April 23, 2022
By: Dwayne Page
Students and staff at DeKalb County High School experienced what life in a wheelchair is like firsthand Thursday as part of the Team ALeX “Spend a Day in My Wheels” challenge.
The idea for the challenge came from 16-year-old Alex Johnson, a tenth grader at Friendship Christian School in Lebanon and a wheelchair user. Alex is the son of Smithville native and DCHS alumni Nathan Johnson. Alex is the grandson of Mike and Jeana Johnson.
The challenge is used to raise accessibility awareness for people that use wheelchairs and other mobility devices. Team ALeX challenges participants to spend a work or school day doing their daily activities in a wheelchair. Alex designed the challenge to open everyone’s eyes to the difficulties people with mobility devices face on a daily basis. The Permobil Foundation supplies the wheelchairs for all wheelchair challenges. Through a partnership with the Permobil Foundation, Alex hopes to change the world one challenge at a time.
DCHS Assistant Principal Thomas Cagle and DCHS Senior Brayden Tubbs were among nine students, three teachers, one administrator, and Director of Schools Patrick Cripps who took part in the daylong event.
“We did as many challenges in the wheelchairs as we could during the day from going to all our classes, the restroom, and cafeteria and we had a pre-checked box of things to try to accomplish today in the wheelchairs. The goal was to stay in the wheelchairs all day and to try to do as many things as possible. Some things we struggled with but that is part of the point to understand the impact wheelchairs can have on individuals that need them and for us to gain some empathy for those people and try to understand what life is like for them and how it is different,” said Cagle.
Tubbs said he took the challenge and found the experience to be an eye opener.
“It was different. You feel like you are on a different level than other people. Its like people have to look down at you. Its just a weird feeling but it was a learning experience. It was hard. My arms are killing me right now. I am definitely going to be sore tomorrow,” said Tubbs.