Wheelchair Etiquette

Wheelchair Etiquette

Waiting for my public 'disability transport' to arrive, I have ample time to observe people's behaviour in and around the hospital where I work. One thing that I've observed and absolutely drives me crazy is the lack of courtesy some people exhibit. At this point I won't even get into people ignoring wheelchairs sharing their world, letting doors slam on me, walking on the wrong side of the hallway (convention has it that you walk on the same side you drive), refusing to give right of way to a wheelchair which is harder to maneuver, people shooting out of doors without watching for others, able body people refusing eye contact - staring above and over you and your chair, ignoring requests of "excuse me", and on and on...

This rant is about one issue. Several times now I've witnessed an able bodied person wheeling a family member out to a waiting car using a hospital wheelchair. After tenderly putting their loved one in the automobile, they turn and push (or worse yet, kick) the manual chair in the general direction of the hospital entrance - then drive off.

Trouble is, its snowing outside and that chair will be frozen and wet with snow when the next person is looking for a chair to assist their friend or family member.

People, if God has graced you with good health, use those legs that I wish I could to roll the chair back into the hospital entrance and dock it where it is kept so that others might enjoy a clean & dry chair without searching for it!!!