THE WHEELCHAIR
Skills College PETE DONNELLY HAS BEEN USING A WHEELCHAIR FOR 15 YEARS. HERE HE TELLS US ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE OF WHEELCHAIR SKILLS AND WHAT MOTIVATED HIM TO START UP THE WHEELCHAIR SKILLS COLLEGE.
I
don’t remember the accident itself. I think that a defence mechanism of the body is to block out the trauma. What I do know is that when I woke up, life was in contrast to what it been a week earlier. A motorbike accident at 19 years old had caused a shopping list of injuries. The most significant of my
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injuries was the break in my back that damaged my spinal cord causing paralysis from the chest level down and thrusting me into a life I knew nothing about and cared little to know about before this point. Now that my legs didn’t work, I needed an alternative way to get around. Often seen as a symbol of
disability, I was going to learn that the wheelchair was going to become my freedom. Having the skills to use any piece of equipment is essential to make sure that you can use it effectively. Having the skills to use a wheelchair is no different. It takes time, patience and dedication.
