Wheelchairs in School

[MumzieOf5]

Hi everyone!

I've been a single mum for almost 20 years now so I've experienced my fair share of what life can throw at you lol
However, I am now facing a new challenge with one of my daughters. She suffers terribly with severe eczema and recently it has returned with a vengeance. It has been so severe that she has missed a week of school because the eczema on her feet and legs is so painful that she can't walk easily or unaided, not to mention unable to comfortably put shoes on 😔
I have been extremely concerned with the amount of school she is missing but there is also the fact she is isolated at home and not socialising with friends etc.
The only thing I could come up with was to talk to her about using a wheelchair temporarily so she's able to attend school and thankfully she was fine with the idea so we are trying it tomorrow for the first time.

I suppose my reasons for being on here is to find other parents who may have children who use a wheelchair in school.

As her mum I am of course anxious about the reactions of other children/parents when they see her tomorrow. I know most people don't mean anything negative but it is a worry for me. She is already so self conscious about her eczema and had both children and parents stare or give nasty looks when it was bad on her face a few months ago.

The school are very supportive and are going through a care plan etc with us tomorrow morning. They are a fantastic school and I feel comfort knowing they always look after my children, especially my daughter all throughout her flare ups.

If anyone has any advice or words of wisdom please comment on this thread.

Many thanks for reading my story 🥰

How old is your DD?
Does the school have any other children who are in wheelchairs?
Will your DD have dressings on her legs & feet?
How immobile is she? If there is a fire, for example, could she stand up and run out of the building or would the school have to follow the same process as they would for someone who is permanently wheelchair bound or who can only walk a few steps?

Some of the children will be curious and ask why she is using a wheelchair.
The answer is her legs and feet are poorly so she can't walk at the moment - that's all she/you need to say.
After the initial curiosity - I expect most of the children won't bat an eyelid.

Oh. Your poor DD. Just a thought? She won’t have 121 TA. Could she manage the toilet unaided?

Your poor dd, she must be in so much pain and itching. I had severe eczema as a child but not as severe as hers. I remember having to have the awful wet wrapping though and taking the bandages off in the middle of the night when I wasn't supposed to.

2 of my sons have used wheelchairs in primary school. One is going to be using one in secondary school soon. Both of them could walk short distances.

If you get a choice, the chairs with the big wheels at the back are a bit easier to push so get those even if she won't be self propelling.

Ds4 got a lot of "how did you break your legs" when he had casts to correct his toe walking which he found really annoying, because he hadn't broken his legs.

If she is going to be completely self propelling, take the handles off the back of the chair to stop other children pushing it if dd would rather other children didn't. If she is going to be completely dependant on other people pushing her, take the anti tippers off to stop them banging into the pushers shins. My boys did a bit of both so I was forever taking the handles and anti tippers on and off but it was worth it.

If you are pushing it's easiest to walk on the right side of your dd with your right hand on the left handle rather than walking behind it and holding both handles. Children's wheelchairs are really narrow and low so it hurts your shoulders after a while.

Nobody said anything mean to either of my boys but they did get a lot of attention, which ds2 wasn't keen on. I did find that strangers were often shocked if they got out of their wheelchairs, despite 90% of wheelchair users being able to walk. A lot of people assumed the boys had learning disabilities or couldn't speak because they were using wheelchairs.

Good luck, hope it all goes well with your dd.

Hi Op

Im a teacher who oversees pastoral care in a secondary school. We have 2 students who use a wheelchair and I can honestly say the other children are very kind to them. Of course as others have said there have been children asking them questions so just prepare your daughter for that. I would actually go as far as to say most of the kids would be outraged if someone was outright nasty to them.