Comments on: Pretenders Giving Back

By: Sophie

Sophie — Thu, 17 May 2007 00:40:14 +0000

You can contact Claire directly through the contact page.

By: Sandy

Sandy — Wed, 16 May 2007 10:41:57 +0000

I am glad you found a link, Claire. I personally don’t know of any charity exclusively working in this field. As I do not want to do advertizing for the organization I work with on this site, I suggest to contact Sean who has my e-mail address and ask him to forward my message to you.

By: Claire

Claire — Tue, 15 May 2007 13:02:00 +0000

Actually, I’ve googled a bit and I’ve found one:

http://www.whirlwindwheelchair.org/

By: Claire

Claire — Tue, 15 May 2007 12:27:04 +0000

That’s an excellent point, Sandy, about supporting locally produced wheelchairs. Can you point us to some links to charities that do that? I’d like to know more. Thank you.

By: Sandy

Sandy — Tue, 15 May 2007 09:44:34 +0000

Thank you, Claire, for this entry. We must be aware that in the Western world we are very well off compared with other countries. From my experience in an organization assisting disabled persons in developing countries I see another option. Rather than shipping used wheelchairs at horrendous transport cost, we may also support locally produced devices. A sophistated wheelchair makes not much sense in the African bush. Such donations really change lives of people. I am not a fundraiser, only trying to create awareness.

By: Sean

Sean — Sun, 13 May 2007 23:05:44 +0000

chances are that the chairs that pretenders would not have been used by a 3rd world SCI that need it, any way…

Yes, i think that’s a fair assessment. It’s not a zero-sum equation. It’s like my mother telling me to finish my plate because there were starved people in China. I always wondered about that, it’s not like she was shipping them our leftovers.

By: RAY

RAY — Sun, 13 May 2007 22:27:07 +0000

it is not that Pretenders do not need there chairs it is just a question of who needs it worse a person that can not move in any other way aor someone that can move about but just for what ever the reason don’t. I think it is not a question of pretenders taking chairs that otheres could have I have a chair and i do not think a pretender took anything from me by having one too chances are that the chairs that pretenders would not have been used by a 3rd world SCI that need it, any way…
why can’t people just live and let live help where you can and do not worry aboutwhat others are doing just do what ever makes you happy and if everyone did that there would be peace in the world

By: Claire

Claire — Sun, 13 May 2007 00:00:39 +0000

Ah, indeed. :o( So, post links to this charity on your groups/sites, eh?

By: rorschach

rorschach — Sat, 12 May 2007 04:37:00 +0000

That others crawl while we roll in luxury.

By: Eric

Eric — Sat, 12 May 2007 02:30:33 +0000

We have a local organization called the Disability Resource Center, and I donate money and time to them. They work closely with an organization I am the Vice President of. They’re a great group. My fiancee’s uncle works for Adapt, as did her sister. They’re a wonderful organization.

What I would love to see is a day when advocacy is no longer needed. Too many people don’t have a clue. I understand the need for lightweight wheelchairs (wheeling is hard work!) but why do they cost as much as a used car??? How is that fair???

There was a show that was once on, I think it was Discovery or TLC, where people stepped into the lives of others for one whole day and experienced it in order to learn and grow. Some of them had very harsh viewpoints of those they were now going to become. There was one episode where half the group became wheelers and half the group became blind. I watched that show with such intensity. It was intriguing that people were so opinionated about something they had never experienced. They learned what they knew from society. It was an amazing show, but when it was over, I immediately deleted the show from my DVR. I was afraid my fiancee might find it in there and think I was weird. I don’t know why, I just did.

By: Claire

Claire — Thu, 10 May 2007 12:41:31 +0000

Thanks. :o) But, which part did you never think of?

By: rorschach

rorschach — Thu, 10 May 2007 02:44:14 +0000

Spot on! Amazing entry. I never thought of that.