Thursday, March 17, 2016

When Uncle's tooth fell out

If dentists don't have doorways wide enough to easily take a wheelchair then they've nobody but themselves to blame for the scratches on the door.

Like most people, I imagine, I'd never really thought about how difficult it is for wheelchair users to get about. It's not just the fact that a trip anywhere requires wide doorways. It also takes time.

Time to:
get Uncle in wheelchair from apartment to the car; 
get Uncle out of chair and into car; 
get wheelchair folded up;
get wheelchair unfolded again because I realise I can't carry it past the flowerpot that comes between me and the boot;
fold wheelchair again;
woman-handle wheelchair into boot;
drive to e.g. dentist;
find space that allows room both to get wheelchair out of boot and to place it next to open door so Uncle can get in;
open door of dentist's with bottom and hold it open while pulling wheelchair through;
get stuck on tiny ridge at bottom of doorway;
push wheelchair out again and take run at door;
pull wheelchair backwards up passageway to reception desk;
do 3 - or maybe 23 - point turn to get wheelchair from reception desk into surgery;
repeat manoeuvre to align wheelchair with dentist's chair;
go and sit down to wait.

Not enough time to read magazine before I have to go through it all again in reverse. 

Incidentally by the time we left I cared even less about the dentist's door as I charged at it.



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