The Importance of Being Social for Wheelchair Users
Friends
You do not need to be social with strangers if that makes you uncomfortable because you always have your friends. Gather up your friends every two weeks or maybe monthly and have fun and socialize. Go eat or go bowling, whatever everyone agrees to do because it will be more fun. Family can fall into this category of socializing because they can very much be like friends to you. It is also important to keep in constant contact with your friends so you will not isolate yourself and go out and have fun with them.
Strangers
If you are outgoing and do not mind starting a convo with someone you barely met or do not talk to at all then start making friends with new people you come across when you go out. Remember, if you have been keeping up with our articles then you will have a lot to talk about, if not go read them after you finish reading this to give you the upper hand. There are many places and ways you can meet and make friends with new people the list is virtually endless. An easy way to talk to strangers is social media and if you do not have social media then it is very easy to create the accounts. All you need is some basic information and an email. Start here to help you get comfortable and eventually being able to start conversations with people you do not know. Another way is to meet friends of friends and start hanging out with them more frequently when you see your group of friends. If you have a smartphone then you can download different apps to help you meet new people and start making friends.
Wheelchair Meet up groups
You can access a meetup group through social media like a Facebook page or a website. These meetups will be more interesting than meeting a random stranger because they will also be in a wheelchair. That is already one common interest everyone shares and surely they will be more. Joining a wheelchair community can help you get support if you are having any struggles. Some groups even offer the chance to play a sport and get a little active once in a wheel or make it a routine. Here is a link to a website that helps you find a wheelchair meet up group in your area and you can join it or you can even start one if you find that they are too far from you.
Summary
Do whatever you are most comfortable doing and start making new friends because it will improve your spirit and mood daily. Start with online if you need to then start meeting in person after they start to become a real friend. If they do not use a wheelchair then that is a good thing because they do not care about the fact that you are in a wheelchair and are interested in still being friends with you. Use social media like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and many more.