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| Stuart Wheeler |
On the 15th and 16th of September I did a couple of days of one-to-one training with Stuart from Freedom Wheelchair Skills.
You can check out his website here. Stuart also has a YouTube channel showing what he can do. You can check that out here.
Prior to my training I had a couple of video and phone calls with Stuart to chat through the idea of doing some training with him. We spoke about what it is I wanted out of training and what I hoped to achieve as well as my commitment to training. We also talked about Stuart being able to travel up to me to do the training as for me I’d be unable to travel down to where he is based. We also went through some questions like what kind of wheelchair I had, my health conditions, that I’m an ambulatory wheelchair user, relevant medical questions etc. This all helped Stuart prepare a plan for our training.
It really was great that Stuart could travel up and stay here for a few days and do the training with me here. That made the training accessible to me.
Why did I do Wheelchair Skills Training?
The reason why I decided to go ahead and do wheelchair skills training was because there were certain skills I was struggling to learn on my own. Gem at WheelsNoHeels has a lot of wheelchair skills videos for example, however there’s only so much you can learn from YouTube but as I learnt from Stuart you also can’t always know if you’re doing techniques correctly. I watched a few YouTube videos on how to push yourself in a wheelchair with the correct technique and I thought I did have the right pushing technique. However when I met with Stuart in person it turned out that I actually have the right pushing technique.
I wanted to have someone come along in person and show me some skills like backwards balance (wheelies) and how to get up and down curbs and steps correctly and in a way that was safe too. I wanted to learn these techniques so that I can transfer them to other situations I come across. The world isn’t made for wheelchairs so there are many obstacles we come across so learning some skills would help me navigate the world better.
Nothing beats having someone there demonstrating skills to you, giving you guidance and feedback, especially when that tuition is one-to-one.
Training with Stuart
I got so much more out of my training with Stuart than I imagined. The main skills like I said that I wanted to learn was backwards balance as I know this is a really useful skills as a wheelchair user as is getting up and down steps and curbs but I learnt so much more in my training.
Stuart observed how I normally do things and then corrected me from there. For example one thing Stuart noticed was that I didn’t have the right pushing technique so Stuart showed me how to correctly push my chair which will make it easier and save me energy.
We work on rolling up to a curb and then manoeuvring myself up and down the curb. With bigger curbs we work on a technique for getting down them. We also worked on how important communication is when someone is helping me to get up big curbs or steps with my PA.
What Stuart asks for when doing training is that I have someone able bodied who can be my ‘spotter’ for my safety during training, so that was my PA. For some skills I had a strap on the back of my chair that my PA held onto in case I were to tip back (thankfully that never happened).
We also briefly worked on one-handed pushing techniques. Stuart uses tools with his training so for one-handed pushing we used small cones in our hands to pretend they were a drink and we had to try and hold the cone level while pushing one-handed. I wasn’t so great at doing this but now as I write my one handed pushing is so much better and I can carry drinks around my bungalow without a problem. So practice makes perfect.
Stuart used other tools too like he use a rope to practice getting over it and also to measure the distance I’d pushed myself when practicing backwards balance.
I also learnt some wheelchair maintenance from Stuart as well especially around learning to have my tyres the right way on and pumping them up.
I managed to achieve a lot more than I thought I’d be capable of doing especially with my limited energy. I rested a lot beforehand so as to try and have the energy for the training. With my M.E. I actually managed to do more than I thought I could possibly do over the few days of training. I think I was running in adrenaline but it did mean I was able to make the most out of it. The Post Exertion Malaise did hit me hard afterwards as I expected it would but it was one of those occasions where the PEM was worth it.
On day two I actually managed to push myself the furthest I’ve done (apart from the time I went to a big garden centre with Dad and we couldn’t take my Batec with us) - normally I’d take my Batec to that location so it goes to show how far I went. However that was what the training was for: pushing myself (quite literally!) As we went along we practiced skills we’d been learning like curbs, going down big curbs, and backwards balance on grass and tactile pavement. Stuart also gave me some tips that he would do as a wheelchair user himself. He also showed me about using things around me like a bollard to swing around to turn my chair letting gravity take me, all things that save you energy from pushing your chair.
I really like Stuart’s style of teaching. After every attempt he’d ask me how I think that went and he’d then tell me how he thought it went and would give me advice on how to improve for next time. His teaching style was very constructive. We’d practice repeatedly but not so that I’d get bored of what we were doing. We also worked at my pace and took breaks so I didn’t tire out so I could continue and make the most of the time Stuart was for. Stuart was very friendly and easy to get along with.
Post training & Summary
I got so much more out of my training with Stuart than I imagined. The main skills like I said that I wanted to learn was backwards balance as I know this is a really useful skills as a wheelchair user as is getting up and down steps and curbs but I learnt so much more in my training.
Stuart observed how I normally do things and then corrected me from there. For example one thing Stuart noticed was that I didn’t have the right pushing technique so Stuart showed me how to correctly push my chair which will make it easier and save me energy.
