The information on this page is here to help disabled people to manage the bikerlifestyle, and show that a disability need not stop you from partying with everyone else and having a good time despite your individual limitations.
Enjoying the bikerlifestyle when you have a disability, just requires a little advanced planning. I will mostly be concentrating on mobility related problems (as this is the area i have to live with, although i will try and cover most things, if anyone has any information they would like to add then please email me). First there is an important part to enjoying this or any other lifestyle when living with a disability, and that is to be able to ask for and accept help when you need it, and trust me although i do ask for, and accept, more help than than i have done before, i still have a long way to go myself, as my pride, stubbornness, self esteem all still stop me from doing things that i need help to do. but i have never found anyone in the 'Biker' community that was not willing to (happily and not begrudgingly) help, when it was asked for, and many times even when it wasn't specifically asked for.
The first thing to concentrate on is accessibility can you get into the venue (it might sound obvious but many a time i have turned up to a pub, rally, campsite and found them unsuitable for my condition.
If it is a pub phone ahead and check to see if it is wheelchair accessible and has disabled toilets, if not then you need to make alternative arrangements such as either taking sticks to support yourself whilst someone takes your chair up a step, and then allow them to help you up to it (personally i find that most pubs or halls have only one or two steps to negotiate.) (i am well aware of the legal requirements imposed by the DDA and the future requirements but at the end of the day i find that if you can manage around any difficulty and have a good time, then complaints can be made at another time. unless something can be done then and there, then there is no point in ruining your evening arguing about it, i am not saying ignore accessible issues, just take them up at the appropriate time).
Rallies and Events, these come into two categories, huge events such as the 'bulldog bash' etc and smaller local club rallies.
Big rallies and events:
you can expect disable facilities to be laid on, such as disabled toilets, camping close to amenities and on a level(ish) area of the site. but remember after all if you are in a field, and you can only do so much to a field to make it accessible.
Small Rallies:
I would like to see 1 Disabled toilet at smaller rallies, and a little thought to the location and accesability of the site, but in the real world it comes down to money and if a small club does not have the finances for these things, then there is not a lot that can be done (and i for one would hate to see a rally spoiled and cancelled for all, because of strict guidlines.
My Personal Experience:
When I am on a rally site there are certain requirements I need so I bring the following with me
- A tent with a large living area (as long as I have somewhere to get my head down then sleeping area isn't as important) the large living are allows me to be more independent for the day to day tasks, and to accommodate my wheelchair, and the extra things I need, but having a Trike means I can carry a big tent and other necessities (or use my car when my trike breaks down Grrr, but I wont talk about that cuz I get depressed)
- A Decent Sleeping bag, this for me is important as the cold really aggravates my condition, and I find that the mummy sleeping bags are best getting one that is suitable to -5 or -10 is sufficient, and when it is warmer you can open it up and just use it as a throw over blanket.
- A cooker, I use a small gas cooker and have the ingredients for my coffee (kenco only please) and pot noodles for those times when either I cannot/don't want to/ or am stuck in my tent for any length of time, also a water carrier is essential.
- A portable plastic urine bottle, this is very useful for when either you cannot get to the toilets, or there are no disabled toilets or the toilets are just too far away. Also note that if you want to attend a rally that does not have disable toilets, but it is close to a village, you can always pop out to McDonalds or local pubs and use their facilities. Also Imodium is good for 'avoiding rally bogs' and can make life easier, (obviously consult your gp before taking it Blah blah blah etc...)
- Depending on the rally site, but I find it is useful if you can keep your trike or vehicle by your tent, especially if the site is not wheelchair friendly, you can lob your chair on the trike or car and ride to a closer more convenient spot (where the band or beer or strippers are)
- I cannot go to a rally alone, due to the amount of help needed (especially getting the tent up or down) but I do have good ‘responsible' friends who see I am alright, before they go off and do things
- my trike has an engine cover that doubles as a table, otherwise taking a collapsible camping table is a good idea
- (For wheelchair users only)A puncture kit or spare inner tubes and a pump, (I learnt the hard way when I had a blowout in my wheelchair I was at the Boring old fartz whistle in the wind rally terrorising people on my powertrike when I had a blowout, it was real loud and everyone cheered when I come to a stop (I wonder why) anyway this was at midnight and luckily I only lived a mile away so I had to phone the wife to get here top bring my solid tyres out to me (needless to say she was not impressed) So the moral of the story is ‘Be Prepared' also I found a handy item in my local mountain bike shop, it is a membrane that goes between the inside of the tyre and the inner tube adding another layer of protection against punctures, it aint cheap about £15 for two wheels, but it has to be worth it, also a pump powered by disposable gas canisters.
Yoda(webmaster)