Niamh: What it means to be in control

Some years ago now, we interviewed Niamh, whose Cerebral Palsy makes her totally reliant on wheelchair based assistive technologies.

Equipped with the ideal combination of assistive tech needed to pursue her own interests and capabilities, including a head controller, Niamh explained how this technology has allowed her to take control of her own life and experience some of the same opportunities for self-fulfillment that most of us take for granted:

“Before I got a wheelchair that was equipped with the right kind of technology, I did not have the independence that I wanted.

It isn’t a great feeling to always be so reliant on others. It also wasn’t as safe, physically. If I was in a dangerous situation, I didn’t have the ability to simply leave, my fate was in the hands of the people around me.

Without my wheelchair, I wouldn’t be able to do the things that make me, me. I can steer with my head, so I don’t need a carer to drive for me, and am therefore not as reliant on others to get around. I can make my own decisions about where I go and when. I really couldn’t imagine life without my wheelchair!

Having the right wheelchair technology has enabled me to push my boundaries and get on with my life. Having the ability to try things I’ve never done before and test my personal limits is very important to me, because I like to know what I’m capable of, and I won’t ever know if I don’t go outside my own comfort zone once in a while.

Obviously, I’m not going to go water skiing or bungee jumping any time soon! But I try not to focus on what I can’t do, but instead on what I can. … Without my wheelchair and its technological innovation, I couldn’t be as independent as possible. I couldn’t do my photography, or write, or any of the things that are important to me.”.

“My chair makes me feel free.”

To learn more about how your wheelchair could be fitted with the right combination of assistive technology to suit your needs and desires, contact us or locate your nearest Magic Mobility agent here.