Today we met friends at a park for a picnic. It’s been hot in Sydney lately so they suggested a park with a water play area attached. I had a light bulb moment and thought we could take BJ’s beach wheelchair with us for him to use. What a winner of an idea. The outing was popular, with all of us having a great time. BJ could be included in everything.
We’ve been to water parks before but only ever skirted around the edge with BJ’s manual wheelchair. It was just enough for him to get his legs and hands wet, but today he was drenched from head to toe.
He loved being with all the kids and it turned out a really social outing with lots of adults stopping to admire and comment on his “cool chair.” I was concerned that with the size of the wheelchair we would really stand out and therefore attract a little too much attention if you get what I mean.
We definitely stood out but apart from one curious little girl everyone was too busy having fun to bother with more than a sideways glance.
BJ was pro-active about getting our friends working for him and preferred them pushing him in the chair.
If these two little poppets can push BJ around (so to speak), I think it is further proof that the beach wheelchair is easy to use. He loved having them all involved.
BJ’s manual wheelchair stayed at home today and we didn’t miss it at all. We used the Sandcruiser from the car park for the whole day. BJ seemed to enjoy the sun-lounge type of vibe of the beach wheelchair and relaxed under the tree for our picnic. He was totally chilled which I think is a sign of a comfy seat.
Once again we can see the possibilities the chair has opened up for our family. I came home buzzing after another successful outing which gave BJ greater access to fun.
Today’s visit was to the Blacktown Showground Precinct. The park has great wheelchair access, plenty of accessible parking and disabled toilet facilities. It would be fabulous to see councils adopting these chairs at water parks where there is a cafe or facility to keep it for loan. It would open up the world for people with a disability in hot areas like Western Sydney. It is a long trip to the beach for many of these families.
Last week I wrote a review sharing how we transport the chair and how all the components can be pulled apart for travel. You can read it here.
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