#wheelchair advice

[iamyouknow-yours]

I've seen a few people trying to decide between getting a mobility scooter and an electric wheelchair.

Mobility scooters are cheaper but both are expensive. I'm gonna tell you about my scooter and my experience with it. I have the CTM HS-115 scooter. She is red and has 3 wheels. I'll include photos at the end plus a bonus photo of my cat sitting on it.

Things:

The turning circle!!! My house has narrow passages and it can be quite difficult to maneuver the scooter because of the turning circle. Especially when I'm having a bad brain fog day. I have gotten better at maneuvering though.

Wheelchairs have a turning circle of themselves. My scooter has one that is I think around a metre? I don't remember, my memory is bad.

Also it has this really annoying function where it can't be pushed even on pushing mode if it isn't on perfectly flat ground because the automatic braking system kicks in.

I'd also have a look at the amount of rise any mobility aid you are looking at can go over because when entering inaccessible buildings (like my house, I have to lift it up/get someone else to lift it for me.

Some of these problems would not be fixed by getting not a mobility scooter but some would.

My back sometimes hurts if I'm in it for a while (because the back rest is not very tall) but I've fixed this by having a cushion and remembering to lean back all the way.

To be clear though I love my scooter. She is very useful and has loads of benefits.

And I don't know any of the downsides of a power chair because I have no lived experience with one.

She can go on pretty rough terrain. She's pretty sturdy. I've taken her to the park near my house and round my friend's garden. As well as more obvious places like the mall.

Only time I've had an issue was when I went to this very hilly place where the ground sloped to the side and then she didn't want to brake.

The driving system means I can switch which hand I use plus my friend can walk next to me and maneuver me.

There's enough space by my feet that I can put my backpack there too.

It's fit in every car I've tried it in with just regular disassembly. Except my friend's dad's two seater car but then he disassembled it more using Tools™ and it fit.

It has good battery life, it hasn't run out on me.

The system for viewing how much battery you have left is bad though. It has 3 lights (red, orange, green) and supposedly the green turns off then the orange then the red and it's dead. But me and my friends can never figure out which lights are on and which are off.

It has a blue warning light which flashes in various sequences when something is wrong. I've had the scooter for several months and have never had it flash.

Fastest speed is 6km/h which is like someone jogging.

I got them to remove the beeping it makes when it reverses because that was Terrible.

The only customisation I've done to mine so far is put stickers that tell me which direction (forwards or backwards) the controls make it go. Because it's the opposite on the left and right. Which makes it easier if you want to swap hands or have a friend maneuver you but I need the stickers to tell me which way to push or pull the lever.

I am looking for ideas on how to customise her so please give suggestions. If anyone has suggestions on how to make the back rest taller that would be so appreciated.

Please include your own advice in the reblogs/replies. Looking forward to advice for future wheelchair users who need it.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhADVL2AiGX-gwr9ekt_SJC-UcURkXCOP

That's a playlist from the british youtuber Jessica Kellgren-Fozard. It's 4 videos of her trying out and picking a mobility aid. Includes useful advice and tips. And then 1 excellent video talking about mobility aids and "giving up". That video was quite useful in convincing various family members that that was not what I was doing by getting my scooter.

My scooter's name is Atalanta after the woman from Greek mythology who could run faster than any man. I think I'm very funny.

My cane is in the background of some of the photos because I rest it next to my scooter.

[angelcatsiel]

First wheelchair travelling experience

I recently travelled from northern Ireland to England for a weekend away at a convention, travelling in my wheelchair for the first time, so I figured I would share the experience! I know one thing that helped ease my anxiety about it was reading or hearing about other people's experiences, and being autistic I love to hear as much detail as possible. The more I can mentally prepare myself, the easier things are. So if making this post reassures even one person then it's worth sharing! Plus it would just be nice to have a record of the whole experience for myself while it's still fresh in my brain.

I've also done some stuff in bullet points and bolded certain words in paragraphs for all you ADHD folks out there because reading is hard.

So. Flying!

Flying Out

I flew from Belfast International with my partner and the accessibility there is excellent. We had prebooked assistance online which was very easy to do when booking the flights, and when we arrived at the airport, we immediately spotted the assistance desk. They asked me a few questions about me and my wheelchair (did it fold up, could I make it up the steps to the aircraft alone, etc) and I was told what my gate number would be, and then sent to a check in desk to get a luggage tag for the wheelchair. They put it on the handle, which I realised later was a mistake since I was worried about it falling off, so I'd recommend getting it on the arm rest or somewhere a bit safer.

We were directed to the assistance lane for security, and that all went smoothly. The staff were helpful, my partner sorted the bags out while I went through with my wheelchair and got searched on the other side and had my chair swabbed.

Once through security, we waited around a bit and then headed down to the gate about 15 minutes before it was due to be called. Turned out they'd given us the wrong gate number at the assistance desk, which was a little annoying, but thankfully the correct gate was right next to it. A man took us down via lift before everyone else and I was able to wheel right up to the steps of the aircraft, and he helped with our bags going up the stairs.

After landing, we waited until everyone else had left before getting up. We asked the stewards when I got the wheelchair back or what happened next and they weren't entirely sure, but they went to check and there was a man waiting with the wheelchair lift and my wheelchair in it (let me tell you, I was so relieved to see it again!). We were taken down with another family in the lift and then taken back to the airport, I tried to wheel myself but the ground was quite rough so I asked the guy taking us back to the airport if I could get a push and he was happy to do that.

Convention Accessibility

The convention was pretty good for accessibility overall with a few minor issues. I had emailed them and filled out a google form a couple of weeks before, explaining that I would be in a wheelchair, I would require my partner with me as my carer, and I would require an aisle seat reserved for him in the main hall with a wheelchair space next to it. We got registered on the Friday and collected my access pass, which said +1 on it to indicate a carer, that was all fine.

Saturday morning, we arrived in the main hall. No wheelchair space or aisle seat was allocated to us. We spoke to the woman in charge of that, who explained that I should have got an email telling me to see her Friday evening and get a space arranged for me. I double checked my emails, there was no mention of it. She told me she couldn't do anything that day, and I would have to find her that evening, sort out a slot for the next day, and then come and find her again early the next morning to fine tune a place for me to sit.

This all seemed unnecessarily complicated to me. It would have been very difficult to get there Friday evening to arrange things, since I was staying in a hotel a few miles up the road and I needed some time to rest and recover after travelling. It was also very difficult for me to get there so early Sunday morning, since I have a hard time in the mornings due to one of my disabilities, and breakfast at the hotel I was staying in didn't start until 8am, so I had to do that first. I got it sorted in the end, but they definitely could have made things clearer and simplified the process, in my opinion.

