Matthias Klei - Taking the World on Wheels - Electric wheelchair tour through northern Germany

100% adventure instead of 100% disability – a tour with an electric wheelchair

420 km (261 miles) in 7 days through northern Germany

With an electric wheelchair from Bielefeld via Hamburg and Cuxhaven to Bremerhaven in seven days.

The text below was a press release from the electric wheelchair tour through northern Germany, which I successfully completed in 2016. My experience reports can also be found on this page. Numerous newspaper articles have been published about this tour.

Bielefeld. My name is Matthias Klei, I was born in East Westphalia in 1970 and have been a quadriplegic since birth. I am an active wheelchair user who, despite my disability, which is 100% according to the law, leads an independent life with assistance.

Since 2013, I have been traveling to Hamburg regularly, at least once a month. I fell in love with the city, its special flair, its harbor, and its various attractions and opportunities. I am someone who is always looking for new challenges and pushing my limits, which is why I came up with the idea of traveling to Hamburg in my electric wheelchair. With the help of my assistants (my team consists of an average of 12 assistants who accompany me in my everyday life), two months of preparation, and the friendly support of Meyra GmbH from Kalletal-Kalldorf (www.meyra.de), which provided me with the right electric wheelchair for my project, the trip became more and more specific.

The originally planned route from Bielefeld to Hamburg via the Lüneburg Heath has now even been extended. My goal is to travel from Bielefeld via Hamburg and Cuxhaven to Bremerhaven within seven days, which means that some of my assistants, friends, and I will have to travel an average of 50 to 70 km per day. Due to my tetraplegia (increased tension in my skeletal muscles limits the movement of my arms and legs and makes them difficult to control. My fine motor skills are also severely impaired), it is very tiring and difficult for me to operate the electric wheelchair over long distances. When there are bumps, I have to keep the throttle of the electric wheelchair steady, which is an art in itself at speeds of up to 12 km/h. To make sure this works on my big tour, I have been practicing driving diligently in and around Bielefeld for two months and getting used to the new electric wheelchair.

In addition, I have worked with my assistants to devise a custom design that comfortably secures my arm to the backrest of the electric wheelchair. This should enable me to embark on the tour and complete it without any accidents. I can control my spasms to a certain extent, but I cannot switch them off completely. So I hope they don't throw a spanner in the works... after all, I'll be on the road for around seven to nine hours a day and under considerable strain. The increased tension in my muscles over a longer period of time could cause physical discomfort, which would force me to abandon the tour. To counteract this, my assistants have been given precise instructions by my physiotherapist on how to help me relax physically. I have also purchased a hydration pack, which is also used by cyclists and hikers, so that I can drink independently during the trip without having to stop. This takes the pressure off my assistants, we don't waste any precious time, and we can try to maintain an average speed of 8 to 10 km/h.

I will be accompanied on the tour by assistants and friends who enjoy cycling and camping. We will mainly spend our nights at campsites and tent sites, but spontaneous overnight stays on farms may be an alternative if we miss our daily destination or go beyond it. The tour was planned using a cycling map, and care was taken to ensure that the e-wheelchair can be charged at the selected campsites and tent sites. However, we did not inquire in advance by telephone whether the sites were wheelchair accessible. So far, there have been no obstacles that my assistants and I have not been able to overcome... we are a well-coordinated and resourceful team.

To ensure that I can access even the smallest spaces without my electric wheelchair, we are also bringing a small folding wheelchair. On my previous tours, we have always met friendly and helpful people who have been there to assist us, and we assume that we will encounter the same helpfulness on this trip. Every trip brings new adventures and challenges for my assistants and me, and that is precisely what makes traveling so valuable. In some cases, acquaintances made on such trips have developed into working relationships, and tour guides or helpers have become assistants.

There are two other aspects of the trip that are very important to me.

I would like to point out that a 100% disability should not limit a person's life, dreams, or activities. Even if the majority of society believes that people with disabilities cannot live independently and must be cared for in residential facilities, that does not mean that I have to accept this. I vehemently reject this concept. Every human being has the right to a self-determined life, as enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

We have been fighting for a new participation law for years. In December 2016, a law (Federal Participation Act (BTHG)) was passed that is rather negative for people with disabilities.

The upcoming law was discussed for several years in advance, and I was confident that some positive changes would be made. At the last minute, however, the law was changed so much that participation in social life is now more likely to be prevented than granted. Everyone talks about inclusion, but politicians are doing the opposite. If you would like to find out more about this issue, please visit the website www.NichtMeinGesetz.de or #NichtMeinGesetz.

