate chair can actually reduce the cost to the NHS in the long run, decreasing the need for potentially expensive operations and costly inpatient episodes.”

How familiar this all sounds to me. How sad that these misguided bureaucratic practices born from lack of awareness and spread through ignorance are indeed pandemic.

Read the entire article.