Other than that, the con was great. There were dedicated seating areas for disabled people waiting for their photo ops, we sat there until a member of staff took us over to the front of the queue to get our photos. The con hotel was very accessible (I won't talk about the hotel I stayed in since that wasn't accessible and since I can walk, we just left my wheelchair in the car overnight). I was able to participte in everything as usual and get around easily.

Other Stuff/General Experiences

I did a lot of dancing in my wheelchair. It was amazing. The Cha Cha slide rules because I get to do little wheelies to the hops.

People at the parties were lovely. Everyone seemed happy to see me dancing, and there were no strange looks or anything when I got up for one song that was kind of impossible to do in a wheelchair.

I did get pushed without my permission by a stranger for the first time, which was very scary. Ironically, it was also the first time I was in my wheelchair with the backrest lowered to make it easier for me to dance, and the handles were down. A guy I was talking to gave me a massive shove and I collided with someone. I'm forgiving of him because he was drunk and was lovely before that, but it was not ok and not nice. I went from 'everything is great!' to 'fuck you don't touch my fucking wheelchair' in a split second.

Going up hills is hard work, but if you zigzag, it's a little easier. Going downhill rules. Rough ground or ground with a slight tilt to it is evil.

While practicing my wheelies on gravel (it's easier to move across gravel on back wheels only) I tipped backwards and fell. It was mildly embarrassing, but mostly funny, and I didn't get hurt. I'm glad it happened, because I was very anxious about it happening, but when it did, it really wasn't that bad. Provided some great entertainment for people, and the gravel was surprisingly soft.

In the airport on the way home, I bought a baguette and a chocolate mousse from Pret. I struggled to reach the counter to place my items on there, but I managed. The woman serving put my items in a bag and came around the counter to hand the bag directly to me, which was nice. As she handed it to me, she said, 'that's on the house for you, darling'. I was so surprised, but I'm certainly not going to complain! I guess being disabled has its perks.

Flying Home

There were a few more access issues flying home than there were flying out, which surprised me at such a large airport. One lift wasn't working, with no out of order sign or anything, but at least there was another lift nearby. The disabled toilet on that side of security was a little small, but when I entered, an automated voice told me to wave my hand in front of the sensor to my left if I was visually impaired and wanted to hear a description of the room, which I thought was cool. I haven't seen that before.

We encountered a trolley parked in such an awkward spot directly in front of a wheelchair gate that if I hadn't been with my partner, my access would have been completely cut off. He had to go around and move it for me. Only a minor thing, but still annoying. I hope it wasn't a staff member who parked it there.

I found the assistance desk easily, everything was the same as before, although when I asked about a luggage tag for my wheelchair, they told me I would be given one at the gate. Cool.

Security went smoothly, same as before. On the other side of security, I tried to go to the bathroom. There were two accessible stalls. One was out of order, the other was locked with a key code required, and no signs or instructions or anything about it. I had to go into the regular bathroom and park my wheelchair outside a stall and then go in. It was scary leaving my chair unattended even briefly, and if I was completely unable to walk, then again, my access would have been cut off. Fuck disabled bathrooms with key codes. Let it be unlocked with a RADAR key (which I have) at the very least.

We got to the gate early again, and a man met us there and introduced himself, he was there to assist me getting on the plane and he was lovely, we had a nice chat. At the gate, the woman checking our boarding passes asked why I didn't have a luggage tag for the wheelchair. I explained that I had been told I would get one at the gate. Apparently that was incorrect, and I should have collected one at check in. Luckily she got it sorted and gave me one, but that was annoying.

Mildly amusing moment: A woman was there at the gate with her daughter and hadn't booked any assistance in advance, but was asking if they could go with us and be first on the flight as her daughter got overwhelmed in crowds. They told her she should have booked first, but were still willing to take her. She asked if we were going down the stairs. The guy explained to her that no, we would not be taking me in my wheelchair down the stairs, we would be going in the lift. She immediately pulled a face and said 'oh never mind then, I'm not doing that, I don't like lifts.' Like... you were genuinely surprised that I, a wheelchair user, was taking the lift and not the stairs???

Anyway, we got to wheel right up to the steps again, we were helped with our bags onto the plane, and this time when we landed, I had to walk down the stairs where my chair was waiting at the bottom, but I had indicated that I could do the stairs on my form when I booked, so that was fine by me. I got straight back in my chair, and we were taken back to the airport. And that was it!

Tips/Advice

There are probably much more experienced wheelchair users and travellers to ask, but here are a few tips I've picked up!

Don't be afraid to ask questions or ask for help. In my experience, most people are kind and happy to help. I had to ask strangers to help me reach things on shelves a few times, or help me with doors. It's a little scary, but you get used to it!

Remember that you can use your environment to help you get around. I quickly discovered that one ramp in the con hotel was easier to get up if I grabbed the railings either side and pulled myself up, rather than pushing with the push rims. Doors are easier to go through if you grab the edge of the door and pull yourself through. It's a lot of constant learning and figuring out as you go.

Youtube is an excellent resource for learning. Wheelsnoheels is one I've used a lot and was very helpful, her videos are great!

As I mentioned earlier, wheelies are a useful thing to master, but it's not easy. There are a lot of great videos about that on Youtube too. Not everyone will be able to do a wheelie and of course not every wheelchair is capable of it, and they do take a lot of practice, I'm still not very good at them. Practice somewhere safe with a friend to catch you if you fall, or something soft like a sofa behind you.

Be prepared. Plan in advance. How you'll bring your suitcase with you, any extra items you need for your wheelchair or your disabilities, have your name and a contact number on your chair somewhere (I wrote mine on a piece of paper and put that in the pocket on the back of my chair).

That's about everything I can think of. My inbox is always open for messages about this topic, anything disability related, or anything at all really!

[twentysomethinginorlando]

Hi friends.

It’s a long story but I’ve messed up an old injury and for the moment, anything that involves lots of walking is going to mean a wheelchair for me.

Does anyone have advice for traveling on an airplane with a wheelchair and bringing a crutch? I’ve never had to have them both at the same time but we have an adventure planned that I feel like I’m going to need both options for.

Help?

[thedisablednaturalist]

Watching a seminar for disability disclosure by my university and all the panel members specialize in mental illness/neurodivergence. They only mentioned MS. Everything else they've talked about so far has been about depression or autism. Going To Explode.

