A man from Manchester has turned his electric wheelchair into a mobile disco, as he was sick of people staring at him. Complete with LED lights and boombox, owner Lee has had a very positive reaction to his new wheels.
Lee downloads music from the internet and plays a variety of genres when he is out and about, dependent on his moods. He also has been known to take requests including an incident on his way back from a night out, he told Manchester Evening News: “The other day coming back from a night out in town on the tram I was taking all sorts of requests from everyone in the carriage.”
Lee has said when he is out and about he gets positive comments from passers-by and often they film him on their phones.
Reasoning
Lee’s reasoning for converting his wheelchair is to try and break the initial barriers of conversation. Lee has cerebral palsy which he says: “My condition affects my speech as well as muscle control. This means I move differently to other people and suffer uncontrollable sporadic movements.” However, what he believes people aren’t aware of, is that his brain and his mental capacity is completely intact.
The negative experiences which frustrate Lee are that he feels people “infantilize” him, as they focus on his disability and not him as an individual. He said: “I still have all the same needs and desires as everybody else. Generally, the negativity comes in people staring as I pass but what gives me more trouble is when people infantilize me due to my difficulty speaking. Often speaking down to me or ignoring me by talking to my assistants rather than me.”
Lee hopes that by customising his wheelchair it will increase awareness that individuals with a disability are still individuals and have their own personality and like to enjoy themselves and “have fun like everyone else.”
