Wheelchair Wednesday campaign hits big milestone

After nine years, the Association for Persons with Physical Disabilities (APD) has achieved its goal of obtaining 1,200 wheelchairs for the disabled through its annual SPAR Wheelchair Wednesday campaign.

Thanks to about 2,400 generous donors and volunteers over this period, the APD in Nelson Mandela Bay finally reached the milestone this week.

About 200 wheelchairs have been secured for the disabled through this year’s edition of the month-long Wheelchair Wednesday campaign, bringing the total number of chairs purchased to 1,200.

The campaign uses able-bodied volunteers who operate a wheelchair for four hours each to experience the daily challenges faced by those with impaired mobility.

The project also raises awareness among businesses for the need for wheelchair-friendly facilities.

The proceeds of donations made to the APD through the campaign are used to secure wheelchairs for the disabled.

One of this year’s volunteers, Sonel Lindeque, said on Wednesday that after her stint  in a wheelchair she had developed new respect for people with disabilities.

Lindeque, chair of PE Pearls Ladies Circle No 19 in Port Elizabeth, and the organisation’s secretary, Chantal Myburgh, spent four hours in a wheelchair at Sunridge Village shopping centre helping to raise awareness and funds for the campaign.

“Having been involved in charity work for 20 years, I understood what hardships many people face so I was mentally prepared for what lay ahead,” Lindeque said.

“But even though you think you can imagine what a wheelchair-bound person has to deal with, only once you have spent the time in the chair do you actually realise the huge impact it has on your life.

“I think one quickly develops respect for those who fight the fight as a disabled person.

“It is really not easy and besides managing your own disability, you also have to deal with other people’s inability to accommodate your disability, or the lack of knowledge towards accommodating you.”

Among the practical issues Lindeque experienced was how difficult it was to do monthly shopping.

“You can’t just fill a trolley and push it through a shop,” she said.

“You constantly need an assistant because you will only be able to buy products within arm’s-length and what can fit on your lap or basket.

“Most of the time you feel vulnerable and some things are difficult to do if you don’t have the upper body strength.”

Lindeque also found using the toilet at the mall difficult because the doorway was too narrow and a self-closing mechanism made it awkward to negotiate the entrance.

“It opens your eyes to what is going on in society because you truly take it for granted what you can do as an able-bodied person.”

Normally held in August, Wheelchair Wednesday, now in its ninth year, was delayed to October because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

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