[ihavea-natural-curiosity]

hey, wheelchair users, i would like some advice

currently i’m on forearm crutches but this summer i’m hoping to get a chair for part-time use and im wondering how i could go about that?

insurance will most likely not pay for it since i can walk without it and dont really need it in their eyes. does anyone have any recommendations for a place to get an affordable chair?

i’m in the US, and i would need something that’s basically the typical hospital chair, but foldable and as close to custom-fit as possible (and preferably not the hospital grey?) and i’m about average weight so wideness shouldn’t really be an issue?

if anyone has advice on this i would really appreciate it :)

Edit: thank you all who gave me advice!! ive got it all figured out now :)

[whumpinggrounds]

Writing Wheelchair Users

Hello hello hello it’s another Disability Writing Guide from me! As always, this is a general guide gleaned from my personal experience of working with, taking classes on, researching, and having friends in disabled communities. This is writing advice, not a primer on disability justice (although I’m always happy to talk about disability justice).

Okay. Disclaimer over. Onto the writing advice.

Different Types of Wheelchairs

Before you write a character that uses a wheelchair, you need to know why they need the chair. Different disabilities mean different types of chairs. Some questions to get you thinking -

Manual chairs: Are they temporarily disabled, or is this long-term? Is the chair for indoor and outdoor use? What different types of terrain will the chair need to navigate? Is the person active and able to move themselves, or would someone else be pushing the chair? What kind of postural support does this person need? Can they transfer themselves in and out of the chair?

This guide is helpful for figuring out some of the options that are available and why a person might need them. Please do the research to ensure the type of chair you pick makes sense for the disability you’re writing about. Do not pick a chair based on aesthetics, or avoid a chair because some of the functions seem complicated.

Power wheelchairs: Many of the same questions apply about posture, indoor/outdoor use, and types of terrain. Ability to move oneself does not apply, nor does temporary disability or transferring ability.

How is the chair steered? If someone doesn’t have strong fingers, joysticks can be ultra sensitive. I’ve seen a chair that someone steered with her head, and have heard of chairs that are steered by tongues. Just because someone has very limited mobility doesn’t mean they can’t be independently mobile to some extent.

If the character does a lot of work with their hands, it may make sense for the chair to have a tray for them to work on. This is more common in power chairs than in manual chairs.

Not a question, but power wheelchairs generally have a top speed between 5-10 mph, with the average on the lower end of that scale. Sometimes they can be made to go faster, but that’s generally not useful for the person using the chair, and can damage the chair itself. Before you make your character’s wheelchair insanely powerful and fast, please think about if that makes sense for your setting, your character, and their disability. It’s fun, but it’s pretty unrealistic, and wheelchair users hear enough jokes about them “running people over.”

I know there are fancy wheelchairs out there that like, go up and down stairs. These are unreasonably expensive and never really work the way they say they do. If you want your character to be realistic, be extremely cautious about them having the latest and greatest mobility tech.

All wheelchairs are expensive. That being said, power wheelchairs are much more expensive. The more features it has, the newer it is, and the more customized to a person’s needs, the more expensive it will be.

Wheelchair Etiquette

I think I get a lot more disability stuff on my social media because I talk and think and read about it more, so I’m going to start with the very basics. I apologize if it’s repetitive or I’m being unnecessarily detailed!

Do not lean on a person’s chair. Do not have other characters lean on a character’s chair. If they are close friends, maybe, but generally speaking, a wheelchair should be treated as an extension of someone’s body - because it is. So no leaning, sitting on, or pushing it without being explicitly asked.

Also, of course, people who use wheelchairs have fun just like everyone else. Some people do let others ride on the backs of their chairs, or try stupid things just to see what happens. A character’s willingness to do this should be consistent with their personality, and the fact that their chair is likely a very expensive and medically necessary piece of mobility equipment.

Do not use a wheelchair outside its intended purpose. See the above points - it’s an extension of someone’s body, it’s expensive, and it represents someone’s mobility and independence. Shouldn’t be used for moving things or other people. Again, there can be exceptions to this.

Do not refer to someone by their mobility aid. Some people are fine being referred to as wheelchair users. Others prefer “person who uses a wheelchair.” Do not ever call someone “wheelchair guy,” “wheelchair woman,” or “wheelchair person.” A wheelchair is something you use. It is not what you are.

People customize their wheelchairs in a lot of ways. Obvious ways are stickers, colors, ribbons, etc, but customization can also be a tote bag with necessities hanging off the back, a particular cushion, or blanket.

Do not move someone else’s wheelchair without their permission. Firstly, no one should even touch a wheelchair without permission. Secondly, moving a wheelchair means its owner may not be able to find it or transfer into it when the time comes. Last, many people don’t like to be separated from their chair, or to have it leave their sight. It’s an extension of their body. They don’t want it disappearing somewhere they can’t follow.

Treat wheelchairs with care. This underlies everything I’ve written, but it’s worth saying explicitly. In my opinion, it would be unrealistic to have a wheelchair user and/or their friends be careless or reckless with their mobility equipment. Once again - it is expensive, it is their mobility, and it can take a long time to replace or fix.

This ties into the above point, but not all wheelchairs are created equal. They are not interchangeable. Their functions are usually tailored as much as possible to the person that uses them, and that makes a big difference in someone’s comfort, mobility, and independence.

Do not talk down to wheelchair users. This has several meanings. The first is to not be condescending, ever. The second is that some wheelchair users prefer that able-bodied people crouch or sit to speak to them, so they’re at a more equivalent level. Others find this condescending, so proceed with caution and when in doubt, ask. Do not bend over to speak to someone, or tower over them, forcing them to crane their neck. Both of these are always considered poor form.

Wheelchair users do not need, and often do not want, to share their diagnoses. If this character is a major part of your story, their diagnosis and its particulars will affect much of what they do, so please have a specific diagnosis in mind. If they’re a smaller character, or speaking to another character, they may not discuss the particulars of their life or diagnosis, and that’s okay. No one needs to explain their disability, visible or invisible.

Do not use the word cr*pple. Some wheelchair users may use it to describe themselves, especially to other disabled people. As an abled person myself, I would not presume to use that word and I would recommend others do not either.

People are not “wheelchair bound” or “confined to a wheelchair.” People tend to really appreciate the freedom and increased mobility that their wheelchair provides.