We work on rolling up to a curb and then manoeuvring myself up and down the curb. With bigger curbs we work on a technique for getting down them. We also worked on how important communication is when someone is helping me to get up big curbs or steps with my PA.
What Stuart asks for when doing training is that I have someone able bodied who can be my ‘spotter’ for my safety during training, so that was my PA. For some skills I had a strap on the back of my chair that my PA held onto in case I were to tip back (thankfully that never happened).
We also briefly worked on one-handed pushing techniques. Stuart uses tools with his training so for one-handed pushing we used small cones in our hands to pretend they were a drink and we had to try and hold the cone level while pushing one-handed. I wasn’t so great at doing this but now as I write my one handed pushing is so much better and I can carry drinks around my bungalow without a problem. So practice makes perfect.
Stuart used other tools too like he use a rope to practice getting over it and also to measure the distance I’d pushed myself when practicing backwards balance.
I also learnt some wheelchair maintenance from Stuart as well especially around learning to have my tyres the right way on and pumping them up.
I managed to achieve a lot more than I thought I’d be capable of doing especially with my limited energy. I rested a lot beforehand so as to try and have the energy for the training. With my M.E. I actually managed to do more than I thought I could possibly do over the few days of training. I think I was running in adrenaline but it did mean I was able to make the most out of it. The Post Exertion Malaise did hit me hard afterwards as I expected it would but it was one of those occasions where the PEM was worth it.
On day two I actually managed to push myself the furthest I’ve done (apart from the time I went to a big garden centre with Dad and we couldn’t take my Batec with us) - normally I’d take my Batec to that location so it goes to show how far I went. However that was what the training was for: pushing myself (quite literally!) As we went along we practiced skills we’d been learning like curbs, going down big curbs, and backwards balance on grass and tactile pavement. Stuart also gave me some tips that he would do as a wheelchair user himself. He also showed me about using things around me like a bollard to swing around to turn my chair letting gravity take me, all things that save you energy from pushing your chair.
I really like Stuart’s style of teaching. After every attempt he’d ask me how I think that went and he’d then tell me how he thought it went and would give me advice on how to improve for next time. His teaching style was very constructive. We’d practice repeatedly but not so that I’d get bored of what we were doing. We also worked at my pace and took breaks so I didn’t tire out so I could continue and make the most of the time Stuart was for. Stuart was very friendly and easy to get along with.
I would have liked to have gone to a particular local shop that I struggle getting in and out of. I would have liked to have practiced how best to get in and out of the shop. However I feel like I’ve learnt enough skills to transfer to my everyday life so I can now face obstacles, as less face it the world isn’t built for wheelchairs, and know how to tackle them.
I did contact Stuart as I was worried I couldn’t practice as much as I wanted to be doing due to a change in my care circumstances. Stuart kindly called me that day and reassured me to just do a little training where I can so if I’m in the cul-de-sac practice a few of the curbs (but not the big ones) and practice my pushing technique. He reassured me not to be too hard on myself and these skills will come to me in time. I felt frustrated as post-training I wanted to be practicing each day (when I’m having a good day) out in the cul-de-sac or pushing myself down the road to practice or spending 5 minutes perfecting my skill at backwards balance. I’m so eager to practice and now I can’t really do much but Stuart’s reassurance was helpful and kind of him to contact me.
We’ll catch up officially a month post training via video call to see how I’m doing. This like with the pre-training calls are all part of the service that Stuart provides. I’ll be disappointed to report my lack of progress but I’ve kept Stuart in the loop.
I’m hoping when on on my other PA’s is back from holiday and is up for it, once I explain what she needs to do with the strap on the back of my chair so I’m safe, I can practice more skills like backwards balance and the bigger curbs. As well as being able to go somewhere where I can push myself a little further in my chair. Just so I have something to report to Stuart on making a little progress with my practice.
I think I’m getting a little better practicing here-and-there in the cul-de-sac. I’m trying to remember not to charge at things and to relax as hitting curbs is when I might throw myself out of my chair and I don’t want that to happen. I think I’m getting a a little better at getting up the smaller and bigger curbs in the car park. I’m not always spot-on. Sometimes I hit the curb or land clumsily or I land too late or early. However I am getting there at times on getting the technique done how I feel what is pretty spot on and I find that really motivating.
When I’m practicing I’m mindful of my energy levels and not tiring myself out so I don’t practice for too long. Just little and as often as I can (especially without a PA at the moment).
I want to try and film some of me training some of my new skills and me practicing too.
I definitely feel my training was Stuart was well worth it. Especially the hands-on 1:1 training I got and the fact Stuart travelled up to where I live as well. Stuart was also really accommodating when I needed to rearrange the dates of the training as well and also to plan the days of the training to be on two days when I’d be having a long day with my PA so she could be there with Stuart and myself.
I definitely do feel a more confident and capable wheelchair user now especially as I use my wheelchair so much even though I am an ambulatory wheelchair user. Whenever I go out however I do need to use my wheelchair and the world isn’t built to accommodate for wheelchair users even new buildings now. So I now feel I have some transferable skills to use to negotiate the world as a wheelchair user, especially as someone who is an active wheelchair user.
Practicing backwards balance
