Last Updated on: 8th June 2026, 01:13 am
As I started writing this post, a song came to me that is kinda sorta related. At least the part about what-if scenarios. It’ll make sense eventually. At least I hope so.
From time to time, I have wondered how I would get around if I were in a wheelchair for whatever reason. Yup, I’m weird. But seriously, nothing is guaranteed. Some day, I could break a leg or get in a car accident or some such, and…bam! I’m in a wheelchair! Maybe it’s only for 6 weeks, but six weeks is a long time when I don’t know how the hell to get around. Yeah, I know the simplest part. If I didn’t have a guide dog trained for guiding someone in a wheelchair, I’d have to use my cane to look for obstacles. But the margin for error is waaaaay narrower if I’m on wheels. If I find the high part of a curb when I’m walking around, it’s a minor oopsy. If I find a high curb in a wheelchair unexpectedly…I could be in that wheelchair a lot longer if it was originally only temporary. You get the point. Plus the physics is a lot different. Stopping instantly in a wheelchair is a wee bit harder, so the cane has to be longer. But how much longer? And how wide of an arc do you need so you don’t crash-clatter-crunch the side of your chair into everything as you go by? And don’t you need both arms to drive the chair if you have a manual one?
I have always gotten the sense that the knowledge about how this is accomplished is pretty sparse. Usually, when someone has two disabilities, it complicates stuff and people only know about how to do things with one or the other. This whole white cane and wheelchair combo seems to be no different.
Luckily for us, somebody wrote out a guide with lots of details, tips and tricks.
I hope I never need it, but I’m glad it’s there if I do. Thanks Ellana Crew for doing all the in depth research.