Wheelchair diving

[timbo]

Thought this was worth a share...wonder if she's related to Steve Austin ??

Sue Austin: Deep sea diving ? in a wheelchair | Video on TED.com

[Charley]

Wheelchair diving

Don't get me started on the "art project". Accessibility for the disabled my arse.

[Scubee]

Calling Smudge... Calling Smudge.... please attend to this thread!!

My understanding of this is that, under the guise of 'charity' and making diving 'accessible to the disabled', she is raising money for an art project. Most people in wheelchairs love the idea of getting out of it to go diving, rather than taking it with them.

Sh'e do better to raise money to help people enjoy the freedom of diving *without* the chair.

BTW, the chair is going rusty.......

[Intranicity]

Most of the guys I dive with love to dive because it means they can escape from the chair and move under their own steam. Still each to their own, and good luck to her

[Tunicates]

While I work quite closely with people with disabilities, including wheelchairs, I have to say that I find this project a bit odd.

It being 'art' I have to wonder what is the 'meaning' of it? For me the emphasis becomes the inclusion of the wheelchair in what is otherwise an incredibly liberating environment - and so removes the liberation element. So what else? THe inclusion of the wheelchair speaks volumes about some wheelchair users sense of identity, which often becomes very closely linked to the wheelchair in a way that non-users probably cant really fathom.

I think if I were a wheelchair user then I'd read the piece very differently. For me, I find it a bit bonkers, but good for her, and good luck to her with the project.

[Intranicity]

I wish someone would buy my unmade bed, some people (Tracey Emin) can sell anything, the more pretentious you can be, the more others are afraid to comment that it's all bollocks, or should I say Art!

I have a wonderful Titanium wheelchair, 3 sets of wheels for different uses, and I avoid using it as much as possible, the chair is a tool to "Enable" me to do sport and compete. If I just decided to use the chair for everything, then it wouldn't be long until I was at a point where my legs would no longer work, use it or lose it. Most people in a chair love the liberation of escaping from it, and diving is a great way to do this.

THe inclusion of the wheelchair speaks volumes about some wheelchair users sense of identity

Think that sums her up, she has crutches on the back of her chair in the conference, so guess that she has sum use of her limbs, and her arms work fine too, maybe she ought to get rid of the batteries and try pushing, she might find out that you can do a huge amount in a manual chair and gain huge achievement from it.

I heard a great joke about the paralympics recently on TV, "What do you call someone in a wheelchair..... A show off" lol

In the end it's in the mind, and if you decide you're disabled, you will be, I think people are born disabled but you become less-abled through injury/illness... Opps, going to fall off my soap box

[purple vonny]

I find it more than a little annoying that thousands and thousands of pounds have been poured into this "project".

Sadly, most of the public can't differentiate between someone being paraplegic and someone who has chronic fatigue . See:

Paraplegic Scuba Diving: Free Wheeling to Success

Perhaps the art could have helped encourage others with Chronic fatigue by giving a positive message that graded exercise and paced activity can lead to improving symptoms and mobility.
By spending large amounts of time in a wheelchair (with Chronic fatigue) , she is becoming de-conditioned and prolonging her illness.
This doesn't really give anyone a helpful message.

I've spent 15 years of my career working in rehabilitation and chronic illness management. Use it or lose it - quite right Intranicity.

[timbo]

I never gave a thought to the things that you guys have commented on..I was just intrigued by the chair and it's operation,,suppose it's just the way I'm wired
At the risk of chastisement, I suppose I saw the chair and not the person..
Whilst on the subject of it's in the mind/perception, I came across an old DVD before Christmas that I sat and watched (an event in itself for me to watch a full film),,, nearly disabled myself laughing..

[purple vonny]

That's a brilliant film!!

[timbo]

That's a brilliant film!!

It is ..recommend to anyone who needs a reality check..and a giggle

[johnny boy]

remember jochan hesenmayer? the guy deserves respect: Jochen Hasenmayer ? Wikipedia

[Seastar]

I never gave a thought to the things that you guys have commented on..I was just intrigued by the chair and it's operation,,suppose it's just the way I'm wired

Lots of people have posted similar before, and the wheelchair drew a lot of observers at the Dive Show in October. It's curiosity, the last I heard she was trying to raise more money as she wants to build a titanium version of the wheelchair, as the chair she has used has started to rust (who knew that about metal and sea water).

[BTS]

I think some people are being a little harsh, we should encourage a second project for the wheelchair diver, at Dotty, we could build a ramp at the bottom of the slope...

[Intranicity]

I think some people are being a little harsh, we should encourage a second project for the wheelchair diver, at Dotty, we could build a ramp at the bottom of the slope...

My chairs already Titanium, build the ramp and I might be tempted... then again!

[Scimitar Diving]

Thought this was worth a share...wonder if she's related to Steve Austin ??

Sue Austin: Deep sea diving ? in a wheelchair | Video on TED.com

£50,000 spunked up the wall in the name of art. Money that in my view could have been better spent on better things namely organisations dedicated to getting disabled divers in to the water. Imagine the amount of proper disabled people that could have benefited from that money. Sorry but I just dont get it. :mad: