Mobility Aid - Blog Posts

i love when i see another cane user/ disabled person in public and we make that eye contact of solidarity

like yes!! you are like me!! i am like you!!

ayo this pretty cool

Redpillinnovations

Open Source Wheelchairs

This page provides information on open source wheelchairs.

[id: active style manual wheelchair with frame made of rectangle wood planks screwed together. end id]

as we know active type wheelchair very expensive, & repair need buy from specific medical manufacturer n take very long time. someone (who wheelchair user themself of near 40 years) made open source active manual wheelchair where most (if not all?) material from commercial easy get materials! wood, plastic, pvc pipe, & those commercial aluminum square pipe things. n they put guide made them yourself in link for anyone want try make

this video from their instagram show their wood frame wheelchair actually pretty durable, include clip from everyday use & even drop wheelchair all over place (basically imagine what airline do to them…) - n wheelchair stay in tact! n even if some part break - it easy change because wood planks all screwed together so you just buy wood plank & unscrew & rescrew.

not great for people w advanced seating positioning needs probably (think if only problem is easy butt pressure sore, maybe can still use this + supportive cushion but think beyond that it get hard). but if like you don’t need those things then maybe fun project?

have not use for self so can’t actually talk about experience but it look pretty cool

wheelchair users deserve a minimum of three wheelchairs to meet different needs. like, bare minimum of indoor chair, outdoor chair, and off road chair. chairs that meet different needs for transport, activity, positioning needs, energy levels, etc.

there is not "one chair" that can meet every need. wheelchair users deserve to have multiple chairs that meet specific needs, no matter how complex their seating/positioning needs. we deserve to at least have a backup if our chair breaks that is just as suited to our needs.

Not smoking weed before I use my forearm crutches so I'm not operating machinery under the influence

Reminds me of when I went to a Renaissance festival with a big wooden staff and I was so excited because I didn't have to worry about my balance so much. And then it still took me months to start using a cane even just at home

A reminder that if you didn’t need a mobility aid you wouldn’t be day dreaming and fantasizing about how they would help you navigate the world and that no matter how much internalized ableism you hold it won’t change your reality about your conditions and you SHOULD do what is best for you because no one will punish you more than yourself if you keep ignoring your needs

Yes! So, I am a disabled and chronically ill aroace cane user. I fully understand that not all disabled people are aspec and vice versa. But some are! What we really need is more variety in representation, but there's just not enough of it in the first place.

There can be issues with characters like this depending on their story and how their identity is handled. For example, I think the way Viktor from Arcane was confirmed as ace was... not the best, and potentially insulting to some aspecs and disabled people. It could have been done better. BUT that doesn't mean the idea itself is bad!

With Viktor specifically, I totally get why some people don't want him to be ace, and they're welcome to have other headcanons, I will never begrudge someone that. But the problem starts when I tell someone I like him being ace because I see myself even more in him (I was also starting to use a cane around the time I watched the show, and seeing him made me so much more comfortable using it), and they tell me that it's inherently offensive. Because it's not actually, otherwise so is my existence. You don't have to agree or see him as ace, but please do not invalidate my identity and experiences.

I saw a post that made me think.

Why do people say it's ableist for disabled characters to have aromantic or asexual identity in headcanons or canon? It's seriously weird how people are mad at stuff like that. Having an identity like that is not a bad thing.

I'm asexual, autistic and physically disabled. Is it ableist that I exist like that? I like headcanoning characters who are autistic coded as asexual because it makes me happy because they are like me in my head.

I have seen people online be mad at others for headcanoning a disabled character or autistic coded to have an aromantic or asexual identity. People even get mad at disabled people who share those identities for headcanoning like that. I don't know what is up with that.

Some people seem to be mad only because they think things like an aromantic or asexual identity implies that the character that is disabled will not want things like being intimate, but that is not true. It is up to the person who has that identity, they can choose to be intimate or not intimate. Things like that confuse me. Like how people talk about Viktor from arcane.

I like Viktor, I am happy he is asexual canonically. It means he can still have a relationship with Jayce hypothetically, though. His asexuality is valid no matter what way he is portrayed.