Other Considerations

People who don’t have mobility in their extremities often don’t have great circulation in their extremities, either. This means people can get cold much faster than able-bodied counterparts.

People with poor circulation develop extremely sensitive feet. Feet being bumped or even just brushed can be painful.

A character may use a wheelchair and be able to walk, or may use a wheelchair and cannot walk. Either way, they can and almost certainly do still wear shoes.

People with low mobility, or anyone sitting in a wheelchair for hours at a time, need to be shifted and moved, or their weight redistributed, so they don’t develop pressure sores over places where bone is close to the skin (hips, wrists, ankles if lying down). This is non-negotiable. Your wheelchair user character will not be able to stay in the same position for six hours and be okay, no matter how padded their chair might be.

Your wheelchair user’s feet should not really be touching the ground, unless they’re in a hospital chair and it is a short-term situation. All wheelchairs come with footrests, and feet are kept elevated on a footplate. It is hard to hold your feet up continuously while moving, and there’s no real reason to do it that way.

Ableism is real, and it permeates every public, private, and internal space in the real world. If a space has stairs and no ramp, your wheelchair user character can’t enter. If the sidewalk is broken or steep, a wheelchair user may struggle to navigate. If a venue is accessible but the bathroom isn’t, a disabled character may not feel comfortable being there for long stretches of time. If your characters are going to a bar, likely it’s too high for your wheelchair using character to order. If your character uses a powerchair and is going somewhere overnight, there’d better be a place to charge their chair. Even if you’re writing in a fantasy setting, think about what it would mean for your imagined world to actually be fully accessible. If the world you’re writing in isn’t fully accessible, think about what that means for your characters, what impact it has on them, and what they have to navigate to be out in the world.

Lastly, and very importantly, make your character’s disability consistent. If your character is entirely paralyzed below the waist, you’re going to have to think about how they use the bathroom. It may not come up explicitly in your story, but it will absolutely affect the way the character behaves, where they feel comfortable going, and who with. Do not give your character zero lower body mobility and then refuse to think about bathrooming and sexual function. It is really, really disappointing to see people write disabled characters and then avoid the aspects of disability that they may find distasteful, distressing, or too difficult to think about. Okay one more time:

Many wheelchair users have sex. All wheelchair users need to use the bathroom. You don’t have to write about it, but you should think about what it looks like for your character. You’re writing a full disabled person, not an otherwise abled person whose legs don’t work. You’re also not writing a person whose entire personality is their wheelchair and thus cannot be in any kind of sexual relationship. Figure it out.

More Mobility Aids

A person with partial ability to walk may have a wheelchair and a cane, or arm crutches for when they’re able to be more mobile.

A mobility scooter is a possible alternative to a wheelchair if your character has higher mobility and transfer ability but can’t travel long distances. This is a good choice for someone who can get in and out of a wheelchair with ease and has upper body mobility with limited lower body mobility, but can’t self-propel over long distances.

A Hoyer lift is a mechanical lift used to move people with low mobility in and out of their wheelchairs. It is often unrealistic to have a person transfer someone else alone. It is almost always a two person job, and that still puts a lot of strain on the caregiver’s body.

A transfer belt is a very low cost, specially designed belt that makes transferring safer. Its primary purpose is to give caregivers something to hold onto besides a person’s body, which is safer for both parties. A transfer belt is only used when the person being transferred can stand and take at least a few steps mostly on their own.

Service dogs can be trained to open doors, retrieve items, or assist with disabilities that may not relate to the inability to walk.

Hospital beds may be used for characters with limited mobility. The heads and feet of these beds can be lifted or lowered, along with the entire bed. This aids in transferring, as well as shifting weight and position so that bedsores do not develop.

Wheelchair accessible cars or vans are great tools for independence. They’re also incredibly expensive. A van that is equipped to transport wheelchairs will have ports to anchor the chair and straps. A more sophisticated van that would allow the wheelchair user themselves to drive is usually customized to the user’s ability and needs, and even more incredibly expensive.

Caregivers I am including as mobility aid(e)s. They are trained professionals, although family members and friends can also be caregivers. Often a caregiver will be a CNA (Certified Nurse Assistant) and will be trained to help with physical needs and ADLs (Activities of Daily Living). This ranges from transferring and bathing to feeding, brushing teeth, and massage. A CNA is not able to provide any care that breaks the skin (injections, IVs), treat injuries, or dispense any medication (this includes over the counter meds). A registered nurse would be needed to perform any of these things.

Media with Wheelchair Users

I will be honest, I have a lot of memoir recommendations, but movies and TV mostly escape me. I’ll do my best! As always, I am sticking to things I personally have read or watched.

Sitting Pretty by Rebekah Taussig is a memoir by a young wheelchair user. It discusses ableism, disability, and independence.

A Body, Undone by Christina Crosby is a memoir by a queer woman who acquired a disability partway through her life. It deals with her adaptation to her life and reflects on mobility, independence, and the body.

Being Heumann by Judith Heumann is a memoir by a prominent disabled woman and activist. She tells her life story and describes the crucial work she did in working for disability rights in America.

Care Work by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Sanarasinha is a collection of essays by a multiply disabled, queer femme-aligned person of color. They include reflections on disability justice, disabled futures, and many aspects of disabled lives.

Demystifying Disability by Emily Landau is an all-purpose primer on many different types of disability and how to talk about them. It’s an intro to ideas surrounding disability.

Disability Visibility by Alice Wong is a collection of essays by many different disabled people about their lives and views on disability. It covers many different types of disability, and among the authors are some wheelchair users, including prominent late activist Harriet McBryde Johnson.

Spoiler alert: In the later seasons of Bones, though I don’t know exactly when, a main character acquires a disability that means he uses a wheelchair. He struggles with internalized ableism and difficult emotions surrounding disability in a limited but thoughtful portrayal.

Me Before You is bad disability representation. Both the book and the movie are bad representation. Happy to talk about this in DMs if you do not understand why. Do not use it as positive rep or research.

[tea-and-spoons]

Spoonie Life Tip #12

If you are limping when walking without a mobility aid, you should probably still be using the mobility aid. Otherwise you might get a new injury by trying to compensate!

*probably does not apply if you have always had a limp- do what work for you!

[cripplecharacters]

Hello! Sorry this is going to be a long ask.

I'm writing a cast of four characters, all of whom have some form of disability and I'd like your input, especially since a few of them fall into tropes I've seen talked about on the blog.

I have autism, ADHD, and chronic joint pain that is undiagnosed but probably related to hypermobility. All of them have ADHD and autism but I'm not going to talk about that at length for any of them because I'm pretty comfortable with writing them.

Dispite the amount of disabled characters I have and the questions I have about how to portray them, this is not a story about disability or the disabled experience, but I do want to showcase my disabled characters in a nuanced way that highlights that their disability is not separable from them.

This is also for a fanfiction, and the source has some trouble with how it portrays disability (evil character with an eye patch, bionics that completely negate the disability) and I'm trying to figure out what I can modify and what I need to just throw out.

I'll go in alphabetical order and talk about them and the tropes I'm worried about falling into/what I want advice on.

Autumn (he/they)

He has ADHD, autism, classical EDS, is mildly HoH (about 20-30 decibels less than normal range), and has three fingers on his right hand due to an injury. They use a variety of mobility aids throughout the story, starting with only occasionally using a cane and ending with using forearm crutches on good days and a wheelchair on bad days.

The tropes/things I'm concerned about with them are the “good” wheelchair user, the noble dead disabled character, and finger prosthetics

The "pure/good" wheelchair user trope I'm partially concerned about because he becomes the moral core of the cast as time goes on and he gets more disabled. He doesn't become a better person, really, but everyone else gets Worse. He's still snarky and can be selfish and jaded at times, but I feel like it's harder to demonstrate that at the end.

Being the most honest and least willing to capitulate to doing terrible things leads to his execution, which is a turning point and a point of no return. I feel like this ties into a trope of the disabled character dying first, especially since he's the one who's using disability aids/is most explicitly disabled.

I've seen the posts about why finger prosthetics aren't useful/common, but I was thinking that he'd start off with canon-typical bionic fingers before eventually realizing that he doesn't need them and it's more hassle to put them on and off than it is to just not have them. Is this an okay use of finger prosthetics since it's kind of grappling with the trope itself? Or would it be better for him not to have them in the first place?

Right now I have it so Autumn’s sister Summer died and he named himself in her honor when he transitioned. That's pretty immutable at this point. However, right now I have her as d/Deaf, with much more profound hearing loss than Autumn. (Which is also why he knows ASL) Does this fall into a disabled dead character issue?

Chauncey (he/him)

Chauncey has ADHD, autism, burn scars, chronic pain (unspecified, based on my own experiences) and dyscalculia.

Chauncey's the one I'm frankly least concerned about any specific tropes. There are only one or two concerns I have with him:

As an author, it's important to know what disability a character has even if they don't know. I know in your FAQ you say “I'm disabled is it okay to x” is generally okay, but do you think I should have a more specific disability in mind that matches my symptoms or can I keep it no specificity?

He's a clone who was rapidly aged and I wasn't sure how to figure out if/how that might affect his dyscalculia since it's not exactly a situation that happens in real life but that's about it.

Morticia (she/her)

She's my protagonist. She has autism, ADHD, a visual impairment in the form of a missing eye, and visible scarring on her face.

She's heavily based on the canon character who was an “evil eyepatch” guy. I changed it so she actually has issues with said eye and made her less evil during the period of time she uses it but I'm not sure if I should just ditch the eyepatch all together.

She starts with a bionic eye (it's not perfect, but she can see out of it to some extent). Then she gets into some sci-fi bullshit and starts piloting around a robot telepathically, but her signals get crossed with her bionic eye, so she covers it with an eyepatch while she's piloting the robot. She does use this scheme to commit 28 murders, but the murders are kind of justified by the plot? She's really written as doing some ehh things for what she believes is right. I definitely wouldn't write the eyepatch that way if it wasn't in the source, but it was like the way to identify her character in the source, so it feels weird to not have it at all.

After that, she gets arrested, gets her bionic taken, and gets a prosthetic to keep appearances and hold the shape. Stuff happens, and she gets another bionic with some more visual info that is sometimes too much for her. She gets a lot worse than when she had the eye patch, but she does still have a noticeable eye difference. Her later bionic is totally customizable and she normally keeps it a glowing gold.

I have questions about her facial scarring because she uses it to play on people's perceptions. When she's campaigning and trying to look innocent and kind, she covers it as much as she can. However, when she feels like she is in control and can do whatever she wants without consequences, she doesn't bother or even chooses to try to cover her freckles but avoid her scars because she thinks they make her more intimidating. This results in her having her scarring visible during scenes where she's being "evil" but not when she's being "good." Is that okay? It feels like it's playing into the "villain with scars" but since she as a character is doing that, it feels less like the story itself is doing it (especially since Chauncey has similar or slightly more prominent scarring and doesn't do similar things), but I'm unsure.

She is evil, and disabled, but I don't want her to be an evil disabled character. I try to associate her covering up her scarring more with masking/trying to fit in than with her being “good” but I'm not sure if it comes off that way.

Mortimer (he/him)

ADHD, autism, and limb difference (upper arm amputee)

Mortimer is probably the character I'm most worried about with my disability rep (shocking considering the five huge paragraphs I just wrote about Morticia). He's the trope of “amputee that fixes his own prosthetics/tinkers on himself.” He also makes Autumn and Morti’s aids (at least until the arrest). He also kind of falls into an autistic savant but I'm less worried about how to navigate that since I'm very familiar with the autistic community, am autistic, and have other autistic characters.

I'm worried that if I make the prosthetics he makes not “cybernetic fix-all” it'll defeat some of what I'm trying to do with making him just as good as inventors who have done that in canon. I don't know how to retcon that canon without using an author's note, which feels disjointed and I want to avoid it.

To try to work with this and not ignore the fact he's disabled, I show the prosthetics needing maintenance and try to show them sometimes being uncomfortable or heavy.

However, this leads into my second problem with how I'm handling his disability. His character arc causes him to go from being the nicest one in the cast who is very meticulous but can sometimes have a temper, to becoming reckless, rude, and seemingly uncaring.

As he becomes more reckless and less willing to care for himself, he stops doing some of the necessary maintenance on his prosthetic, causing it to break more often and rust. I'm worried this looks like I'm tying his disability getting “worse” with his morality, since he also stops caring for others as much when he stops caring for himself.

