Click here to see a picture gallery from the Take My Seat 2012 challenge
You go to buy a coffee before work but can’t access the building because of a 5cm step at the entrance.
A visit to the ATM is unsuccessful because the keyboard isn’t low enough to be used from a wheelchair.
The nearest public toilet is completely inaccessible and the closest alternative is four blocks away.
These are just a few of the scenarios that people with spinal cord injuries regularly face and ones that prominent Brisbane business and community identities will have to overcome as part of the Spinal Injuries Association’s Take My Seat event on Friday, 23 March.
Westpac Private Banker Brendan Turnbull was the first person to sign up for the challenge, which will see him spend three hours using a wheelchair and completing various ‘challenges’ in Brisbane’s CBD, including going to the supermarket to buy some items; catching a bus or taxi; and pushing himself in a wheelchair non-stop for 500 metres.
Brendan was encouraged by colleague and Wallabies great Tim Horan, who is also a Spinal Injuries Association Ambassador.
“I’ve heard quite a bit from Tim about what it’s like for people with spinal cord injuries and after playing sport in my younger years and seeing plenty of people being taken off with spinal injuries, I can appreciate the severity of the disability,” Brendan said.
“It’s a bit daunting to be honest as I’m not sure what to expect, but I’ve already started taking more notice of the environment around me and realised even grabbing a juice at the start of the day will be quite tricky as there are steps leading into the shop that I usually go to.”
Leaving from the Hilton Brisbane and finishing at Westpac in Queen Street, Brendan and around 10 other local identities will discover the frustrating challenges of navigating the city centre using a wheelchair, as well as dealing with being treated differently by passersby.
“Each participant will receive a personal lesson on how to use their wheelchairs by a member of the Spinal Injuries Association prior to their departure and this person will also chaperone and set the challenges throughout the event,” Spinal Injuries Association Chief Executive Officer Bruce Milligan said.
Bruce promised Take My Seat would be a memorable experience that would give participants a chance to reflect on the way people with disabilities lived their life, while also fundraising a minimum of $2,000 each for the Association via their own Everyday Hero webpage.
“As the peak body for Queenslanders who have spinal cord injuries – quadriplegia, paraplegia, post polio syndrome and Transverse Myelitis – we support and empower 2,000 people around the state to live as independently as possible,” he said.
The inaugural Take My Seat in Townsville late last year was a huge success, with locals including North Queensland Toyota Cowboys Chief Executive Officer Peter Jourdain taking part.
“Someone I know, who would normally say hello if I saw him on the street, walked straight past me without making eye contact. It was very interesting,” Peter said.
Department of Communities North Queensland Region Executive Director Matthew Lupi also participated in the Townsville event and said to this day he still reflected on what he had learnt, which had also positively impacted on his work.
Spinal Injuries Association member and Wicked Wheelchairs owner Dion Reweti will be a chaperone at the event as well as loaning 10 of his light-weight wheelchairs for the participants to use.
“I’m happy to be a part of anything that raises awareness in the community about spinal cord injuries. I’m sure Take My Seat will be a huge eye opener for the people taking part and I look forward to sharing some tips from my 20-plus years of experience of using a wheelchair,” Dion said.
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