Is walking Over Rated?

Like most people I spent the first eighteen years of my life upright. I took walking for granted and thought nothing about what life must be like for people who use a wheelchair. Fast forward thirty years and my thinking process has changed. I do not think about what life is like for people who can walk. Instead, I wonder why people who walk think this form of locomotion is so great. Sure walking is efficient and humans are designed to be bipedal. But for people with a physical deficit such as paralysis is it worth devoting all one's time, energy, and money in an effort to walk? I for one think not. The overwhelming importance society places on walking is never far from my mind because it helps form the basis for oppressing those that use a wheelchair. It is a given that walking is superior to using a wheelchair. Those that walk often think and tell me life "in chair" must be very hard. This assessment is correct, life is hard for paralyzed people. However, what people do not realize is that the problems I encounter have little to do with my paralysis and inability to walk. What makes life hard for those that use a wheelchair is the moral superiority of those that can walk. This came to the forefront of my mind last night as I read Harriet McBryde Johnson's wonderful book, Accidents of Nature. Let me share a quote:

It is funny. Therapists, teachers, relatives--everyone--they all think walking is such a wonderful thing. And we don't question that. We believe it must be worthwhile, or they wouldn't torture us for it. And then, finally, you get up on your two feet, take a few halting steps--pardon me, I mean courageous and determined steps--and the cameras flash, and everyone's inspired. But then you find out walking is a lousy way to move from place to place... When you start to think for yourself, you realize a wheelchair is a better way to get where you're going.

For those unfortunate souls that do not use a wheelchair let me clue you in--using a wheelchair is often a far better and more efficient way to get around. For instance, I can cruise around a museum for hours on end and never tire. I can propel my wheelchair much faster than those that walk. In fact, I often need to slow down if I am accompanied by a person that can walk. To me a wheelchair is not only an efficient means of locomotion but much more. When I am zoned in I have a deep connection between myself and the wheelchair I use. On a daily basis I feel a great sense of freedom and independence as I move around. In sharp contrast, many who can walk think life "in a chair must suck". What is not verbalized is that they believe a wheelchair represents a symbolic failure physically and morally. In essence walking is good wheelchair use is bad.

The ability to walk in our society is a pre-requisite for equality. Those that cannot walk are expected to devote all their time in an all out effort to walk again. These people, think Christopher Reeve, are respected, lauded, fawned over and invited to speak at the Democratic National Convention. Huge sums of money are spent and bizarre devices such as Robo-Skeletons are invented to get people upright. All such efforts conveniently ignored the social consequences of disability and cast a negative light on people such myself and millions of others that express no interest in walking. Worse yet, I am disabled and proud. This sense of pride in my body and wheelchair subvert an unquestioned cultural norm. For violating this norm I am perceived to be difficult. I am the bad guy that does not know how to accept what society is willing to hand out. Well, I for one willingly piss on such pity. I expect and demand much more out of life: to be treated with the same respect and dignity of those that walk. I think this is a modest expectation, one I hope to experience some day.