I'm also not sure if it is okay for him to paint his bionic arm to try to look like a flesh arm, since he was a criminal and he was trying to make himself look less identifiable at a glance. And if it is, when he stops doing his maintenance on it, it makes sense for the paint to chip, but that would strengthen the association of him being more visibly disabled as he becomes meaner and harsher. I'm not sure if having Autumn bring the only one who's personality remains more or less the same while becoming more visibly disabled balences this out a little bit or if it's a point of having two tropes at the same time doesn't make either better. (If Autumn is a “good wheelchair user”)

Questions involving more than one character:

Autumn knows some ASL. Mortimer is an unrealistic character that knows far more than any one person can know, and he knows basically any language as far as the story is concerned. Autumn teaches Morti a little ASL, as well. Since Autumn can understand most conversation, they generally use it instead of whispering rather than in normal conversation. Is that an acceptable use of ASL?

Currently all of my visible facial and limb differences are due to injury. I have extremely few other characters with any prominence or description at all, certainly to the extent where it would be reasonable to know if someone has a difference due to injury or birth. Do I change/add something to these four so it's less All Injuries?

I mentioned before Mortimer and Morticia trying to hide their differences for different reasons. I don't really want to go into any sense of shame they have over it, just them hiding for practical purposes. If it's not appropriate to hide them for practical purposes, do I have people react as if they had hidden them or is that erasure? (e.g. Mortimer doesn't paint his arm and it's visibly mechanical. Is that something the police are looking to identify him by or do I ignore it? It feels weird to ignore it, but if it's causing problems for the characters it feels like a reasonable reaction would be to try to blend in, but is trying to blend in/hiding their disability just heightening the sense that disabled people need to hide?)

I'm so sorry I wrote an Entire Essay I promise I tried to be concise but I have a lot of questions about the tropes I fear I'm hitting and whether I'm missing anything trying to portray the disabilities I don't have

Hi!

I will answer only some of your questions because I don't have enough experience with a lot of the subject matter here. I'd recommend looking at this post some time after it's published to see if maybe a follower had an answer/suggestion for you.

Now for the questions I'm able to answer:

For Chauncey;

It's 100% okay to base it on your own experience. At times disabilities are mysterious and unspecific, that's just how it sometimes is. The problem with this that appears from abled authors is that the symptoms or treatments just often don't make sense, because they have no clue what they're doing; confusing basic terms, making weird conclusions...

But you are a person with lived experience. You understand how your symptoms work and how you manage it from the best - first person - point of view. If someone is well-equipped to write a character with your disability, it's you.

For Morticia (cool name BTW);

As of the bionic eye; as far as I'm aware they don't really exist yet, but this is a sci-fi scenario so it's a bit different. (If you want to hear about the currently real options, here's a post that could interest you).

I'm slightly puzzled by her eyepatch fixing the signal issues; I would've assumed that it would transmit things either way (?) because with an eyepatch she would still see, just the inside of the patch and not the usual stuff. But my cluelessness here might be my fault by the fact that I'm not familiar with the source material. But if it's meant for a general (non-fandom) audience, I think it would be great if you could elaborate on the science here!

With the later eyes she gets, I advise you to keep her visually impaired even if her vision improves somewhat. It shouldn't be a cure. You potentially could think of it like hearing aids, where they can be more or less helpful, but are often more annoying than anything else and aren't fully "restoring" the sense by any means. Maybe her bionic eye has static, or weird spots, or causes double vision.

Now for the "hmm" part...

"When she's campaigning and trying to look innocent and kind, she covers it as much as she can. However, when she feels like she is in control and can do whatever she wants without consequences, she doesn't bother or even chooses to try to cover her freckles but avoid her scars because she thinks they make her more intimidating."

Please, please, please don't do this. To answer your question; not okay.

I have written a post somewhat about this kind of thing. I really dislike playing with ableism in this way. Portraying scars as "intimidating" on an already dicey character... just no.

To pull this off in a way that's not offensive, you would have to research disfiguremisia in and out. It would need active commentary and a lot of teaching-the-reader-why-this-is-bad, and if you have to ask if it's okay, then you just aren't ready for it. And that's fine! You don't have to write a scenario based on heavy disfiguremisia, so don't. Remember, it's not her acting a certain way, it's you writing her to act a certain way.

I don't want you to take this personally, but please just don't write this. Not like this, at least.

For the "fitting in" part, I addressed it in the post linked above; I don't think that I have anything to add that wasn't included there.

For Mortimer, the best I can do right now is give you a bunch of links that will hopefully be helpful to you. This is just way beyond my answering capabilities and we don't have any mods who are amputees at the moment, so you're at the mercy of follower input for the most part. But;

Post of posts about arm prosthetics

Our general amputee tag

@cy-cyborg 's account, xe posts great writing advice, often regarding prosthetics. I believe that ze accepts asks as well.

For the rest of the questions;

"Currently all of my visible facial and limb differences are due to injury [...] Do I change/add something to these four so it's less All Injuries?

I would say yes! Some of the tropes that you're working if are Not Great, so adding a few additional characters that don't fall into them will help a lot. Try having some characters with similar disabilities that don't tick the issue-causing boxes. Throw someone with a facial difference that doesn't commit any kind of mass murder in there.

"I mentioned before Mortimer and Morticia trying to hide their differences for different reasons. [...] If it's not appropriate to hide them for practical purposes, do I have people react as if they had hidden them or is that erasure?"

In real life they would probably be recognized by it, though I need to say that there is absolutely a part of the population who just Doesn't Notice. People can absolutely be oblivious, especially if the lack of limb is hidden by clothes. Particularly if there are a lot of things going on.

That said, if whoever seen them has noticed, then they would look for that. That's just the logical outcome. But I don't think an eyepatch helps much to hide the actual disability, they would still assume that the person with a bionic eye and the eyepatch-wearing person are probably the same.

You can potentially avoid it by making a large chunk of the population disabled, lol. "Girl without an eye" isn't very helpful information to hunt someone by when there's dozens of people with that description in the city.

For the end, I'm sorry that some parts of it might have come off as Not the Most Encouraging (the Morticia part...), please remember that I'm just criticizing the tropes and implications. I can kind of tell that whatever the source material is, it is way worse about its treatment of disability/facial difference, so I would consider it an improvement nonetheless. Still, it could be better. I hope that the above links and answers will help you with your project.

If any followers are familiar with the topics discussed here, you can leave a reply or reblog with your suggestions. Remember to be constructive.

I hope this helps!

Mod Sasza

Hey! Mod Patch hopping in here to talk a bit about Autumn. I think that you’re aware of the tropes this could fall into is a good first step. 

First of all, you mention Autumn is missing some fingers and has classical EDS. Both of these could make using a manual wheelchair more difficult. Is the wheelchair in question manual? If it is perhaps consider adding a power assist (perhaps like a fantasy version of a smart drive. 

