It’s none of your God Damned Business why I’m not in my wheelchair today.

But since Abled People ™ feel the need to ask, let’s go over the reasons why:

• Not everyone who needs a wheelchair is in their chair 24/7! Some of us can walk some days and not others. Some of us can walk for short periods of time or short distances! This doesn’t mean we don’t need a wheelchair sometimes or even most of the the time.
• I don’t always have someone who can push my chair for me. I can’t self propel because it risks wrist sprains, elbow/shoulder dislocations and aggravates the arthritis in my hands!
• I try to walk when my pain is low level is low because I want to get exercise and it’s good for my muscles to get some use when it’s not too painful!
• The only reason I can walk without excruciating pain now is because I use my wheelchair 8/10 days. Have you ever tried to walk on a dislocated hip or ankle? No? Don’t recommend it!
• If you MUST KNOW why I have a wheelchair: I have Hypermobility Syndrome (which may actually be Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome): which is characterized by incredibly flexible joints — which leads to dislocations and subluxations without warning. The joints I have the hardest time with are my hips, knees and ankles. Do you think it’s good for a joint to walk on it when it’s dislocated or popping in and out of the socket? I don’t!

And a friendly reminder to Abled People ™: most wheelchair users have to pay for their chairs out of pocket. Most of us aren’t being given free wheelchairs by the government or our insurance or something. We have to save up and spend our own money on them. They’re not a limited resource and someone who “doesn’t need” a wheelchair having one doesn’t stop someone who “really needs” a wheelchair from having one as well. There are factories that manufacture them regularly, they don’t grow on some sort of endangered wheelchair tree.