Episode 106: Chair Bound And Down

Despite being outdated and ableist, the term "wheelchair-bound" is still used by a lot of people — including the medical profession. Let's nip that in the bud.

Transcript

TRANSCRIPT OF “CHAIR BOUND AND DOWN”

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MALE VO [00:03]
This is Bad Attitudes.

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LAURA [00:20]
Hello friends and strangers! And welcome to another episode of Bad Attitudes: An Uninspiring Podcast About Disability. I’m your host, Laura.

Telling you when you’re wrong. It’s why I’m here.

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As always, I want to remind you that disability is not a monolith. My experience as a disabled person is going to be different from the experiences of other disabled people. I am one voice for the disabled community but I am not the only voice.

[02:20]
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I went to see my doctor this past week, and let me say, I like this doctor. She’s competent, she listens to your concerns, and doesn’t blow off your worries. Plus, she went to the same college as me, so you know she has good taste.

While there, she told me about how she’s part of some kind of alumni advisory board, and they had a meeting recently. They discussed marginalized groups and how those groups are perceived and treated in varying situations. She thought of me (obviously), and explained how sometimes disabled people are perceived as being less intelligent or less capable than our non-disabled counterparts.

So far, so good.

Then she stuck her foot in it. She used the term “wheelchair-bound.”

I know she saw my face change because HER face changed to a look of, “Oh, did I fuck up?” Well, yeah, kinda.

Although I’ve talked about the language surrounding disability before, I’ve never specifically talked about the term “wheelchair-bound,” so this seemed like a good time.

My doctor was receptive to my criticism of that term, but she pointed out that it is what is used in medical circles. Be that as it may, it’s still a wildly unpopular way to describe wheelchair users today.

“Wheelchair-bound” is incredibly ableist, as it paints a picture of wheelchair users being shackled to a device that doesn’t offer them any benefit. It completely ignores the reality that, for most wheelchair users, without these devices, we would be stuck in our homes or even our beds, unable to venture out into the world. For those with mobility disabilities, wheelchairs offer a measure of freedom unavailable in any other way.

“Wheelchair-bound” conjures up an outdated image of wheelchair users as being completely dependent not just on their mobility aids, but on society at large, for our basic survival. Many, if not most, wheelchair users are exactly the opposite: independent, self-sufficient, and able to venture far beyond the bounds of our homes because of our wheelchairs, not in spite of them.

The term also ignores the existence of ambulatory or part-time wheelchair users. Not all wheelchair users require them one hundred percent of the time, but need them for specific scenarios like traveling long distances, or on days they’re struggling.

When we refer to someone as “bound” to something, we should consider what that means in terms of choice. For example, someone who is bed-bound has a distinct lack of choice. They can’t leave the bed or the room that bed is in. But, wheelchair users have a broad swath of choices. Not only can we leave our homes, we can drive cars, travel across the world, work or own our own businesses. What about that says “bound”?

But, because people are sometimes far too literal in these instances, let me assure anyone with questions that wheelchair users are NOT literally bound to their wheelchairs. Most of us can get in and out of them whenever we choose. I’ll be honest, for some wheelchair users, that is a more challenging prospect than it is for others, but even so, we are not required to stay in our chairs 24/7/365. You’d be surprised by the number of fully functioning human beings out there who believe I never actually leave my wheelchair.

One final point: Using the term “wheelchair-bound” can make it seem like their wheelchair is the most important thing about a person, whereas “wheelchair user” makes it clear that the wheelchair is a tool used by a person. Some people might depend on it more, but it’s still a tool we use, not an extension of our personhood. Our bodies are connected to it to a high degree — I can feel when anybody brushes against my own wheelchair — but it is still not part of who we are as people.

A slightly shorter episode this week. I haven’t been operating at peak efficiency, so I recorded this at the very last minute. But thanks to my doctor for the inspiration!

Thanks for listening and I’ll talk to you in the next one.

[06:44]
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