Arguably, life has gotten easier with technology. However, it doesn’t make every aspect of life easier. Although meeting someone online is as simple as signing up for an app or website, it takes more than creating an account to make a genuine connection. Dating still requires you to put yourself out there and get to know someone. What happens after you send or receive the first message? Our Q Roll Models and brand ambassadors spill on their experiences and give their best dating tips for wheelchair users.
Traditional Dating Tips for Wheelchair Users
Bryan Anderson acknowledges the challenges of dating, but says that if you have the right mindset, you’ll have a better chance of meeting someone great. For him, it means not focusing on his disability, yet being as open as possible when someone he’s interested in asks about it. He stresses the importance of balance between being yourself and not letting your disability overshadow any progress within the relationship.
When it comes to meeting people, you can meet them anywhere! Bryan has met dates at restaurants, bars, the library, museums and more. Remember that when it comes to planning a date, the place you or your date picks needs to be accessible so you can both focus on getting to know each other and having a good time.
Online Dating Tips for Wheelchair Users
Online dating is a little bit different than dating in person. When it comes to meeting people, there are hundreds of dating apps that you can choose. Tim Shin says it’s about choosing the right app for you. Unless you have a specific interest in mind, Tim recommends starting with the most popular app and go from there. Keep in mind that websites and apps need money to continue operating.
Unlike traditional dating where someone will see your wheelchair when they see you, you can curate your profile to not show your wheelchair. While some wheelchair users prefer to do this and disclose their disability later, Tim suggests being honest and up front with potential matches. They may ask some uncomfortable questions, just like in traditional dating, but not being honest about your disability could hurt your potential relationship in the long run.
What Comes Next?
All of the potential challenges that come with dating are one thing, but what does it mean in marriage? If you want to get married one day, Merlisha has some advice based on her experience as a wheelchair user. Merlisha discusses enormous pressures of life testing the strength of relationships, especially the part of marriage vows where the couple promises that they’ll stay together in sickness and in health. She talks about the struggles of asking for help and leaning on someone else, but how it’s much easier with love. She states that true love is almost never 50/50 and that sometimes you give some and sometimes you take more. Her most important nugget of information is that when it comes to love that lasts, it’s important to remember that you and your partner are both equal and worthy of each other’s love and effort.
