[Blind-rollers] Just wanted to say Hello

Dan JazzyDan at sbcglobal.net
Thu Jul 26 20:52:56 CDT 2007 

Hey Dar,
I really would suggest that you walk as long as you can. Even when  
I'm in my house, where I can follow the walls, I walk some every day.  
But one time while doing this, I fell down, right in front of some  
friends we had over for dinner. And you know what? They laughed with  
me, not at me, even my Wife and Son got in on the act. They also  
suggested that I might take my situation a little more seriously. I  
guess they are right. But still, when I can, I try to walk some.
Dan
On Jul 26, 2007, at 6:24 PM, dmgina wrote:

> Hi there,
> I think it is grate.
> I don't need a chair yet,
> and hope that I can walk for as long as I can.
> Good for you.
> I don't understand terms of a chair, so if I ask, don't feel you  
> are doing
> something wrong.
>
> --Dar
> www.mypowermall.com/biz/home/5779
> Every Saint has a past
> Every Sinner has a future
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Kim & Sophie" <kim_and_sophie at yahoo.ca>
> To: "Blind wheelchair users list" <blind-rollers at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, July 26, 2007 5:04 PM
> Subject: Re: [Blind-rollers] Just wanted to say Hello
>
>
>> I knew through trial and error.  The first one I had didn't work  
>> for me at
>> all!  It was too big, the seat was almost flat so I kept falling  
>> forward
>> because I have no trunk control, and every part of it was just  
>> wrong.  I
>> had worked with 5 "seating speacialists" when I had this chair.  I  
>> got
>> measured by one and the other 4 tried to make things work for me  
>> but they
>> never did.
>>
>>  The next chair I got was measured by myself and my boyfriend and  
>> it fits
>> me perfectly.  I took 2 inches off of the seat width, had more  
>> "dump" in
>> the seat so I could sit up without always having to lean on one  
>> arm, and
>> changed every single measurement right down to the wheels.  I also  
>> got
>> more camber on my wheels because I knew I would be more stable on  
>> slanted
>> sidewalks and wouldn't get my fingers caught like I use to.
>>
>>  I guess it all comes down to finding out what works or don't work  
>> for you
>> by trying things and making adjustments.  My first chair was a  
>> Quickie GT
>> so everything on it was adjustable.  I kept tweaking it until I  
>> knew what
>> I needed.  It still didn't work for me, but I knew from the things  
>> that
>> didn't work what would work.
>>
>>  My new chair is a Invacare Top End Titanium and it has no  
>> adjustments at
>> all besides the rear axle.  I love it because nothing comes loose  
>> and it
>> takes a lot of weight off of the chair.  There are less things to  
>> worry
>> about breaking and it only weighs 18lbs including cushion, wheels,
>> backrest etc.
>>
>>  Try some differnt things out and don't let a "seating  
>> speacialist" force
>> you into something without having a chance to test it out and see  
>> if it
>> works for yourself.  If I had listened to everyone I would have  
>> been in a
>> power chair in a nursing home with my guide dog taken away, but  
>> instead
>> I'm living on my own half of the time (my boyfriend travels a lot for
>> work), I still have my guide dog and I use a manual chair, and own  
>> my own
>> buisness.  I've also started wheelchair racing.  All because I  
>> made it
>> perfectly clear from the beginning that it's my life and I wasn't  
>> about to
>> give in to whatever I was told before trying things out.
>>
>>  Kim & Sophie
>>
>> dmgina <dmgina at qwest.net> wrote:
>>  How did you know what to add to your chair to work for you?
>> Or did you get professional help?
>>
>> --Dar
>> www.mypowermall.com/biz/home/5779
>> Every Saint has a past
>> Every Sinner has a future
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Kim & Sophie"
>> To: "Blind wheelchair users list"
>> Sent: Thursday, July 26, 2007 11:55 AM
>> Subject: Re: [Blind-rollers] Just wanted to say Hello
>>
>>
>>> I had this problem with my old wheelchair because I only had 3  
>>> degrees of
>>> camber on my wheels. I would get my hand caught between doorways  
>>> a lot and
>>> because I have no feeling in my hands I wouldn't realize until I  
>>> couldn't
>>> move forward, or I couldn't pull my arm away from my wheel. When  
>>> I got my
>>> new wheelchair I got 9 degrees of camber on my wheels and this  
>>> gives me
>>> enough room so my hands don't touch door frames etc. because the  
>>> bottom of
>>> my wheels can only touch the door frame leaving room between the  
>>> top of
>>> the
>>> wheel for my hand.
>>>
>>> If you decide to add more camber to your chair you really should  
>>> consider
>>> the width yoru chair will be at the base though. You don't want  
>>> to do it