Viktor is my favorite character. Seeing Viktor in Arcane made me feel better about using a cane when my health got worse, I felt internalized ableism at that time. Seeing a depiction of someone who is like me in a way helped me. Learning he is asexual made me happier too because he is also like me in that way, too.

Asexuality is defined as experiencing no sexual feelings or desires; not feeling sexual attraction to anyone. And I think it should be fine for Viktor to be like that and it should be fine for everyone who feels that way.

Let people on the aro/ace spectrum be who they are, disabled people can be like that and still have intimate relationships. And let people headcanon whatever they want as long as they're not harming people.

And that is my thoughts on that. I hope I wrote that in an accurate way. I just feel confused about that topic. People are so hard to understand.

[Disclaimer, obviously not all people think the how I described about asexuality. Some people are fine with disabled characters having an aromantic or asexual identity. And when I say aromantic or asexual identity, I am referring to the whole spectrum of those identities.]

I feel like this a lot lately, especially bc uni started again and I'm using a wheelchair now. The other day in anatomy class I was constantly apologising and being just my general awkward self. A friend of mine and fellow med student messaged me later to ask if I felt like I was in the way with my wheelchair and to remind me that I belong there just as much as anyone else🥺 so thankful for the few friends I have found in medschool who are genuinely kind and accepting when it comes to my disabilities.

I'm in medschool and I'm the only visibly disabled student in my semester. I'm not very social outside of classes so I can't be certain, but I'm fairly sure I'm the only visibly physically disabled med student in multiple years. I've heard about one other who is atleast 4 years ahead of me. So, in doing the math I can conclude that I'm 1 out of 2 visibly physically disabled med students out of roughly 3500 med students at my university.....

if you feel like you’re ‘getting in the way’ as a mobility aid user, particularly with larger aids like wheelchairs, rollators/walkers, gait trainers and service dogs, That Is A Fault Of The Space (and potentially the people), not of you. You deserve all the space you take up and more.

I know this is for artists and writers, but it's also just really helpful if you're considering beginning to use a cane or researching which one to buy. It gives a really nice overview of the most common types of canes. I have used a cane for a little over 6 months now and I would have loved to see something like this, when I was trying to figure out which cane to buy and how to walk with it. I usually use the cane with my dominant hand and didn't even realise that I can obviously just switch hands so I have my dominant hand free for stuff😂 I ALSO HAD NO IDEA THAT YOU CAN BUY A TIP FOR ICE!?!?!! I'VE BEEN SLIPPING AND FALLING AROUND FOR MONTHS AND DIDN'T EVEN QUESTION IT😭😭

A general cane guide for writers and artists (from a cane user, writer, and artist!)

Disclaimer: Though I have been using a cane for 6 years, I am not a doctor, nor am I by any means an expert. This guide is true to my experience, but there are as many ways to use a cane as there are cane users!

This guide will not include: White canes for blindness, crutches, walkers, or wheelchairs as I have no personal experience with these.

This is meant to be a general guide to get you started and avoid some common mishaps/misconceptions in your writing, but you absolutely should continue to do your own research outside of this guide!

This is NOT a medical resource!!! And never tell a real person you think they're using a cane wrong!

The biggest recurring problem I've seen is using the cane on the wrong side. The cane goes on the opposite side of the pain! If your character has even-sided pain or needs it for balance/weakness, then use the cane in the non-dominant hand to keep the dominant hand free. Some cane users also switch sides to give their arm a rest!

A cane takes about 20% of your weight off the opposite leg. It should fit within your natural gait and become something of an extension of your body. If you need more weight off than 20%, then crutches, a walker, or a wheelchair is needed.

Putting more pressure on the cane, using it on the wrong side, or having it at the wrong height can make it less effective, and can cause long term damage to your body from improper pressure and posture. (Hugh Laurie genuinely hurt his body from years of using a cane wrong on House!)

(some people elect to use a cane wrong for their personal situation despite this, everyone is different!)

(an animated GIF of a cane matching the natural walking gait. It turns red when pressure is placed on it.)

When going up and down stairs, there is an ideal standard: You want to use the handrail and the cane at the same time, or prioritize the handrail if it's only on one side. When going up stairs you lead with your good leg and follow with the cane and hurt leg together. When going down stairs you lead with the cane and the bad leg and follow with the good leg!

