You might see just some cuttings on a footpath; for someone with mobility issues, it’s a landmine. Photo: Lisa Mullins.
Many moons ago, when I was working for a big regional newspaper, I hopped in a wheelchair to experience the city’s uneven footpaths and too-steep ramps from a different perspective.
I was joined by a cheerful chap from the Australian Quadriplegic Association, who took me to a range of blackspots at the post office, the supermarket and other outlets we all frequent.
At one particularly perilous supermarket car park, my chair made like a rollercoaster.
It tipped and almost flipped so – naturally – I stood up.
Several good Samaritans who ran to help stood slacked-jawed in disbelief.
My companion had a keen sense of humour.
“My wife!” he yelled. “She’s been saved! It’s a miracle!”
The bystanders shuffled off, no doubt expecting that bumpy Woolies car park to be declared a holy site.
I doubled over with laughter before righting my chair and continuing to learn firsthand how difficult it is to navigate through the simplest chores when your mobility is impacted.
I was reminded of this when an unexpected medical appointment saw me ride my less-than-optimal knee scooter from the Kingston foreshore to old Kingo.
While it’s true my hired knee scooter lacks comfort and suspension (and brakes, as I found out when heading downhill), the myriad uneven surfaces and debris en route made this journey a nightmare.
After diverting to avoid a very bumpy and dangerous stretch of footpath, I even had to travel for a short distance on the road to access a little concrete ramp up onto another footpath.
And pavers? Don’t get me started.
Next time you strut around Green Square in your smirky, able-bodied way, note how the pavers rise and dip like waves.
The bumps are not easy to see, but you certainly feel them when you suddenly start toppling.
And why do so many driveways have concrete pavers or patterned concrete? Every bump and groove makes life hard for anyone on wheels … it’s especially irksome when it’s just for looks.
Give us a nice smooth surface. Please.
Apart from the hazards of constantly changing and challenging surfaces, surely some rule – prescribed or moral – compels people to remove debris after trimming a hedge rather than leaving twigs and leaves all over the footpath?
I’ll be back on my feet in five weeks, but the lessons from my brief periods of reduced mobility will stay with me.
It’s not a bad thing to have to struggle to carry out simple chores. Too many of us take mobility for granted.
Town planners and developers would do well to travel a mile with mobility issues.
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