On 06/05/2005 10:46 AM Dave Smith performed amanuensis:
>alohacyberian wrote:
>
>
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>>>That was the point.. Why can't handicapped parking spaces be used if they
>>>are the only ones available?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>Because handicapped parking spaces are based on the belief that exercise is
>>bad for handicapped people? KM
>>
>>
>
>I suppose you are thinking specifically of those who are in motorized scooters
>because they have allowed their weight to exceed the ability of their body to
>move it. A regular wheel chair would require some personal effort so they have
>to be motorized. I occasionally wondered why people's doctors and insurance
>companies arranged for motorized scooters for these people when a gym
>membership would have been cheaper and more benefit in the long run (no pun
>intended).
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My father is 89. He has clarification in both of his legs. He can walk
about a block or so and then he cannot walk any further due to the
unbearable pain he gets in both legs. His vascular doctor has
encouraged him to walk a little further every month or so. It is
thought that in doing so, his legs will slowly build new pathways around
blocked blood vesicles in his legs. While he does this, the process is
slow going and any improvement is measured in inches rather than
blocks. Shopping in a mall, or cavernous outlet store would be
impossible without one of those motorized scooters. He simply can't
walk the distance.
Don't assume that because someone can walk a little that they may not
need mobility aids. We're talking about something called quality of
life here.
I have a friend called Dan. He was a passenger in a car wreck and came
out with spinal injury. He lives on pain killers, without which he
would be in constant pain. He is able to drive his own van with a wheel
chair lift. The Driver's portion has been specialized to fit him in his
electric scooter. All the controls for accelerator and break are in hand
controls by the steering wheel. He can walk in pain with the assistance
of a cane. But he can't walk very far, just maybe from his scooter to
his bed. (5 steps). At the local gym, he uses a special piece of
equipment called an Aquatread. It's a treadmill underwater. The water
provides buoyancy so he can get a cardiovascular workout. Despite
efforts at diet and exercise, Dan is overweight. So Dan is one of those
overweight guys you see in the supermarket with his scooter. If you
didn't know him, you might think that he's one of those scooter people
you talk about. It just goes to show, you shouldn't judge people by
appearances.
--
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Brian M. Kochera
"Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once!"
View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951
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