This question was posed…what are your pros/cons on being in a wheelchair for a day?
My personal opinion as a part-time WC-user, I think that it’s necessary for engineers, life-planners, etc. when planning and designing for anything from medical equipment to everyday functioning.
The down-side is that I don’t think that using a WC for a few hours will give the full-impact of - well, everything.
I love this idea. I've seen a few videos of things like this and I thought it was a great idea. There are things that people just can't get their head around unless they've actually been in the situation, and I think using a wheelchair is one of those things. When I'm out with people they often comment on how they've never noticed how many steps or curbs are around, or how often lifts are out of order, or how annoying it is when doors don't have enough space around them for me to maneuvre round.
They also can't believe at how many people stare at people in wheelchairs. I think being in a wheelchair for a day - or even 10 minutes - will mean that people can better understand what it's like. I think that an experience like this would inspire empathy, not sympathy.