Realistically though, many people don't move out of the way for cane users to access the railing, many stairs don't have railings, and many are wet, rusty, or generally not ideal to grip.

In these cases, if you have a friend nearby, holding on to them is a good idea. Or, take it one step at a time carefully if you're alone.

Now we come to a very common mistake I see... Using fashion canes for medical use!

(These are 4 broad shapes, but there is INCREDIBLE variation in cane handles. Research heavily what will be best for your character's specific needs!)

The handle is the contact point for all the weight you're putting on your cane, and that pressure is being put onto your hand, wrist, and shoulder. So the shape is very important for long term use!

Knob handles (and very decorative handles) are not used for medical use for this reason. It adds extra stress to the body and can damage your hand to put constant pressure onto these painful shapes.

The weight of a cane is also incredibly important, as a heavier cane will cause wear on your body much faster. When you're using it all day, it gets heavy fast! If your character struggles with weakness, then they won't want a heavy cane if they can help it!

This is also part of why sword canes aren't usually very viable for medical use (along with them usually being knob handles) is that swords are extra weight!

However, a small knife or perhaps a retractable blade hidden within the base might be viable even for weak characters.

Bases have a lot of variability as well, and the modern standard is generally adjustable bases. Adjustable canes are very handy if your character regularly changes shoe height, for instance (gotta keep the height at your hip!)

Canes help on most terrain with their standard base and structure. But for some terrain, you might want a different base, or to forego the cane entirely! This article covers it pretty well.

Many cane users decorate their canes! Stickers are incredibly common, and painting canes is relatively common as well! You'll also see people replacing the standard wrist strap with a personalized one, or even adding a small charm to the ring the strap connects to. (nothing too large, or it gets annoying as the cane is swinging around everywhere)

(my canes, for reference)

If your character uses a cane full time, then they might also have multiple canes that look different aesthetically to match their outfits!

When it comes to practical things outside of the cane, you reasonably only have one hand available while it's being used. Many people will hook their cane onto their arm or let it dangle on the strap (if they have one) while using their cane arm, but it's often significantly less convenient than 2 hands. But, if you need 2 hands, then it's either setting the cane down or letting it hang!

For this reason, optimizing one handed use is ideal! Keeping bags/items on the side of your free hand helps keep your items accessible.

When sitting, the cane either leans against a wall or table, goes under the chair, or hooks onto the back of the chair. (It often falls when hanging off of a chair, in my experience)

When getting up, the user will either use their cane to help them balance/support as they stand, or get up and then grab their cane. This depends on what it's being used for (balance vs pain when walking, for instance!)

That's everything I can think of for now. Thank you for reading my long-but-absolutely-not-comprehensive list of things to keep in mind when writing or drawing a cane user!

Happy disability pride month! Go forth and make more characters use canes!!!

I’ve decided I’m now asking people if they have a cane kink every time they ask me if I hit people with it.

After all, why else are you asking a perfect stranger how often they use their mobility aid to cane people?

Transitioning to being a full time cane user, and one of the first things I’ve noticed is now the bus doesn’t start moving until I’m sitting.

That was very much not the case before.

how are you supposed to tell people who you recently became friends with that you sometimes need to use a mobility aid?

is there even a way to make it not awkward? because it shouldn't be awkward

i know i shouldn'r be but i am kinda scared to use my cane out in public alone... i just use it with someone i trust around

should just start whacking peoples shins with my cane if they stare at me

i'm just gonna pretend when people stare at me in public/their heads turn when i walk by it's because i'm pretty, not because i use a cane

rain is annoying because i don't have the strength to use both a cane and an umbrella...

love leaving the house thinking it's just a few drops of rain and then basically taking a literal shower

i always feel bad thinking i would prefer having a weelchair some days

i would never say it out loud because i know it would be an invonvenience and people already look at me weird for using a cane, but i would actually just be able to do things whenever i want to...

Question for other cane/mobility aid users: Do you use your cane/mobility aid around your home? I’ve been meaning to actually use my cane while walking around my house but I feel. Bad? About it and want to know if other people do it :D

My cane arrives on Monday. Hopefully I can actually walk from class to class without dying now.

