{"id":2460,"date":"2024-03-01T16:26:24","date_gmt":"2024-03-01T16:26:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/?p=2460"},"modified":"2025-04-10T15:04:39","modified_gmt":"2025-04-10T15:04:39","slug":"direct-access-nathan-leese-interviewed-on-international-wheelchair-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/news\/direct-access-nathan-leese-interviewed-on-international-wheelchair-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Direct Access\u2019 Nathan Leese interviewed on International Wheelchair Day"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"2460\" class=\"elementor elementor-2460\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section data-particle_enable=\"false\" data-particle-mobile-disabled=\"false\" class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-3fd27e8 elementor-section-height-min-height elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-items-middle\" data-id=\"3fd27e8\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3fdb8a5\" data-id=\"3fdb8a5\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-35ea666 elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-theme-post-title elementor-page-title elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"35ea666\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;fadeInUp&quot;,&quot;_animation_delay&quot;:300}\" data-widget_type=\"theme-post-title.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Direct Access\u2019 Nathan Leese interviewed on International Wheelchair Day<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-e8987fc\" data-id=\"e8987fc\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section data-particle_enable=\"false\" data-particle-mobile-disabled=\"false\" class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-735a331 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"735a331\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-b738333\" data-id=\"b738333\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3c62c1f elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"3c62c1f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d9413aa elementor-widget elementor-widget-post-info\" data-id=\"d9413aa\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"post-info.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"elementor-inline-items elementor-icon-list-items elementor-post-info\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item elementor-repeater-item-5b4e2a4 elementor-inline-item\" itemprop=\"datePublished\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/2024\/03\/01\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-calendar\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text elementor-post-info__item elementor-post-info__item--type-date\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<time>March 1, 2024<\/time>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section data-particle_enable=\"false\" data-particle-mobile-disabled=\"false\" class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-c518e08 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"c518e08\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-743bc2b\" data-id=\"743bc2b\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ddec0ed elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"ddec0ed\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG-20240301-WA0004-1-1024x682.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-2457\" alt=\"A photograph of two young male and caucasian teenage wheelchair users in dark blue and white sportswear sit on the corner of an indoor basketball court. A bench with a team captain\/coach, a middle aged woman, is sat at a table behind them observing the match.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG-20240301-WA0004-1-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG-20240301-WA0004-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG-20240301-WA0004-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG-20240301-WA0004-1-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG-20240301-WA0004-1.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-6cdf038\" data-id=\"6cdf038\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-21cca54 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"21cca54\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"simplyweb-checked\"><span class=\"simplyweb-checked\" style=\"color: #000000;\">International Wheelchair Day, observed annually on\u00a0March 1<sup class=\"simplyweb-checked\">st<\/sup>, is a global celebration of the profound impact wheelchairs have on the lives of millions around the world.<\/span><\/p><p class=\"simplyweb-checked\"><span class=\"simplyweb-checked\" style=\"color: #000000;\">To celebrate the occasion, we sat down to interview team member Nathan Leese about the positive impact his wheelchair has made in his life and his participation in his favourite adaptive sport; Wheelchair Basketball.<\/span><\/p><p class=\"simplyweb-checked\"><strong class=\"simplyweb-checked\"><span class=\"simplyweb-checked\" style=\"color: #000000;\">1. How did you first hear about\/become interested in wheelchair basketball?<\/span><\/strong><\/p><p class=\"simplyweb-checked\"><span class=\"simplyweb-checked\" style=\"color: #000000;\">The first time I came across Wheelchair Basketball was in 2012 when it was shown on TV during the 2012 Paralympics. Soon after this, I went to a Paralympic multi-sports event. At the event, I tried many different sports, but wheelchair Basketball was the one that I enjoyed the most. I then went on to meet with the head coach of my local team which was and still is Stoke Spitfires, I have been playing there ever since.<\/span><\/p><p class=\"simplyweb-checked\"><strong class=\"simplyweb-checked\"><span class=\"simplyweb-checked\" style=\"color: #000000;\">2. How does wheelchair basketball differentiate from regular basketball in terms of rules and gameplay?<\/span><\/strong><\/p><p class=\"simplyweb-checked\"><span class=\"simplyweb-checked\" style=\"color: #000000;\">Wheelchair basketball is quite similar to regular basketball in many ways. However, there is no double dribble rule in wheelchair basketball. Players in Wheelchair Basketball have to push the rims twice and then bounce the ball, as normal basketball needs to be continuous dribbling. In my personal experience wheelchair Basketball is extremely technical, as a player needs to be able to push the chair, look for teammates to pass to, and try and prevent the chair from crashing into other opponents\/walls.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section data-particle_enable=\"false\" data-particle-mobile-disabled=\"false\" class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-aab14b2 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"aab14b2\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4d97004\" data-id=\"4d97004\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-53c958d elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"53c958d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-31a04f9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"31a04f9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"simplyweb-checked\"><strong><span class=\"simplyweb-checked\" style=\"color: #000000;\">6. The Wheelchair isn\u2019t usually celebrated in wider society. It\u2019s often seen negatively. A device that you are \u201cconfined to\u201d or \u201cbound\u201d by. What does your wheelchair mean to you?