An odd request, probably...

[sami]

... but a few days ago, I broke my leg in three places. Unstable ankle fracture means I can't put any weight on it for months; chronic shoulder injury means I can't use crutches, either, so moving around is a struggle and I'm going to be in a wheelchair if I want to leave the house before April.

So what I want to ask is: Does anyone have any warnings or advice on things I might not have thought of about living with a wheelchair? After all the accessibility fails I've read of and seen, I'm a little nervous about what I might run into.

Comments

[kyrielle]

Disclaimer: you may have already thought of this, I'm just going off what I've seen other people do in some cases.

Are all three places below the knee? If they are, is a knee-scooter an option? If not, what about an electric scooter or electric wheelchair? All seem like they might be easier to handle with a chronic shoulder injury.

[sami]

I'm not familiar with knee-scooter as a concept, but in general, scooter options seem like they might not be a good idea, because I can't put *any* weight down through my left leg until one of the screws has been removed again.

Electric wheelchair could be awesome though.

[kyrielle]

Knee scooters put weight from hip to knee but none below (you kneel on the injured side). What I've seen canned an electric scooter you sit on, not stand - it is narrower than a wheelchair and fits more places. I'm not sure what the relative drawbacks are.