Big brother is watching

[wheelie junkie]

So, last night I get an email from WCS concerned at how I was abusing my chair. They'ed seen a video I posted on Facebook of me wheelieing my privately purchased chair around my yard. No idea who pointed them to it as it was months ago. Pleasantly worded reply sent explaining that it obviously wasn't their chair as you can't get a 2 pole, 90a, 4 mph front heavy chair to wheelie and they only supply bright red Salsa's just so even more people look at you as you try and do anything in public. The chair in the video is black.

[Burgerman]

So, last night I get an email from WCS concerned at how I was abusing my chair. They'ed seen a video I posted on Facebook of me wheelieing my privately purchased chair around my yard.

Tell them to mind their own f*****g business.
And tell them that it was YOUR chair (another reason to use a budget) and that SO WHAT! If they consider that abuse, their problem. If the chair fails, its because its inadequate for purpose. And that you are mentally able. Only physically broken, and thats just how you ive your life.

I spent 13 months in a spinal injuries unit. At least 7 of which we were all TAUGHT to wheelie manual chairs by the NHS hospital OTs and Physios and encouraged to do so. And then to wheelie them up and down curbs. They even had wooden steps and blocks and wooden "curbs" all laid out in the gymn to practice on. Because it increases your mobility while surviving the real outside world.

I have been doing exactly the same with huge advantages, on my BM2 powered chairs for 15 years. Thats why they were built and programmed in this way. As such there was a whole ward of wheelchair users, practising wheelies and leaning back on walls and beds everywhere you looked. With doctors and nurses all perfectly accepting and used to it. That is the very nature of a spinal injuries unit. Now its true that these were not powered. But so what?

http://www.wheelchairdriver.com/gopro/control.mp4

So why would they consider that doing wheeies is ABUSING your chair? I drive at 6mph and wheelies indoors and out day in, day out, for 22 years. Never hit a thing. Fell out about 8 times. I consider any thair that doesent steer and wheelie this easily to be an uncontrollable oil tanker that limits my mobility.

Its useful in that you can dump that curb climber (death wish thing they bolt underneath) and hapily and more safely lift the front for curbs. And again where theres soft ground its useful to lift the front over/across this.

[wheelie junkie]

Almost exactly what I told them plus a few paragraphs on how what they supplied wasn't capable of doing it. I've got 30m of gravel yard and a 1:10 hill to cross then get up, the Ottobock will do it easily, their 90a, 2 pole front heavy Salsa gets bogged down in a few metres, more power, not speed and balanced COG is great for wheelies and crossing gravel without the casters dragging.

I also said that this is why they need to read my self assessment and not to give me a power chair for going from room to room in the house, I've got 24/7 support workers who can push a manual chair for that.

[Burgerman]

Be careful what you say because they are inclined to ony supply a chair for indoor use. And you dont want to shoot that foot off!

When going to meetings, before we sorted a personal powerchair budget out, and whilst I was taking the piss and having some fun I went in my BM2. I wheelied in through the door, and sat back tilted up onto my anti tips. When they asked what I was doing I explained that since I needed to wheelie to get the front wheels up over a curb, and let the big fat soft rear tyres take the pointy curb for a smoother jump up to the top. And that having high anti tips, means that I also can save the weight of actuators, linkages, etc as I can tilt without having tilt... And so get the weight off my pressure sores!

That shut them up.
Part of the reson for the budget was TO ALLOW ME TO BUILD CHAIRS THAT WHEELIE!
So they can hardly complain when you do it.

[wheelie junkie]

I've got a Salsa which is meant to do both indoors and outdoors and they say that is suitable. It isn't it bounces and can't get across my gravel yard, this is all documented in my self assessment inc photos of yard. I think WCS understand that I know what will work and what won't but are tied because the CCG haven't implemented PWB's. That will change.

Ultimately I am not that bothered, I've got my own Ottobock how I want it, got the Salsa as a backup, got my Boma for off road trips and it is more about the principle of them not providing PWB's and not listening to individual needs. I'll not be accepting any indoors only chair, totally pointless for my needs.

I am not doing big miles as chin steering is tiring and definitely not in the Salsa, don't abuse my stuff but do use for what it is intended so if something breaks it probably wasn't fit for purpose. As you said wheelies are a useful skill which I don't consider abuse. It is not unreasonable to use a chair like that personal or NHS supplied.

[Burgerman]

If you were to MODIFY the salsa, in the same way that I did, you know, seat back, centre footplate, 10 inch casters, fatter 120 rear tyres. And then and BUY 6mph 4 pole motors, BUY 120A Power Module, etc then it would be more able.

Then send them the bill. Explaining why you needed to do so in exrutiating engineering detail. If they dont pay, take em to court, explaining your needs and quote their inability to supply what you required. And add that this was what the wheelchair budget that they had failed to implement in 2016. As instructed by simon stevens, was designed was to achieve. This drops the ball neatly into their court. And shows that its their own fault. Its not the CCG they just rubber stamp stuff twice a month after work.

Then sit back and watch!

[Dan]

This is wrong in so many ways.. Please follow their official complaints procedure and make an official complaint. This is an invasion of your privacy and should not of happened.

[wheelie junkie]

It is definitely the CCG or their own little business supplying chairs. WCS just do the assessment CCG hold the purse strings.

All my posts are public on Facebook and I used the wheelie video in an advert for support workers. What is wrong is the assumption that I was in my NHS chair when it is bright red and video is a black chair, 30 seconds scrutiny should of been enough.

[Burgerman]

What is wrong, is that its none of their damned business regardless what you do in life, or why. Or which chair you were in.

Regarding CCGs. The wheelchair services do all the paperwork, planning, research etc. If they could be bothered.
They then present this plan, and proposal (in 2016 if they are doing the job properly) to the CCG at their pub meeting jollies, sorry meetings. They are all a bunch of local practice doctors. They sit and rubber stamp and discuss or vote on various topivs as they are brought up.
The WCS are responsible for doing all the work and explaining that its a legal requirement and must be implemented. The doctors know little, they act like polititions, and vote or agree various things. They will typically spend anything from 30 secs to 3 minutes per subject or on whatever paperwork/subject is presented to them in order. 2 times a month after work in a room somewhere like a hotel or a pub.

Thats the CCG. They may have an office with secretary etc and a few hangers on that record the meetings and do the actual paperwork and man the phone. Dont expect them to be doing anything much. Chase WCS not CCG.

[martin007]

Where are you from wheelie junkie?

[Burgerman]

UK