Music, Personal Tech & Human Rights since 2005

Human Rights, NJN

The War on Scooters

By Trisha Clarkin

The Seating Clinic at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital refuses to write letters of support for scooters. They are not welcome on the new transit busses. The DSP people don’t encourage their use, let alone finance the purchase of scooters for disabled people. I had to finance 100% of my scooter. If it wasn’t for Muscular Dystrophy Canada I wouldn’t have it.

Yet, my scooter gives me mobility. It allows me a level of independence that I would be missing if not for the scooter. As anyone who uses a mobility aid understands, the aid becomes part of you.

We need our community to support scooters. More and more, scooters are part of the everyday life in our neighbourhoods. We need to encourage more and more people to use them. Scooters should be welcomed by an accessible community. Not everyone needs to go to an electric wheelchair right away.

When I felt ready to take the step to use a scooter, Muscular Dystrophy Canada said they’d give me $3,000 towards the purchase. But there was an ‘if’ attached to this agreement. I needed to have a letter of support from the Occupational Therapist.

To my disappointment, the people at the Seating Clinic told me they didn’t support the purchase of scooters. They wanted me to get an electric wheelchair. I couldn’t believe it. I have seen peers that were put into electric chairs, and there they stayed.

With the encouragement of my friends and family, I hired a private OT to do a professional assessment of my mobility needs. They determined in-home use of my walker with an electric scooter for outside use was ideal for my situation. I got the letter of support for Muscular Dystrophy Canada. In little time I was enjoying the mobility with my scooter afforded. I was mobile again!

I continue to use my scooter 5 years later. I still use my walker at home and a manual chair as well.

The status quo is not working for the best needs of the 19,000 Islanders with disabilities. Often the person with the disability can come up with a better and a cheaper solution.

Photo Caption: Bruno Peripoli, Trisha Clarkin and Amelia, Bruno’s mom.

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