Interview with Anna for International Wheelchair Day

Please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about you?

"My name is Anna and I've been volunteering for Healthwatch Dorset for several years.

I had a spinal cord injury about 10 years ago and became paralysed from the chest down, so I'm a full-time wheelchair user. I have a manual wheelchair, and I have a power add-on, which is a little trike that I can use when I need to, which consider myself very lucky to have.

In my spare time I enjoy painting, yoga and cooking. I am also studying counselling.

The painting above is a collage that I enjoyed painting."

As a wheelchair user, have you ever experienced any difficulties when trying to access health and social care settings?

"Yes, I have had quite a few problems when trying to access health and social care buildings. I had a problem fairly recently when I visited a building and the bell was not reachable, so I had to wait for someone to come along after knocking on the window. That was quite a small problem, but I have experienced bigger difficulties. Sometimes the hospital beds are quite tricky, as they don’t always go up and down and it can be difficult trying to get into a bed. If they are not profiling beds (an electrically operated bed), then it can be a struggle. I also had a major issue when I used a wheelchair lift in a building, but it was not safe and I fell out of it, which resulted in an injury."

Can you share a positive experience where your accessibility needs were well accommodated?

"My dentist is based at The Browning Centre, and they have a very accessible building. They are very good and are used to accommodating clients who are wheelchair users.

My rehab treatment at Salisbury was also really good and the staff there are very informative.

I must also praise the amazing occupational therapists that I’ve had who have helped connect me to the different services I require. They have helped me so much!"

If you could change one thing to make facilities more accessible, what would it be?

"It’s difficult to say one thing but sometimes the small details can make such a difference. Consulting with people who have disabilities when they are designing and building new health and social care settings would really benefit people in the long run and it would enable people to have their say.

I used a disabled access bathroom quite recently in a hospital and the bin lid was pedal-operated. That made me wonder if they’d actually consulted with anyone before the building was officially opened.

Sometimes the safety pull cords in buildings and toilets are at the wrong height, or sometimes they are not there at all. These things can seem trivial, but they make a difference."

What advice would you give to someone who is new to using a wheelchair?

"I can only speak as a manual wheelchair user with a spinal cord injury, but I would say that it is important to seek out any organisations which can offer help and advice. For those with Spinal Cord Injuries, there is ‘Back Up’ who offer courses. There is also the ‘SIA (Spinal Injuries Association)’ who offer advice and have some regional support groups.

Also, getting advice from peers from different online support groups can be helpful. There are many incredible people to learn from, including those offering exercise classes.

The most important thing to remember though, is that each person and their own body is unique, so try not to compare yourself to others. And one last thing, please contact ‘Healthwatch Dorset’ if you need signposting to local services."