<\/span><\/strong><\/p><p class=\"simplyweb-checked\"><span class=\"simplyweb-checked\" style=\"color: #000000;\">My Wheelchair is my form of transport, it helps me hugely with traveling to different places\/events and helps me to meet up with friends and family. Without my wheelchair, I would be confined to only walking a short distance on my walking sticks. It ultimately means freedom and independence.<\/span><\/p><p class=\"simplyweb-checked\"><strong><span class=\"simplyweb-checked\" style=\"color: #000000;\">7. What advice would you give to someone who is either newly diagnosed or injured and is in the process of obtaining a chair for the first time?<\/span><\/strong><\/p><p class=\"simplyweb-checked\"><span class=\"simplyweb-checked\" style=\"color: #000000;\">I would say that it is nothing to be nervous about, a Wheelchair can be difficult to maneuver at first, however, it doesn\u2019t take long to get used to and it can also look cool and become a fun piece of equipment.<\/span><\/p><p class=\"simplyweb-checked\"><strong><span class=\"simplyweb-checked\" style=\"color: #000000;\">8. What do you do with your free time away from basketball?<\/span><\/strong><\/p><p class=\"simplyweb-checked\"><span class=\"simplyweb-checked\" style=\"color: #000000;\">Away from Basketball I play video games, listen to music, and go out to complete different activities with my friends and family.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-5b14fdb\" data-id=\"5b14fdb\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-08877ec elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"08877ec\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d7c4837 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"d7c4837\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG-20240301-WA0009-1024x768.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-2458\" alt=\"A mixed group of teenage wheelchair users within an indoor basketball court smile as they pose for a photo. Above them is a basketball hoop.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG-20240301-WA0009-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG-20240301-WA0009-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG-20240301-WA0009-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG-20240301-WA0009-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG-20240301-WA0009.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section data-particle_enable=\"false\" data-particle-mobile-disabled=\"false\" class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-10a7c95 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"10a7c95\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-edf93b5\" data-id=\"edf93b5\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-35ea379 elementor-post-navigation-borders-yes elementor-widget elementor-widget-post-navigation\" data-id=\"35ea379\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"post-navigation.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post-navigation\" role=\"navigation\" aria-label=\"Post Navigation\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post-navigation__prev elementor-post-navigation__link\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/news\/why-the-parking-lot-is-the-first-indicator-of-your-sites-accessibility\/\" rel=\"prev\"><span class=\"post-navigation__arrow-wrapper post-navigation__arrow-prev\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-angle-left\"><\/i><span class=\"elementor-screen-only\">Prev<\/span><\/span><span class=\"elementor-post-navigation__link__prev\"><span class=\"post-navigation__prev--label\">Previous<\/span><span class=\"post-navigation__prev--title\">Why the parking lot is the first indicator of your site&#8217;s accessibility<\/span><\/span><\/a>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post-navigation__separator-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post-navigation__separator\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post-navigation__next elementor-post-navigation__link\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/news\/how-to-maximize-accessibility-and-inclusion-in-prayer-rooms\/\" rel=\"next\"><span class=\"elementor-post-navigation__link__next\"><span class=\"post-navigation__next--label\">Next<\/span><span class=\"post-navigation__next--title\">How to maximize accessibility and inclusion in prayer rooms<\/span><\/span><span class=\"post-navigation__arrow-wrapper post-navigation__arrow-next\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-angle-right\"><\/i><span class=\"elementor-screen-only\">Next<\/span><\/span><\/a>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section data-particle_enable=\"false\" data-particle-mobile-disabled=\"false\" class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-b922621 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"b922621\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-b9b50c2\" data-id=\"b9b50c2\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>International Wheelchair Day, observed annually on\u00a0March 1st, is a global celebration of the profound impact wheelchairs have on the lives of millions around the world. To celebrate the occasion, we sat down to interview team member Nathan Leese about the positive impact his wheelchair has made in his life and his participation in his favourite [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2457,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_header_footer","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2460","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Direct Access\u2019 Nathan Leese interviewed on International Wheelchair Day - Direct Access Middle East<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"International Wheelchair Day, observed on March 1st, is a celebration of wheelchairs and their impact on the lives of those who use them.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/news\/direct-access-nathan-leese-interviewed-on-international-wheelchair-day\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Direct Access\u2019 Nathan Leese interviewed on International Wheelchair Day - Direct Access Middle East\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"International Wheelchair Day, observed on March 1st, is a celebration of wheelchairs and their impact on the lives of those who use them.