For many years, I have also made it my mission to educate society about people with disabilities and to shake people up. That's why I try to break down prejudices through my actions, such as my trip, and to focus people's attention on the fact that I don't want to be wrapped in cotton wool. I just want to be able to lead a normal life, like any other person without a disability. That's why I created my website www.matthias-klei.de. Here, I use many examples from my own life to show what is possible and what should be possible despite a 100% disability.

Society is quick to label me as disabled... I sometimes wonder if I don't achieve or dare much more than many people without disabilities. My focus is on encouraging others to take risks or try new things. A lot is possible if you want it.

For example, with equipment and assistance, I dive up to 10 meters deep, ski and ride a trike with an escort, or, as in this case, travel. You have to work hard to build your life. I started doing this at the age of 14 when I was with the Boy Scouts. Over time, you become more and more confident.

Now I've reached a point where it's no longer about building something for myself, but about realizing my plans, which are becoming more and more spectacular.

To this end, I am constantly looking for sponsors who will support me in my adventures in any way they can.

I will provide more details about the route as it develops. Anyone who is interested is welcome to join us at any time. We would be delighted if we could give the idea of inclusion a face and bring it to life on this trip.

If you would like to find out more, you can contact me at any time, even during the tour, using the contact form.

Stage 1 / August 8, 2016 / 9:00 a.m. start

Bielefeld – Enger – Hiddenhausen – Löhne – Bad Oeynhausen – Porta Westfalica – Minden – Petershagen.

[ 71.3 km / 8:55 h (8 km/h) ]

Overnight stay: Campingplatz Lahde, Am Wehr 5, 32469 Petershagen,

(www.campingplatz-petershagen.de)

Stage 2 / August 9, 2016 / approx. 11:00 a.m. start

Petershagen – Windheim – Heimsen – Wasserstraße – Loccum – Rehburg – Weißer Berg – Eilvese – Hagen – Amedorf am Rübenberge.

[ 62 km / 7:45 h (8 km/h) ]

Overnight stay: Franzsee campsite, Amedorfer Straße,

(www.franzseebad.de)

Stage 3 / August 10, 2016 / approx. 11:00 a.m. start

From this stage, the route follows the Leine-Heide cycle path to Hamburg

Amedorf am Rübenberge – Mandelsloh – Brase – Niedernstöcken – Schwarmstedt – Bothmer – Büchten – Ahlden – Hodenhagen – Basselmannsheide – Düshorn – Meinerdingen – Bad Fallingbostel – Dorfmark – Camping Imbrock (Soltau)

[ approx. 60 km / 7:30 h (8 km/h) ]

Overnight stay: Camping Imbrock, Imbrock 4, 29614 Soltau,

(www.camping-freizeithof-imbrock.de)

Stage 4 / August 11, 2016 / approx. 11:00 a.m. start

Camping Imbrock (Soltau) – Soltau – Neuenkirchen – Sprengel – Vahlzen – Schülern – Wieckhorst – Schneeverdingen – Niederhaverbeck – Wilsede – Undeloh – Wesel – Holm Seppensen

[ approx. 46 km / 5:45 h (8 km/h) ]

Overnight stay: Campingplatz Hannes Henk, Weg zum Badeteich 20-30, D-21244 Buchholz Holm-Seppensen,

(www.campingplatz-nordheide.de/)

Stage 5 / August 12, 2016 / approx. 10:00 a.m. start

From the Landungsbrücken, take the Elbe Cycle Route to Brunsbüttel

Camping Holm – Seppensen – Buchholz – Rosengarten State Forest – Vahrendorf – HH Harburg train station – HH Wilhelmsburg – Veddeler Damm – Reiherdamm – St. Pauli Elbe Tunnel –

Astra Biergarten / Landungsbrücken 2, rest stop (afternoon – approx. 3:30 p.m.)

– HH Blankenese – HH Wedel (Camping ElbeCamp)

[ approx. 54 km / 6:45 h (8 km/h) ]

Overnight stay: Camping ElbeCamp, Falkensteiner Ufer 101, 22587 Hamburg,

(www.elbecamp.de/)

Stage 6 / August 13, 2016 / 9:00 a.m. start

Elbe Camp (HH Wedel) – Hörn (Kollmar, Elbdeich-Camping)

[ approx. 31 km / 3:53 hrs (8 km/h) ]

Overnight stay: Elbdeich-Camping Kollmar/Hörn, Johann von Drathen, Kleine Kirchreihe 22, 5377 Kollmar,

(www.elbdeich-camping.de)

Stage 7 / August 14, 2016 / 10:00 a.m. start

Hörn (Kollmar) – Brunsbüttel – Cuxhaven ferry – train to Bielefeld