Stuart Wheeler set up ‘Freedom Wheel Chair Skills’ to teach wheelchair uses the fundamentals of using a wheelchair. Stuarts aim is to help wheelchairs users develop their skills and confidence with mobility to enable them to lead more independent lives. We supported and funded Wayne, our Charity Ambassador, in a a peer-led training day with Stuart. Wayne ‘The Painless Artist’ creates amazing through living with experiences of trauma, disabilities such as spinal injuries, chronic pain, anxiety and depression.
“I’m grateful to the team at the Cauda Equina Champions Charity who kindly supported me in funding a peer-led training day with Stuart from Freedom Wheelchair Skills.
Stuart kindly travelled to see me and my daily surroundings and what daily challenges I face as I transition in using the wheelchair into my daily life and a few phone discussions prior to training day.
It’s been a daunting journey from having reduced mobility through having cauda equina syndrome twice and the level if pain which I tried to push through and soldier on so to speak. The charity know first hand the impact of CES and Stuart bridged that gap.
Stuart kindly went through the safety and how to correctly use the wheelchair, he has a few funny stories to share whilst having a breather and a good sense of humour. We worked on going up and down kerbs and the best way to approach them, it worked so really pleased.
We negotiated a mix of road and pavement surfaces and how to confidently use fixed furniture to make life easier, which worked.
We visited the local high street and the correct way to open doors when using a wheelchair without the need for others to assist. More importantly a coffee refreshment and a toilet pitstop, without realising it I was using the training straightaway.
Back to the training and we worked on the 1st session Skills and put them into practice negotiating the route back. We used the grass to work on finding my centre of balance, in order to lift the front wheel castors. It took a while but I got there. 😀
The training has really helped me to become more confident as a new wheelchair user. I’m practising the skills as shown and it’s becoming second nature, the more I’m using it. This has helped me to be more confident and independent as a person with multiple disabilities and I’m looking to explore the wider world in my wheelchair.
Many thanks to Stuart from Freedom Wheelchairs and The Cauda Equina Champions Charity for their help and support in making lives and families living with CES better.
Thanks for reading.
Kind regards,
Wayne
The Painless Artist”
For more information on Freedom Wheelchair Skills:
Call: 07973 283376
Email: stuart@freedomwheelchairskills.co.uk
Freedom Wheelchair Skills – Learn Essential Everyday Skills with Stuart
Wayne ‘The Painless Artist’
