I generally ask them nicely not to touch me. If they persevere, I ask again, in a tone that should indicate I mean it. The 3rd time, I say “if you touch me, I will hit you”, in a tone that leaves no doubt about how serious I am. I only have had to hit someone once :)

Then there are those who come behind me without warning and start pushing. My chair is finely balanced. When I’m unexpectedly pushed from behind, my arms flail to help me gain balance. That is how I discovered that my elbows are usualy at just the right height to hit people in the crotch…

Let’s not forget that being nice is indeed important. But that people with disabilities aren’t always nice and meek and shouldn’t always just sit there and take it.

Just be yourself.

Sometimes the “helper”-wannabe needs to be told in no uncertain terms, so that they might think next time. However, people who need to be told that way probably are the people who won’t see themselves in your message.

On the other side, probably the wheeler needs to say it that way, at least once, to start down the road of controlling the attitude with “patience and compassion”.

My favorite cookies always seem to be on the highest shelf at grocery stores.

I’ve gradually become much better at being patient and compassionate towards people who don’t have a clue how to behave around a wheelchair user. If you keep consciously practicing it eventually becomes habit.