A FULL-TIME wheelchair user says she is “desperate” to afford a new chair which will give her a whole new level of independence.

Bethany Louise Coles, 29, has been in a wheelchair since birth as a result of her cerebral palsy, but has never let that stop her from trying to be as independent as possible.

Ms Coles, originally from Abertillery but having recently moved to Nantyglo, has faced daily struggles all her life due to her reliance on her wheelchair, and is now facing further financial difficulty as the chair she requires to be able to be truly independent is not available on the NHS.

Although she does currently live independently, she still has many issues as a wheelchair user in daily life, such as using public transport.

This includes having staff forget she needed help off the train. 

Bethany says she wants her disability to stop feeling like a barrierBethany says she wants her disability to stop feeling like a barrier (Image: Bethany Coles)

In a bid to stop her disability feeling like “a barrier” to her independence, Ms Coles is due to get a new chair in the coming months which will include a specialist piece of technology called a riser, which will enable her to carry out day-to-day activities which people who are not disabled may not think twice about, such as open upper cupboards and reach rails when she is out shopping.

However, the new equipment comes at a cost.

Ms Coles explained: “My new chair isn’t available on the NHS and it could cost me about £750 to get something I need to just be independent.

“All I want is to stop feeling like my disability is some sort of barrier in life, which can be really frustrating at times.

“I’ve had jobs turn me down because of my wheelchair, with some businesses saying that it seems like a fire or health and safety risk.

“Having this riser in my chair will enable me to have some sort of life because I’ll actually be able to go out in my chair and feel confident that I can see, like at concerts, or reach things without struggling or needing to ask for help.”

Ms Coles currently uses a powered chair with the riser fitted to it but faces losing it if she cannot afford to pay its costs, so she has turned to the public for support, setting up a GoFundMe page.

She said: “I really need the support of the public, as I don’t know where I would be without this equipment, it’s really saved me.

“Without it, I worry that I would be sat in the house feeling really bored and really isolated. As it is, I’ve really struggled to get any sort of reception-type work, like answering phones or typing on a computer, all because of my disability.

“I just want me and my wheelchair to be accepted in society, and not be seen as some sort of barrier.”

If you would like to donate to Ms Coles’ GoFundMe, you can do so here.