When Sexy Racecar Meets Powerchair it's a Happy Halloween!

 
By: Andrew Gurza

It’s spooky season, and even though this year has definitely shown us that we are indeed living in the upside down, I wanted to take a minute and talk about why it is fun, and dare I say sexy, to dress up for Halloween when you have a disability; how you can transform into someone totally different if you want to using role play and fantasy.  I also want to consider how dressing up can be both rewarding and challenging when using a mobility device. 

When I dress up for Halloween, I usually go for the classics: a sexy, gimpy ghost or a rough & tumble race car driver, and one year I even went as simply a hot disabled guy. LOL.  Each of these costumes were perfect for me because they incorporated my wheelchair: you can drape a sheet over me and my chair for the sexy, seated ghost; the rough and tumble race car driver involved adding a few extra lights to my power chair, and for hot disabled guy, I just had to wheel around flashing my big smile and teasing people with the size of my joystick.   Each of these costumes incorporated my disability in different ways, which made me feel empowered, sexy and included

I really enjoy dressing up for Halloween as a disabled person because for a brief moment in time, I get to escape the everyday realities of disability and just play.  I find that as a disabled person just having time to play is a rarity; you’re so busy dealing with doctors, disability-related pain, etc. that you don’t have any time to do anything else.  When you put on a costume as a disabled person, just for a second, you can be someone else if you need to; someone who doesn’t hurt all the time, someone who has sexy magical powers or something altogether mystical and fantastic!  Those moments of pure play are absolutely vital, and they can act as an aphrodisiac as well. 

Now, when dressing up for Halloween and using a mobility device like a power wheelchair, you want to look for materials that will not get in the way of the mechanics too much.  So, using cardboard boxes and cutouts is a really good idea and fitting them around the wheelchair, or anything that you can fasten to the wheelchair like ribbons or streamers, etc.  This is a great activity to do with your potential partners or playmates, as it will introduce them to a more playful side of disability.  Also, and I can’t stress this enough, don’t put anything close to the power buttons.   No one wants to see a sexy, seated ghost come barrelling at them out of the blue - it’s called bobbing for apples, not people.  

Lastly, if you want to put on any additional sexy clothing to your costume as a power wheelchair user, make sure to pick something that is really comfy and stretchy.    Many power wheelchairs are designed to fit the disabled person’s body, and it can be a really snug and tight fit.  So, pick an outfit that doesn’t restrict you and is easy to take on or off by yourself or with a sexy nurse’s help.   Or, better yet, you could spend a spooky night together wearing no clothes at all! 

Hope these tricks and tips help you have a happy, Handi Halloween!