I’m not too concerned about him being “pure” because you mention that they are 1) working with other “immoral” folks. My suggestion would be to try and lean into the selfish and jaded parts of the character. Show his motivations aren't exclusively disability-related. I am a bit concerned about his execution. I understand that you might not be able to change that plot point but can you have other characters who use mobility aids and survive longer? They don’t have to be as major in the story.

mod Patch

[lockhartandlych]

We have got to stop using the discarding of mobility aids as a mark of character development.

I have seen so damn much of people's disabilities becoming ✨ magically cured ✨ when they finally learn how to have confidence or some bullshit.

Enough.

How about instead of someone throwing their cane aside, they start to use that cane wherever they go, no matter who may stare?

How about instead of someone in a wheelchair suddenly having a miraculous walking scene, they learn to decorate their chair and make it their own, wrapping spikes around the handles so people stop grabbing them?

How about someone with crutches gaining the confidence to take them on stage?

How about someone with a leg prosthesis wearing shorts in public for the first time, the metal leg on full display?

Hell, how about a character learning to be kind to themself? How about a character learning to use mobility aids instead of trying to force themself to fit the standards of a normative society?

Disability is not sin.

Disability is not weakness.

Disability is not a failure of character.

I'm not physically disabled in these ways, and maybe I'm overstepping by soapboxing like this. But it just seems so fucking unfair that those who are aren't ever allowed a happy ending without magically becoming abled again, as though you can fix a life-changing condition with the power of friendship.

We need to stop writing people healing from permanent disabilities.

We need to start writing people learning to embrace them.

[fandomshatepeoplewdisabilities]

So a plot in one of my fanfics is that a disease spreads through the land that affects only magical people (it eats away at their magic and messes with pretty much everything about them. Several characters become ill and at least one is permanently disabled and one dies. Note that this is just counting the canon characters.) The permanently disabled character ends up with walking difficulties and spends the rest of the fic series as an ambulatory wheelchair user (he was murdered in canon so he's way better off. Also I'm not going to lie i saw an incredible piece of fanart that showed him in a wheelchair and I was INSPIRED!) He gets to still practice magic and fight, just needs to adjust for his new wheels! And of course he also gets to be a political figure, husband and father.

Thing is, it's low-key hard to find information about walking issues that stem from illness that isn't like...polio or rickets. Do you or any of your followers know of any I can look up so I can make this fictional magic disease more realistic (does it affect his nerves? Cause pain? Fatigue? Balance? I'm still unsure)

ok so I'm gonna need the name of the media because this all sounds very vague lol.

As to walking issues it could even be something like multiple sclerosis or arthritis (a friend of mine has MS and my dad has arthritis in his legs/hips). (they're not really comparable it's just that I'm talking to my friend with MS today and he's been my friend since college).

Also for walking issues there's loads of wheelchair users/walker users that are just well old. Like ok my grandma didn't start using a cane until her late 70's but now she because of macular degeneration she's got a cane, a walker and a wheelchair.

For example my mom has arthritis in her hands but her balance is getting worse as she gets older and she like needs the motorized cart at walmart and target and costco. Like her specific issue is actually cirrhosis of the liver and her energy is very low and she can't stay on her feet for very long without getting cramps.

Like I'd suggest watching Night Sky for example its on netflix I think?

it's got sissy spacek and her character and her husband come in contact with this like alien life form that like... cures them kinda? A lot of their disabilities and limitations were simply age related. I didn't watch the whole show tho so sorry if its not good representation but I remember my mom watched the whole thing and wished for there to be a second season.

Followers please let me know if Night Sky was good representation!!! Also any suggestions for this ask would be appreciated!

mod ali

[iamyouknow-yours]

Hey besties,

I need some advice. I need help convincing my mom to allow me to get a wheelchair. Our medical aid will cover it so money is not the problem. I'll explain what I have and what her problem with me getting a wheelchair is:

20 years old

POTS

Raynaud's as a secondary condition

Autistic

ADHD

The POTS was diagnosed July 14th 2022

Today is September 1st 2022

Autism was diagnosed December 15th 2021

I've obviously had the autism my whole life though.

And POTS since puberty. It's idiopathic POTS meaning they don't know what caused it.

My POTS has gotten worse since I first got it, particularly in the past 2 years.

-

I need a wheelchair. I have immense fatigue as well as attacks of headaches and extreme nausea that can come on suddenly.

I mean I'm nauseous pretty much all of the time but it can become way worse just randomly.

The wheelchair would be to help with the immense fatigue.

-

My mom agreed (semi-reluctantly but still) that I could get a wheelchair. This was a week or two ago.

She (able-bodied and prone to ableism) changed her mind after talking to her (able-bodied) therapist.

-

This morning she came into my room to start yelling at me and say that no I can't get a wheelchair.

My fatigue is apparently caused by the fact that I'm unfit.

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She called me getting a wheelchair a regression and she says that I glamourise disability and being disabled because of youtubers like Jessica Kellgren-Fozard.

-

(I have made her watch a few including Jessica's excellent video about having a mobility aid not meaning you're giving up and I watch Jessica quite a lot I like her.)

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(I do not however want to be disabled. Obviously? I wish I had the energy to be out all the time and living not in my house and working and earning my own money and seeing my friends and not be in pain all the fucking time. I do not glamourise disability.)

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The point is she's ableist and she loves me and so she's worried that I spend too much time in bed

(^^ caused by lack of energy, which is not going to be cured by exercise. Exercise is not a fucking magical cure)

She's worried because I should be out with my fellow young people.

-

She thinks I need to try exercising with a biokineticist, and go to her chiropractor, and try the new meds for an unspecified period of time before she will, maybe, agree to me getting a wheelchair.

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I'm devastated. I was nervous but so excited about getting a wheelchair because it would mean I could see my friends more.

And go on walks without worrying I was going to be too tired to come back.

It would mean I could unpack the dishwasher without using half my energy.

It would mean I could go to Pride next year and not be in immense pain for a week afterwards.

It might mean I could get a university degree.

-

Of course my mother thinks I could and should be doing all these things now and that I'm just too unfit and that's the whole problem.

I'm not disabled, I'm unfit.

-

She's said she'd rather drive me to the park so I can hang out with my friends there and then drive us back than me have a wheelchair.

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Please help me if you can. Any ways your wheelchair has helped you do more?

Or function better in our ableist capitalist society?

Has it helped you to have more energy or less nausea somehow?