I'm in a bit of a pickle.. i need a mobility aid so that i can stay at my job without my disabilities interfering as much, but i can't use a mobility aid bc my work isn't accessible so either way i guess i can't work there..

realized i never did an intro post on myself here hi

first things first here's my linktree

ok so uh my name is riku, some people call me ricky or roo for short. im 21 years old born on the summer solstice, Brazilian Japanese Romany, transmasc enby, demipan and partnered to a cis dude (emotionally intelligent black excellence tyvm), mentally disabled (ADHD, high functioning autism, cptsd, BPD, fragmented identity symptoms, etc etc), and physically disabled; my mother's family was a performing arts troupe in São Paulo and Registro and i had an accident that my leg didn't heal from correctly - that and spinal/hip injuries from my childhood have left me with a limp since i was seven years old. i walk with a cane now, as i may have mentioned in other posts.

im a full sail graduate, i majored in rhetoric composition/literary studies and minored in abnormal psychology, i'm planning to going back to get my journalism degree - right now i'm a TA for my old prof.'s rhet. comp. course and i also help grade papers for an elementary class, i have a CSR day job but i get it all done.

this next bit is gonna sound a little batshit bananas but roll with me here

there is a sort of alter ego or other consciousness in my brain named Onryoko who is a separate individual from me, as well as a spiritual entity that was said to be demonic in origin that takes up space in my psyche - It doesn't want me sharing It's name yet. my pronouns are i/he/they, Onryoko's pronouns are ele/elu/one/oneself, and It's pronouns are It/Itself - sometimes if one is more alert one will use we/us as pronouns as well. let me be clear - i do not have a dissociative identity disorder diagnosis, nor do i feel the need to get one as i interpret the two of them as manifestations of my higher consciousness and links to the spiritual world - i'm in control and i choose when i allow one or the other to be conscious with me, i don't black out or have amnesia or anything like that. if i am crossing any boundaries or anything or if u know of any communities on here i might relate to please let me know, this is simply how i was raised to deal with this.

Onryoko is whats called o receptáculo for the demonic entity that my grandmother (obatian) on my father's side clocked and neutralized when i was a baby cuz she serves cunt like that, and with that comes being a 3rd gen shaman - Onryoko essentially is our higher self? is how my obatian explained it. i found Chaos magick when i was 15 and the rest is kinda history. Onryoko has another blog dedicated to all that and we're working on content creation for spirituality and occultism; one does free tarot readings right now until i get our shops figured out, if ur interested in that kinda thing come meet us up here ----> @onryoko 🔮

other than that uhhhhhhh i main magik on marvel rivals (ps5 handle is onryoko963, rivals handle is ONRYOKO) im a Cancer sun Leo moon Cancer rising, andddddd i rlly like swimming cuz its the only exercise i can do where i dont die immediately. im very sarcastic and ive been told i have a very "fuck u" energy irl so idk if that will translate here. i dont mean to be mean and if u tell me im being mean i'll make sure im not asap :) ok thats it thanks byeee

FYI to my disabled homies, that public establishment is legally required to be accessible to you and your mobility aids if you use them!

A guide to designing wheelchair using characters!

I hope this helps anyone who's trying to design their oc using a wheelchair, it's not a complete guide but I tried my best! deffo do more research if you're writing them as a character

Every so often I almost forget that Cleo is the absolute best ever, but then something like this happens:

All the armor stand parkgoers in Scarland are adorable, but Scar saw this family and literally almost cried. And so did I. Cleo's storytelling in Minecraft is just unbeatable. Every little one of these wooden people has a real heart inside.

The sarcasm here is fucking hilarious 💀 whenever I inevitably end up using mobility aids, imma just tell them my doctor told me to, bcs she did. Even if your doctor denies you a mobility aid, people get uncomfortable if you just say a doctor made you, so you could always just make stuff up.

You shouldn't get a wheelchair, walker, cane, shower chair, or any kind of assistive technology mobility aid because then you might become dependent on them. Just like how you also shouldn't get glasses if you have bad eyesight because then you might become dependent on those.

For instance, if you end up stuck using corrective eyewear, you could actually lose your ability to tell what things are even when they are extremely blurry! You need to get used to having migraines from seeing unclearly because if you wear glasses all the time, you are basically giving up!! You don't need to see things coming at you from far away! You just need to get good at dodging, and if you can't, then you have no one to blame but yourself!!

