consider this: wheelchairs should be free
Consider this: if you need it to live it should be affordable
consider this: if you need it to live, it should be free
I'd love my next wheelchair to be free, but that's not a realistic expectation to have. Even if we could do that, it would likely come with a lot of consequences to the user.
That said, I don't think it would be unreasonable for us to fight for these things to be affordable, especially because these companies and our insurance are notorious for inflating the shit out of prices for chairs and everything on them and using the word luxury pretty liberally when you need something to function. I think it's ridiculous DME companies can not only have such a monopoly on equipment production, but also be given free reign to financially exploit disabled people in so many different ways. Especially given that poverty is rampent in the disabled community.
Those of us receiving benefits don't even get a living wage as it is, add having to pay out of pocket for some or all of a wheelchair and you might find yourself having to decide between using inadequate equipment for longer, (often leading to worsening medical problems in the long run) going without a necessary feature on the new chair that you'll have to use for 5+ years before insurance will cover a new one or going without some other necessity. You may even find yourself skipping meals or neglecting yourself or your needs in some other way.
Hell, even those who can work often can't escape poverty either, thanks to workplace discrimination and the many other ways we are punished for trying.
I ended up having to go on SSI to stay alive because when I got a PT job, they threatened to take my Medicaid, which would have literally killed me. The job I had treated me like shit.I tried to find a Full-time job, but many places don't want to hire disabled people, Full-time and some managers have even told me this when I was looking for work. There's so much more I can say about the impact of that and the lack of services we sorely need on my life, but that's another post for another day.
I think another thing we desperately need as people who rely on mobility aides to function is to advocate for the right to repair our own equipment. We should be able to go online and easily locate tutorials, schematics, etc. People should be allowed to put tutorials for how to deal with certain problems without fear of being sued, but sadly this is not the case. A lot of people who I've seen trying are being threatened with lawsuits right now.
I do most of my repairs and tune ups on my own, but most of the mentioned resources are difficult, if not impossible to find. This leaves a lot of people, who would be otherwise willing and able to repair or tune up their chairs limited or without that option entirely.
Instead they're forced to call a tech, give them the chair and be without one for weeks or months, be charged hundreds or thousands of dollars for even simple repairs and then get it back. A lot of the time, when you do get it back, the problem isn't even solved and/or you end up with a new problem and have to start the process again. Oh, and good luck getting insurance to help with any of that... if you decide to do that, you'll likely be ignored or left in broken equipment limbo for much longer.
TL;DR I doubt we'd be able to get equipment for free but we should definitely be pushing for it to be much more affordable. I think we should also be pushing for the right and resources to repair our own equipment without fear!!
Disabled or not, please share this, it's important and I want to spark a discussion.