August Pritchett shares ten questions children asked about her wheelchair, from how it moves to whether she sleeps in it, and why being curious doesn’t mean every question needs an answer.
No matter what time period or what part of the world you’re in, there’s one thing that remains constant: kids are curious and random creatures. When I’m out and about, I often hear children ask their parents (or grandparents or cool aunt/uncle, etc.) about my wheelchair. It’s the pink elephant in the room (emphasis on the pink; it’s the best color, don’t @ me).
When I hear questions about my wheelchair at places like the dollar section of Target or standing in line at Panera, it’s an awkward situation because they’re asking the adult with them. Even in the South, the land of unsolicited comments and inquiries, my wheelchair seems to be the one thing that’s too intrusive to ask about.
One summer, I spent eight weeks working with kids at a camp, so I had the perfect opportunity to answer a lot of questions about my wheelchair. Here are some of my favorites.
Ten questions kids ask about my wheelchair
1. Why are you in a wheelchair?
Because I can’t walk. My legs don’t work. That’s the most basic response I give to younger kids.
Even though I’m a writer and fully support encouraging kids’ imaginations, I prefer to answer as factually as I can rather than with something whimsical like, “a fairy made me this way.” With anything related to disabilities or other medical conditions, I’d rather have children understand early on why we’re different, without the frills.
2. How do you move the wheelchair?
I explain that I use my controller, and it’s like moving a character in a video game. Usually, they get closer, and I say, “You can look, but don’t touch,” even though they sometimes want to try to move it.
My chair is a 300-pound machine, so you can probably imagine how many pancake children there would be if one of them decided to try and move my chair. I move forward, back, and side-to-side, then demonstrate what the buttons do and show them how I can raise my chair up and down and lean back. They think it’s basically the coolest thing ever.
3. Does your wheelchair have a horn?
Yep. BEEP!
4. How do you charge your wheelchair?
My power did get extremely low during camp, so I had to charge while I was there a few times. They asked if I was charging my wheelchair when I was plugged in, so I, of course, said I was.
When I wasn’t charging and they asked how I did it, I pointed to the plug-in thingamajig under my controller and explained how I plug it into the wall at night.
5. How did you get your wheelchair here?
My mom has a minivan, and she lifts me into a regular seat while my wheelchair goes in the back, where we have the last two seats taken out. Sometimes my dad takes me places this way. The kids’ mouths drop whenever I tell them my parents lift me, which I find funny. But it’s true that some disabled adults need someone to help lift them.
I occasionally explain that some people have accessible vans, which means they don’t need to get out of their chair because it can be wheeled into the van.
6. Do you sleep in your wheelchair?
I sleep in a bed, which my parents carry me into. Children seem amazed that I do, in fact, get out of my chair.
7. How do you go to the bathroom?
I tell them that this isn’t something I’m that comfortable answering, but I explain that I use bathrooms designed to better accommodate disabled people.
I do feel like there should be information that’s easily accessible, so children understand the different ways disabled people use the bathroom.
8. Why are your feet purple?
Okay, this question isn’t related to my wheelchair per se, but it’s related to my disability. This is the hardest question for me to answer because my circulation is poor in my legs.
It’s a little easier with the older kids, around nine and up, since I can explain what circulation is. For younger children, unless that child is some science prodigy, I have to explain how blood flows through our body.
Even then, it’s still a tricky concept for some of them to understand. I hope they remember, even vaguely, what I’ve told them about my legs and that it clicks once they learn about circulation in school.
9. Were you born in a wheelchair?
One of my favorite wheelchair questions! I deeply regret not having ever replied with, “Yes, I came out wheels first.” Maybe one day.
It’s hard to tell whether they’re asking if I was literally born in my chair, or if that’s their way of asking if I was born disabled. All I can say is that I’m sure my mom is glad I wasn’t born in a wheelchair.
What I reply with is that I was born not being able to walk, but I’ve been in a chair since I was two years old.
10. Why is your wheelchair pink?
Because it’s my favorite color. Pink chairs are awesome.
Curiosity is welcome. So are boundaries.
Whenever a child asked a lot of questions about my wheelchair, I made sure to tell their parents when they picked them up, in case they might have more questions at home. I want to encourage more discussions about disabilities with kids, so they’ll be more understanding and inclusive as adults.
I want children to ask questions about wheelchairs and get exposure to many different kinds of disabilities, but I know that every situation and disabled person is different. Some people might not be open to any questions at all, while others are totally 100% okay with it.
Personally, if I’m in a role where I’m an educator of sorts, whether that’s a camp counselor, teacher, or speaker, I’m okay with most questions about wheelchairs or disability.
If I’m out and about, it’s better to ask if it’s okay for the child to ask me a question, rather than answering without fully knowing the answer and potentially spreading misinformation.
I remember being at the mall one time, and a girl asked her grandmother why I was in a wheelchair and they weren’t. The grandmother’s response was, “Because we’re blessed.”
No. Just no.
If you’re with a child and they ask you a question about disabilities that you can’t answer, but you’re not comfortable asking the disabled person or vice versa, then I highly encourage looking for educational information at home. Even though it’s more work, it is much better than spreading ideas that being disabled is a huge burden and that we can’t do anything.
Children can learn that some people are born disabled and others become disabled later in life. Parents can show them videos or other age-appropriate resources to help answer the questions they still have.
Children’s minds are wide-open, so it’s the perfect opportunity to show them how disabled people are just regular people, but we have to do some things differently.
Editor’s note: First published in 2021. August’s answers describe her own life and wheelchair; other wheelchair users’ experiences may differ. August died in 2023. This revision preserves her first-person account.
