Trapped Indoors

My arm and shoulder strength has fallen to the point where getting out of the doors on my building has become problematic. I have to lean forward, something that is hard to do when I am set back in my wheelchair. Then I have to move my hand forward to the door handle, another non-trivial task. Finally I have to push or pull as needed.

Pushing is not a real problem. I approach the door closely, putting pressure on it with my toes. This pressure, when applied properly, causes the door to pop open a bit once I get the lever handle down. I have to be careful, though. If I apply too much pressure with my toes, I am unable to move the lever. If I apply too little pressure, nothing happens, leaving me to start the whole process again with a bit more pressure on the door.

It's the pulling part that is most difficult. If I can position myself just slightly to the side of the door, usually I can open it enough to tuck my wheelchair foot pads inside the open door, then use my wheelchair to push the door open completely. However if I don't get that tuck quite far enough, the first movement of my wheelchair will lose the edge of the door, allowing it to close. I have to start again.

What's worse is when I am in an enclosed hallway where the door swings inward. I have to move as far as I can towards the wall where the door opens. Then I lean forward, doing my best to grab the lever or knob so I can pull it slightly towards me, until it hits the chair. After first contact, I back up while holding the lever, opening the door as I go, trying to make a turn such that I can move myself forward into the gap, finishing the job of opening the door. This, of course, assumes I don't lose my grip on the door knob while attempting this ballet of chair and door.

I've asked the condo board if they might consider putting handicapped buttons on the three doors I must use to exit the building. Their response, rightly so, is that it's not just three doors. If they do these three for me, they have to do all the exit/entry doors in the three buildings in our complex. That's about 10 - 15 doors. This doesn't include the inside fire doors which would also make the list at some point. So things are not likely to change here.

It's another reason to have a live-in, so I can have some help with the doors when I want to go out. For now, though arduous, it is a task I can complete most times, albeit with multiple attempts. I've already begun avoiding going out because of this. Soon, though, I will be unable to do doors, even my apartment door. Then I will be truly trapped without help.