Have you ever convinced a parent/guardian to get a wheelchair?

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I wish I could move out but I can't live alone. I'm in the process of applying for a disability grant but it's so pitiful here in South Africa it's maximum R1900 which is 110 US Dollars/110 Euros/95 British Pounds.

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Thank you in advance for your help, I appreciate it <3

P.S. Most of the post is in a big font so it's easier to read for other disabled peeps :)

[my-person-suit-is-defective]

Does anyone have any supportive shoe recs?

My feet are agony at the moment, any pressure on the bottom of my foot is painful and I can barely walk or stand. I think the pain is probably plantar fasciitis maybe? But I also have flat feet and was told as a kid to wear there insoles which never fit in any shoes ever.

The majority of other med students and a lot of med staff wear sketchers and similar things but they seem very cushiony and not very supportive?? But I'm loosing the will to live trying to research this shit

[naidje]

Partner is thinking of getting a wheelchair

She's been struggling with CFS/ME and long-covid for a while now and it's gotten to the point where she's pretty much completely bed-bound. She can't even sit for very long without pain. 😭

So yeah, we're looking to maybe get a wheelchair for her so that she can regain some mobility. Get around the house easier, and go out for some fresh air once in a while, instead of just being stuck in her bedroom all the time.

We don't know that much about wheelchairs tho. We'll probably want something foldable and lightweight, but beyond that we have no clue what to look for.

So I'm wondering whether anyone has any advice, or resources they could share that we could use to orient ourselves about this stuff.

[rickypottsboyfriend]

anyone know how to convince my mom that using a wheelchair would benefit me ? ive used wheelchairs in public places before and i know that it will help me get out more and be in less pain . im scared to bring it up despite having valid reasonings for using one and having multiple places we could possibly get me one but the last few times i brought it up i started crying and i fucking hate crying in front of her

[thedisablednaturalist]

How can I make sitting at my desk more comfortable? I currently don't have the space for an over the bed desk, and I use an office chair (it's an exec chair, a nice leather chair given to us after an office closed down and had to get rid of all its furniture) but as comfy as it is, I still get fatigued sitting at my desk. I would like to use my desk more instead of laying in bed to do work (as my desk is where my desktop computer is, and since it's fixed now I want to use it). I've considered an under the desk foot hammock but idk if it would work. Bending my knees hurts so I'd like to be able to sit up but have my legs be stretched out flat instead of bent.

[disabled-dragoon]

hellow, quick question if I could yoink a little of your time good person.

So I am developing a game that centers around a main character who uses mobility aids. I have worked with my team to develop some game mechanics that I want to make sure are not going to end up being offensive in some way or a misrepresentation of disabled people. I am physically disabled myself but ive always been too scared to actually use mobility aids and nobody else on the development team uses mobility aids. So as the same person I am, I have gone on to tumblr (the obviously best choice for this matter) looking for opinions from people who use mobility aids. You do not have to awnser if you do not feel comfortable, or if you know of a better place to get insight on this matter that would be greatly appreciated.

So the main character is an ambulatory wheelchair user. And uses forearm crutches when not in a wheelchair. They have the super power to control metals which they use to create mobility aids for themselves on the go. One of their moves is to covert one of their crutches into a sword temporarily to attack enemys. They will also have a dash feature while using a wheelchair chair. The last main feature would be the main character having to use a wheelchair when their health gets too low.

thank you so much for any feedback that you are willing to provide I appreciate it very much!

Thanks again,

Your favorite disabled anon sibling

Oh this sounds so interesting!!! I hope it goes well for you!

I don't think I can give you a lot of advice, unfortunately, especially regarding crutches (I've used them briefly before but it's been a while), but I do have some thoughts on the concept as a whole!

So first thoughts:

Love the sword idea. I'm curious as to how the crutches turn into a sword (I'm imagining either a handheld sword, or a long sword), but I love it. That sounds amazing.

Wheelchairs can be used as a small bit of extra storage, like a little bag on the back or a basket on the bottom. It's kind like a separate storage system/storage expansion. Like in RDR2 where you can store things on the horse, but can't access said storage unless you're on/next to it.

Storage on wheelchairs is still a bit limited due to weight restrictions etc. (depending on how realistic you want to get, although I suppose that could be counteracted with the metal powers). Also, it's a bit limited when using forearm crutches in terms of being able to carry things.

Does the character travel across a world? Encounter different environments? Consider how the aids would be affected in different areas i.e. crutches don't work well on ice/slippery surfaces, wheels are slightly better but lose traction easily. Some wheelchairs don't do brilliantly in windy areas and sometimes struggle on grass and sand (unless designed for that environment).

Love the metal powers, that sounds so cool! I think, if possible, it would be interesting to see if they can upgrade/change their aids as/if their power grows over the game. I.e learning how to make different upgrades, like sand tires and ice ferrules (crutch feet).

Some people like to customise their aids to make them more personal, and crutches and wheelchairs aren't suited to every situation so it would be interesting to see how/if they could use their metal powers in this way.

What do they do when there isn't much metal, or do their aids sort of act like a personal supply? What if it breaks?

Do they have the option to use a wheelchair even when their health is not low?

Is their power affected in any way by their health and vice versa? Does it rely on their energy and/or stamina?

Because of their metal powers, can they disassemble their aids when not in use i.e. could they deconstruct/fold the crutches away when in the wheelchair and vice versa. I think that would be pretty cool. Give a whole new meaning to travel aids, and could make storage easier.

And some posts for consideration:

What wheelchair users want: Some good notes on this post. Basically being like "we also want unrealistic wheelchairs. Fast and the Furious wheelchairs. Mad Max wheelchairs." I love the dash function in the wheelchair, and if you were looking for other ideas this could be good to consider.

Accessible Wordbuilding: Some good advice on how to make a world more accessible for a disabled character.

Personally I think @cripplecharacters is an excellent blog to check out if you want more insight into writing mobility aid users, and disabled characters in general.

Writing Wheelchairs: This is a really good post (with examples!) about different types of wheelchairs, for different purposes and environments.

Crutch Pose References: A video showing different pose references for forearm crutch users.

Crutch Pose References 2 Sitting Edition: A video showing more crutch poses, sitting down this time.

Character Example: If you're looking for examples of cool characters who use wheelchairs and forearm crutches together, can I direct your attention to Charlie Webber/Sun-Spider, a Spiderman with EDS!

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If anyone else has anything to say on this please just add on.

Ahh this sounds so cool! I really hope it works out for you!! Good luck!