Do It Myself Blog – Glenda Watson Hyatt

In two weeks, I’ll be flying to Smithers for the Social Planning and Research Council’s (SPARC) board meeting on October 12th and 13th. I have also been asked to speak about my lived experiences around community involvement and transportation at the Accessibility Dialogue on the Thursday.

When the topic was given to me, a flood of memories came to mind about how Mom would toss my red manual wheelchair into the car and off I’d go to my weekly Brownie meetings or on a weekend family camping trip or down to the stables to go horseback riding.

When I got my first electric scooter back in Grade Eight, it was a new sense of independence for me. I no longer had to rely on others to push my wheelchair. I was so excited about the freedom to go where I wanted, whenever I wanted! It meant that I could go to my friend’s house around the corner by myself. And, Mom was still able to disassemble it and lift the parts into the van.

While at university, there became a need for me to have a more powerful scooter to get safely around campus. The scooter gave me greater independence in the sense that I could go further on my own. But, that independence came at a price. My Mom and friends could no longer easily toss my scooter into the vehicle like they did before.

Darrell and Glenda wheeling around False Creek, Vancouver, BC

Now, with my outside scooter, my world has shrunk to the accessible bus routes and Skytrain lines. I’d love to go horseback riding again, but there isn’t a Skytrain station within close proximity to the riding stables. I’d love to try sit-skiing atop Whistler Mountain, but the mere thought of trying to arrange transportation for both Darrell and I zaps my energy!

Drafting my speech for the Accessibility Dialogue, I realized how transportation for those with mobility disabilities actually entails two components: getting from Point A to B, and getting around once at B. And, unless you have the financial means to buy a lift-equipped (and, in our case, a chauffer), these two components are interrelated, often with a trade-off between the two. Also, that combined transportation can greatly impact one’s involvement in the community.

My greatest sense of freedom (other than being atop of a horse) is scooting down the sidewalk, in total control of where I am going, with a contagious smile across my face….until I run out of accessible sidewalk!