Dress to Impress

by Marie Pontini

I have degenerative illnesses (Multiple Sclerosis and Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome). Using a power wheelchair allows me to save my energy for the activities that matter the most to me, and save a little for my daily tasks and autonomy. If I use all my strength and energy just to push a manual wheelchair, I would be far too exhausted and in terrible pain. It’s not worth it for me. I'd rather use my energy to do a workout or to wash and dress myself autonomously and use my power wheelchair to get around. 70% of wheelchair users with some form of mobility will have to decide where we want to invest our energy in on a daily basis. For that reason, I like to see my power wheelchair as my throne! It’s a tool that allows me to show up as my best self! My power wheelchair gives me the option to choose where I invest my energy so that when I arrive somewhere, you won’t just see an illness or my symptoms, but the whole me! And knowing that I can count on my Quantum Rehab Stretto power wheelchair not to just get around, but also to "dress to impress" feels good. The design, technology and the accessories are convenient and useful so I can do everything I set out to do and more. And it makes me look good too! In everyday life, there aren’t as many opportunities to look your absolute best. So why not create this opportunity yourself? A "dress to impress" day! We all know how good it feels, and how much of a difference it makes in our self-confidence, when we look our best. So instead of waiting for a special occasion, you can make it once a month or a day that you take the time to dress up, do your hair, put some makeup on and go out. It doesn't have to be at a fancy place or involve spending any money, but just to feel good. You can do this at home too! It may be the perfect occasion to take a few photos. When we see ourselves at our best, "fashionably" speaking, it helps to give us a different vision than the one we are used to. It helps to take the focus away from "a sick body," and helps to view ourselves as the beautiful human beings we are. Make sure you do this exercise while using your power wheelchair (or any mobility aid), so your vision can evolve and you can become more confident. Yes, a power wheelchair is fashionable, it looks great, and you can look fantastic while using it! How we view our wheelchair is often shaped by what society and the media has told us. It's not an accurate picture of the incredible machine we have and the power it gives us on a daily basis so we can live to the fullest! Using a power wheelchair can evoke a sense of pride and make us feel good about ourselves, while also enhancing our appearance. It's important to change how we think about wheelchairs and mobility aids, and show the world how amazing we are while using them too!