Dear Editor,

I am writing this letter to express concern for a practice that many people have that greatly bothers me. I have MS and am in a wheelchair.

Fortunately, my only serious problem is that I can’t walk. Many people will address me as if I am completely disabled and refer to my husband as my “caretaker.”

Thankfully, I have a good husband that assists me with things that are difficult to do, but he is my husband—not my “caretaker.” I am able to do many things for myself and find it worrisome that many people think a wheelchair means complete inability to function normally.

I’m lucky that MS is now somewhat controllable with the new medicines and allows those with this disease to function more independently than ever before. Therefore, it is disturbing for people to view us as less than we are.

Although, I’m sure most people mean well when they express their “concern,” I believe they should understand that a wheelchair does not take away a person’s life—in fact, it is a means to more independence.

Many people who are in wheelchairs—for many different reasons—have this same concern. Being in a chair does not mean you are “sick” or totally unable to live a normal and full life. It is hard to have people view us as such.

It is true that a wonderful part of life, the ability to walk, has been taken from us—please don’t take our pride and sense of normal humanity from us also.

Thank you,

Susanne Alewine

Prosperity