>>> and be too wide to fit through some doorways! It also adds a lot of
>>> stability from side to side to your chair.
>>>
>>> Kim & Sophie
>>>
>>> Laura Eaves wrote:
>>> Hi Jen --
>>> I crash into things with the manual chair too, but I have control  
>>> enough
>>> to
>>> stop. Perhaps with practice, the same would be true with a power  
>>> chair.
>>> One annoying thing about using the manual chair is that I  
>>> frequently --
>>> that
>>> is, *very* frequently -- get my hand caught between the chair and  
>>> the
>>> furniture and so my hands and fingers are constantly bruised and  
>>> swollen
>>> from little injuries, not to mention painful as heck.
>>> Does anyone else have this problem?
>>> I am fortunate in that I have full use of my arms -- I suppose  
>>> there are
>>> some on the list that are more limited. I am also able to stand and
>>> pivot,
>>> but not walk.
>>> As for how I stear, I just push with one arm and feel with my  
>>> feet and
>>> the
>>> other arm. I only carry the cane strapped to my chair for  
>>> identification
>>> so
>>> people know I'm blind. If I used a power chair I suppose I could  
>>> use the
>>> cane for mobility more easily.
>>> Comments welcome.
>>> --le
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Jennifer Aberdeen"
>>> To: "Blind wheelchair users list"
>>> Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 10:12 AM
>>> Subject: Re: [Blind-rollers] Just wanted to say Hello
>>>
>>>
>>> Hi Laura,
>>>
>>> I know your question was to Dan, and I don't want to high-jack  
>>> the email
>>> in
>>> any way, but I just wanted to ask you how you got around in your  
>>> manual
>>> chair? I have a manual chair right now, and I have a really hard  
>>> time
>>> getting around unfamiliar places, which is just about everywhere  
>>> except
>>> my
>>> house. I have a one-armed gear manual chair, but I don't use it  
>>> the way
>>> I'm
>>> supposed to because I almost broke my wrist trying to steer the  
>>> chair
>>> when
>>> I
>>> was learning how to use it. I'm hoping that my mobility will be  
>>> easier
>>> with
>>> the power chair, but if for some reason I can't drive it without  
>>> crashing
>>> into things, I don't know what I'll do. I really need to be able  
>>> to get
>>> around without people helping me.
>>>
>>> Jen
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Laura Eaves"
>>> To: "Blind wheelchair users list"
>>> Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 2:42 AM
>>> Subject: Re: [Blind-rollers] Just wanted to say Hello
>>>
>>>
>>>> Hi Dan -- Welcome to the list!
>>>> I am blind and use a manual chair.
>>>> I tried a power chair at one point just to see how well it would  
>>>> work,
>>>> but
>>>> I
>>>> pretty much demolished the furniture and took some paint off the  
>>>> wall. I
>>>> suppose for a one-day trial with no experience that was to be  
>>>> expected,
>>>> but
>>>> I decided that for various reasons I preferred the manual -- not  
>>>> the
>>>> least
>>>> of which is that I don't need a van to travel, and if I need a ride
>>>> somewhere, my friend can throw my light weight folding chair in the
>>>> trunk
>>>> of
>>>> any car quite easily.
>>>> I have a question -- are you total or do you have some vision?  
>>>> and if
>>>> so,
>>>> how much?
>>>> When I was working, when my vision was better, I could see  
>>>> enough to
>>>> stear
>>>> in familiar territory. But now my vision is not good enough to  
>>>> navigate
>>>> much at all. I do most all navigation by touch, or checking out the
>>>> light
>>>> fixtures in the room (I have light vision) to know where I am.
>>>> Take care.
>>>> --le
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: "Dan"
>>>> To:
>>>> Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 12:26 AM
>>>> Subject: [Blind-rollers] Just wanted to say Hello
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Hello,
>>>> I am a totally blind person who has been successfully using an
>>>> electric wheelchair for over a year.
>>>> I have a Jazzy-610 with a PG VSI 50 Amp controller mounted on the
>>>> left arm rest. This is a Center-wheel drive with Active Track
>>>> Suspension and I absolutely love the Six-Wheels on the ground at  
>>>> all
>>>> times. It really does give me tremendous stability.
>>>>
>>>> I didn't need Rehab Seating. However I do have a High-Backed seat
>>>> with a Headrest and it also Reclines.
>>>> While I can still walk some, I feel much safer in the wheelchair.
>>>> For guidance I use an extremely lightweight carbon fiber folding
>>>> cane with a roller tip and it works great.
>>>> Dan
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Blind-rollers mailing list
>>>> Blind-rollers at nfbnet.org
>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blind-rollers
>>>>
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