We finally started the process for getting Jon a new wheelchair on August 19. No, let’s back up a bit: We started the process for getting Jon a new wheelchair sometime last year, but the stars (and government agencies) didn’t align properly until now.

Jon’s been using the wheelchair frame he was prescribed four years ago, which, in a word, is crap. (For those not in the know, wheelchairs start with the basic metal frame, on which you can add all the not-quite-optional extras, like footrests, wheels, backrests and seats.) It’s a Category 2 frame, which means it is not very adjustable – only a limited number of options for wheel/footrest/armrest size, angle or position. He had the chair totally reoutfitted two years ago, and instead of junking it and starting with a better chair (like a Category 3, which is wholly adjustable), for some reason the same crap frame was expanded on and added to instead – which ended up costing about the same amount as the original chair.

Aside: I remember mentioning the cost of Jon’s current chair seat (a bare-bones thing made of hard foam and fabric) to my brother-in-law, who yelled “What! $600! For that price it should be a custom gel seat!” Bit of a difference of size of market for bikes vs. chairs! But I digress.

So, in July 2003 we went to the wheelchair clinic at Bloorview-MacMillan to start the process of getting a new chair. The physiotherapist asked us to put it off until Jon grew a bit, to give the government a nice, easy reason for requesting a new one (seemed reasonable, since they’ll be paying for half of it). Also, we were told to apply for a particular government grant for disabled children so that the full cost of the chair would be covered (sounds good to me!). I’ll leave it to your imagination, the hoops we had to jump through to apply for the grant. Suffice to say I don’t like government forms – especially 20-page ones!

Fast-forward to 2004. We got approved for the grant in April; get a clinic appointment in August. It takes five people to get Jon all measured up for the new chair: the physiotherapist, the seating specialist, the wheelchair vendor and the two parents who have to tell the other three “no, it has to be able to fit in a station wagon” or “no chest strap, because Jon would hang himself on one of those”. Now we sit tight and wait another couple of months until the government approves payment, and then – maybe, maybe – Jon’ll get his new wheelchair by November or so…

Ah well, too bad we couldn’t get one of these babies for Jon’s chair. He’d love the speed!