Many of you have asked me how to request our assistive devices. Today I'm explaining how to get a wheelchair. First, you need to know that the process differs depending on whether you're a minor or an adult. If you're a minor and your wheelchair breaks, you can request a replacement after one year, based on what your doctor observes. As an adult, you have to wait at least five years from your last request. If you don't, your new request will be rejected. But before I get there, let me walk you through the whole procedure.
Let's start at the beginning: the medical prescription. To request a wheelchair (or orthopedic shoes), you need to see your primary care doctor, who will refer you for a physiatry evaluation. Take that referral to your local health authority through the appointment center and schedule an appointment in your health zone. The physiatrist will fill out a form with the specific codes for your condition—each diagnosis has different codes—to request the right wheelchair for you. You need to tell the physiatrist what kind of wheelchair you need (I looked into it beforehand at an orthopedic pharmacy), and once the prescription is completed, you take it to the workshop to get an estimate.
Send the estimate to your local health authority along with your personal documents to request approval for the wheelchair. This step is crucial. Without it, you pay out of pocket—and trust me, these devices don't come cheap. When I saw my estimate, I nearly laughed. Even though I'd chosen a super lightweight, athletic wheelchair for someone who swims (and they wanted to add a cushion, but I can't stand cushions so I refused), the price was astronomical! By the way, if any of you play sports—like me with swimming—you can get a certificate of participation that gets you a discount, sometimes up to 200€.
So that's what I'm dealing with right now to get my wheelchair. Once you have one, you can't replace it for five years (unless you're a minor, and then the timeline is shorter based on growth needs). Five years is a long time. As an adult, these requests become harder and harder. I've been fighting with these offices for 34 years—and instead of helping me, they throw obstacles in my way.
My friends, what else can I tell you? Anyone who reads my blog knows I write about my own adventures, so you understand if I'm sometimes absent and I apologize. I do everything I can, even when I'm frustrated—and yes, that happens sometimes. I'm sorry I can't always keep you updated on what it means to be disabled in 2024, but don't worry, there's more to come. I'm thinking of you. See you in the next piece.