For example, I read a really heart-worming article recently about a girl who was stuck using glasses - just absolutely, tragically trapped in her eyewear from dawn to dusk, even though she was good and never ever complained; and I heard she trained herself to discern the blurry faces of her loved ones with 60% accuracy! - she was even able to walk down the aisle at her wedding WITHOUT forcing the discomfort of seeing a woman in glasses on all her guests!!

Sure, she had to give her vows with a splitting headache, and she couldn't see her husband's expression when he said "I do," but overall, SO inspi-ration-al!!! So up-lifting!!

(She didn't even have to use a seeing eye cane, which would have been the worst-case scenario, obviously, because she worked hard to make sure she looked LESS disabled, not MORE disabled!!! Everyone knows blind people exist solely to be a cautionary tale to sighted people!!)

Also, did you know some people get glasses when they only need them a little bit?? How selfish of them! Sure, there's not a shortage, and an increase in demand would result in overall increased accessibility to glasses--but emotionally it's like taking glasses away from someone who needs them more! After all, if everyone who needed glasses got them, then...... um...... more people would have glasses! Which is probably bad!!!!

I also had a friend who was trapped in glasses who saved up all her money for laser eye surgery, and I don't know why everyone doesn't just do that! Sure, some doctors say some people don't "qualify" and it "won't help" those people, but that's why you can't give up!! You don't want to be one of those people!

After all, what's the worse thing that could happen with an unnecessary laser surgery to the face that comes with crippling debt??? It's worth the risk to gain your FREEDOM back, and I'm so proud of my friend!!

Tragically, she did die later that year while driving Uber and squinting at street signs, but at least now I know my friend is finally free from the shackles of her terrible eyesight. #ripAshley #rippedAshley #justripit 😌😌😌❤😇😇😇

And that's why you shouldn't get used to using a mobility aid!! Because, like glasses, they are inherently embarrassing to be seen with; and - like glasses - it is more noble to silently suffer than to depend on unnatural technologies that force you to rely on them!!! (Besides, everyone else will be SO much more comfortable if you look normal!)

I hope you learned something today. 💖

Question for others with hEDS, specifically those who use a wheelchair:

How does it not hurt your shoulders? I have hEDS, but don't use one, and just about anything hurts my shoulders. I was wondering how moving your chair around wouldn't hurt. Thanks!

First day using my cane went bad tbh-

I didn’t have it at the correct height so it hurt my shoulder for a while and now it’s sore and some people stared at me but it stopped me from falling so many times which is great I feel really supported by it which is great! My friends say that it matches my aesthetic which idek how it does but thank god it does

In case anyone finds it helpful because mobility aids are horrifically expensive and inaccessible…

And for those people who have access to mobility devices but might benefit from a second chair they can abuse without risking expensive damage…

Erik Kondo has made a website, Open Source Innovations, that details plans for DIY wheelchairs. These wheelchairs can be made from common materials like wood, plastic, and pvc. They are lightweight and can be custom fit to the user allowing from the same degree of movement you would get from a custom chair. And they are durable and easily repairable. (he has been stress testing his latest design by dropping it down stairs, dropping it out of a car, launching it across a driveway, and throwing it off a deck). Its 12lbs and I think he said its was in the $200 ish range for parts.

He also is working on cheap, open source, accessible designs for beach chairs, off road chairs, motorized attachments (think smart drive), and so on. Plus he skateboards in his wheelchair. Cool dude, helpful info, pass it on.

Hi, me and my fiance are trying to raise money for a mobility aid for them, as they have pots and other medical issues leading to issues walking and it would be so helpful, if anyone can spare anything it would be a lifesaver! Our cashapp is $hatimoonchaser

“You’re too young to be so tired”

Madame my brain is melting out my eyes from exhaustion, will you shut up

“You’re too young to be in pain”

I will end you.

This is kinda weird but I’m trying to figure out how weird my ankles actually are. I have over-pronated ankles but high arches, which apparently is strange because flat feet cause over-probated ankles and high arches cause under-pronated.

Over-pronated ankles look like ) (

Under-pronated ankles look like ( )

And normal ankles are straight | |

Please reblog if you care to so I can get a larger sample! It would be much appreciated!