laying wreaths
Along with 45 million people in Britain, I've just observed the 2-minute silence for Remembrance Sunday before the Queen and other senior people laid wreaths at the Cenotaph.
This solemn event isn't about disability of course - it's about death and honour - but some of the people who attended the ceremony did so in wheelchairs. I liked the way the wheelchairs were shown in a matter-of-fact way, neither hiding them nor announcing whether or not they were needed because of war injuries.
It also struck me that both Her Majesty, and the Duke of Edinburgh, laid wreaths while standing up and without walking sticks although both are over 80 years old. Her Majesty even continues to wear heels at events such as this. Has there ever been a wreath laid by a wheelchair user, I wonder? If so, I hope there was some appropriate accommodation made. Such as that person's spouse or a senior colleague pushing the wheelchair then transferring the wreath onto the memorial at the appropriate moment.
This solemn event isn't about disability of course - it's about death and honour - but some of the people who attended the ceremony did so in wheelchairs. I liked the way the wheelchairs were shown in a matter-of-fact way, neither hiding them nor announcing whether or not they were needed because of war injuries.
It also struck me that both Her Majesty, and the Duke of Edinburgh, laid wreaths while standing up and without walking sticks although both are over 80 years old. Her Majesty even continues to wear heels at events such as this. Has there ever been a wreath laid by a wheelchair user, I wonder? If so, I hope there was some appropriate accommodation made. Such as that person's spouse or a senior colleague pushing the wheelchair then transferring the wreath onto the memorial at the appropriate moment.