When I first got my powerchair (I was about 14 at the time) I can remember thinking "only severely disabled people use powerchairs".  That wasn't something that I wanted to be labeled.

I didn't really use it until I started college. Our college campus was huge and I didn't really want to depend on friends to push me in my manual chair when I got tired or came to a ramp that was too steep etc.

As well as reaping a much greater level of independence from using a powerchair, it's amazing how much more energy I had in college compared to when I was at school and pushed myself great distances in my manual wheelchair.

The powerchair that saw me through college and the first few working years of my life was a big, clumsy and quite basic powerchair which didn't have much battery power.  The powerchiar itself was actually quite limiting as it couldn't be taken in small spaces or long distances.

When I was 21 I got a mid-wheel drive chair and subsequently it turns on a dime and the battery lasts forever.  I am now able to go on buses and trains and go out for the day. I've taken it on holiday to the US and I was able to enjoy it so much more because of the freedom I had - in my powerchair I was able to go where I wanted whereas before I've always been limited to wherever the person pushing me wanted to go. 

Since getting it I've enjoyed more freedom than I've ever had.  That's kind of ironic, isn't it?  I'm more disabled than ever and yet here is me saying that.  It goes to show what the right piece of kit can do for you I suppose.

But there are other things to FA too...