Wheelchair Simulation

My first question is: Why do we have an extra lip on the floor at the entry way of a bathroom? It is hard enough to push the door open while wheeling yourself into the bathroom with the other hand, without the extra piece of granite on the floor. Little things like that stood out to me as I spent a few hours in a wheelchair,

Before this simulation, I realized to some extent the muscle required for a person in a wheelchair to be able to make their way where they want to go. But after, I felt like my body had been walking on my arms all day! Going down hill was almost as hard as going up a hill because of the constant need to put on the breaks with my hands. I was impressed that while I was making my way to the Kimbal building that someone stopped to see if they could push me anywhere.

Another thing that was pretty hard for me was the fact that I had to stay seated for the duration of the simulation. I became fairly restless towards the end and wanted to get up and run around! I didn't realize how much I take my ability to walk for granted.

I am also fairly certain that the Romney building doesn't have an elevator in it so if I was truly wheelchair bound and had a class in that building, I would be out-o-luck. Something that stood out to me during this simulation was something Brother Cloward told us in class in regards to passing laws. He talked about how originally a law is usually written by someone because of their personal interest in the matter. I wonder how many people in wheelchairs had to write to their state representative before buildings started adding features to their doors that allow them to open with the touch of a button.

Overall, I am grateful for the experience, even if my arms, shoulders and hands hurt the following day. I am grateful for my opportunity to have a body that allows me to walk and hope to take better care of it, to show it the respect it deserves.