...and no space to use his walker in room
DAVID lives with cerebral palsy and relies on his walker and a wheelchair to get around. His paediatrician has written letters to the council saying that he requires ‘considerable equipment in order to mobilise’ and that he needs space to function.
A walker requires a lot of space as David must turn in a wide circle to point himself in a new direction.
Instead, to get to the bathroom, he uses the dresser as a balance to reach the sofa bed which, when extended, provides a further balancing aid so he can reach the bathroom door. He then hauls himself using the doorhandle into an upright position, and reaches for the sink to pull himself into the bathroom.
And in place of speciallydesigned chairs, he sprawls on the ground to write his homework. The only other option is trekking to the library which his mother does as often as is feasible and there he can pull his wheelchair up to a desk.
The B&B has a communal sitting area but it’s located upstairs and there are no lifts.