You make a good point.
I don’t agree that no one pushes wheelchairs on people who don’t need them (based on my personal experience). I live in a country with socialized medicine so i am not used to cost being a barrier to care, and i didn’t consider the american context.
you are definitely right that i am looking at wheelchairs the wrong way. i agree that they are liberating for many people. lately i have been pushing a stroller and it opened my eyes the tiniest bit to how many places are hostile to anything on wheels. i can barely imagine the access challenges that a person in a chair faces. the metaphor i used was totally off the mark in that respect.
i will let my comment stand, but i will think about what you said and try to be better.