A few months ago, I started a Save the iBot supporters' group on Facebook. The iBot is the greatest advance ever in wheelchair technology. It is a ‘personal mobility device’, with Segway gyroscopic technology, which can climb stairs (www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLrVDQiL1wk), tackle nearly all terrains (www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fY5NYCVvqs) and spectacularly, transformer-like, balance at eye level on two wheels (www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKcxOpjpBqs). The iBot [...]
Scope, the charity that supports disabled people, recently reported that 90% of Britons have never had a disabled person in their house for a social occasion. A fascinating fact – not for what it says, but for what the number really shows underneath… Most people with disabilities, unless they come with a wheelchair or a [...]
We are 14 days and nearly 300 miles into the journey and having a well-deserved rest day in Newcastle. I thought it would be an opportune time to assess how well the campaign appears to be working. The first point to note is that having a better thought through route and preparations, together with a [...]
I had intended to make this entry about the crucial need for disabled people to have to plan their lives in minute detail. Then, as if to underline my point, two incidents happened on our ride – our hotel stairlift broke down, and the elevator for the Tyne cycle tunnel wasn’t working when we got [...]
Faced with the option of either having a severe disability for the rest of their lives, or facing a firing squad, it is a fair bet that most able-bodied people would probably chose the firing squad. The finality of this choice is often brought about by fear: a fear of surrendering autonomy and being dependent [...]
One aspect to my character is dictated by my situation: this is persistence. I often find, like many disabled folk, that daily tasks take longer to do. Almost always, disabled people have to do certain things at a slower pace and often with a greater degree of application and concentration. This cycle ride may seem [...]
Before we started our 36 mile day from Montrose to Dundee, over a full Scottish breakfast we were excited to see my photo on the front page of the Dundee Courier. An article on the ride talked at some length about my particular point of view – that invariably people with disabilities are defined by [...]
After an interview and photos with the local press, we said farewell to Aberdeen. A small crowd of well-wishers had gathered to wave us off. Actually, this heart-warming start was premature as we got slightly lost on the outskirts of the city. The backdrop for the first two days was some pretty challenging hills between [...]
Just after 7:30 yesterday morning we set off for our drive to Aberdeen, following a quick photo of the team in front of our support vehicle. It took us just under 11 hours to get there. It seemed that the sun was shining on our attempt as the clouds parted the further northwards we hurtled. [...]
Tomorrow, we start the drive up to Aberdeen for the beginning of the EPLC. It's an early morning start, so Justine (my wife) and Phil (my PA) have started packing the car. There's a lot to go in. Not only my trike and the bike for the person riding with me, and all the usual [...]