[Blind-rollers] knew wheelchair user

[maureensmusic at comcast.net]

Hello Heather and all
Heather I use a power chair with a long white cane and have been doing it for years.  Lauren spoke of the problem of the chair going too fast.  Chairs can be programmed to go at different speeds and also be programmed so that when you turn the sharpness of the turning angle and the speed of turning can be controlled.  This can greatly affect steering as in my case where I have the joy stick in my weaker hand and so when others try to drive it I have to warn them that it will seem very sensitive.
I would strongly urge you to try and get a chair with an attendant control so that a sighted assistant can drive the chair using the joy stick on the back of the chair.  I use this all the time whenever I can get someone sighted to help and strangers, even get a kick out of being able to drive.  This has especially been true since my left hand which has the cane has been more affected in the last year.
Nice to meet you.
Maureen
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Blind-Rollers <blind-rollers-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Heather via Blind-Rollers
Sent: Friday, August 3, 2018 5:43 PM
To: blind-rollers at nfbnet.org
Cc: Heather <kd5cbl at gmail.com>
Subject: [Blind-rollers] knew wheelchair user

Hello, I am glad I found this list, my friend told me about it because, my rehab specialist and both my neurologists want me to use a wheelchair because of my MS! 
I have a manual chair as a friend gave it to me to use till I get my chair.
So I think they said I need a group 2 power chair. 
However, the places I have come in contact with do not think it was practical for a blind person to use a power chair and they gave me what the thought I neded instead of following my doctor’s script. 
So I already had to contact my insureance so they, the wheelchair company could come and take the chair back. 
Now I am trying this again with a different doctor as my other doctor will not rewrite the script again, I guess three times was to much!
And that particular company gave them such a hard time.
Any advice to know where to go to see these power chairs. I went to two places but, they would not show me anything when I said I was just looking and the other said my insureance will never give me a power chair because I am blind.
My friends already have chairs and she showed me how to use my cane and the chair at the same time.
She had a smart drive she is using till she gets her power chair. 
The smart drive is just not safe, it threw her on the street and her sister was thrown in to a brick wall as the chair did not stop fast enough. SO actually we are looking for power chairs as we do not have the mussle strength to push ourselves with a manual!
It think it was pure luck to meet my friends and we all have similar conditions and take some of the same meds too!
Any advice on on power group 2 chairs?
Thank you,












"Blindness is a characteristic, not a handicap!" Dr. Kenneth Jernigan 
e-mail:
kd5cbl at gmail.com
sites:
National Federation of The Blind:
www.nfb.org
An Accessible Online Library:
www.bookshare.org

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