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/news\/direct-access-nathan-leese-interviewed-on-international-wheelchair-day\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Direct Access Middle East\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DirectAccessGp\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-03-01T16:26:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-04-10T15:04:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG-20240301-WA0004-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2048\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1364\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Michael Miller\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@DirectAccessGp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@DirectAccessGp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Michael Miller\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/news\\\/direct-access-nathan-leese-interviewed-on-international-wheelchair-day\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/news\\\/direct-access-nathan-leese-interviewed-on-international-wheelchair-day\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Michael Miller\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3521a65816a2a1548014d1cdb361df4b\"},\"headline\":\"Direct Access\u2019 Nathan Leese interviewed on International Wheelchair Day\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-03-01T16:26:24+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-10T15:04:39+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/news\\\/direct-access-nathan-leese-interviewed-on-international-wheelchair-day\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":436,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/news\\\/direct-access-nathan-leese-interviewed-on-international-wheelchair-day\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/IMG-20240301-WA0004-1.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/news\\\/direct-access-nathan-leese-interviewed-on-international-wheelchair-day\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/news\\\/direct-access-nathan-leese-interviewed-on-international-wheelchair-day\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/news\\\/direct-access-nathan-leese-interviewed-on-international-wheelchair-day\\\/\",\"name\":\"Direct Access\u2019 Nathan Leese interviewed on International Wheelchair Day - Direct Access Middle East\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/news\\\/direct-access-nathan-leese-interviewed-on-international-wheelchair-day\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/news\\\/direct-access-nathan-leese-interviewed-on-international-wheelchair-day\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/IMG-20240301-WA0004-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-03-01T16:26:24+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-10T15:04:39+00:00\",\"description\":\"International Wheelchair Day, observed on March 1st, is a celebration of wheelchairs and their impact on the lives of those who use them.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/news\\\/direct-access-nathan-leese-interviewed-on-international-wheelchair-day\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/news\\\/direct-access-nathan-leese-interviewed-on-international-wheelchair-day\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/news\\\/direct-access-nathan-leese-interviewed-on-international-wheelchair-day\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/IMG-20240301-WA0004-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/IMG-20240301-WA0004-1.jpg\",\"width\":2048,\"height\":1364,\"caption\":\"A photograph of two young male and caucasian teenage wheelchair users in dark blue and white sportswear sit on the corner of an indoor basketball court. A bench with a team captain\\\/coach, a middle aged woman, is sat at a table behind them observing the match.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/news\\\/direct-access-nathan-leese-interviewed-on-international-wheelchair-day\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Direct Access\u2019 Nathan Leese interviewed on International Wheelchair Day\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/\",\"name\":\"Direct Access Middle East\",\"description\":\"International award-winning disability and accessibility organisation led by disabled people.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Direct Access Middle East\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/07\\\/Dark-Logo-Transparent-Background.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/07\\\/Dark-Logo-Transparent-Background.png\",\"width\":1328,\"height\":262,\"caption\":\"Direct Access Middle East\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/DirectAccessGp\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/DirectAccessGp\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/directaccessconsultancy\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@directaccessconsultancy\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/direct-access-consultancy-ltd\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3521a65816a2a1548014d1cdb361df4b\",\"name\":\"Michael Miller\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/wp-content\\\/litespeed\\\/avatar\\\/b3332a6f067777fad9e51846aaad3a1a.jpg?ver=1776887013\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/wp-content\\\/litespeed\\\/avatar\\\/b3332a6f067777fad9e51846aaad3a1a.jpg?ver=1776887013\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/wp-content\\\/litespeed\\\/avatar\\\/b3332a6f067777fad9e51846aaad3a1a.jpg?ver=1776887013\",\"caption\":\"Michael Miller\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/directaccessgp.com\\\/ae\\\/author\\\/mmiller\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Direct Access\u2019 Nathan Leese interviewed on International Wheelchair Day - Direct Access Middle East","description":"International Wheelchair Day, observed on March 1st, is a celebration of wheelchairs and their impact on the lives of those who use them.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/news\/direct-access-nathan-leese-interviewed-on-international-wheelchair-day\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Direct Access\u2019 Nathan Leese interviewed on International Wheelchair Day - Direct Access Middle East","og_description":"International Wheelchair Day, observed on March 1st, is a celebration of wheelchairs and their impact on the lives of those who use them.","og_url":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/news\/direct-access-nathan-leese-interviewed-on-international-wheelchair-day\/","og_site_name":"Direct Access Middle East","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DirectAccessGp","article_published_time":"2024-03-01T16:26:24+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-04-10T15:04:39+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2048,"height":1364,"url":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG-20240301-WA0004-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Michael Miller","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@DirectAccessGp","twitter_site":"@DirectAccessGp","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Michael Miller","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/news\/direct-access-nathan-leese-interviewed-on-international-wheelchair-day\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/news\/direct-access-nathan-leese-interviewed-on-international-wheelchair-day\/"},"author":{"name":"Michael Miller","@id":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/#\/schema\/person\/3521a65816a2a1548014d1cdb361df4b"},"headline":"Direct Access\u2019 Nathan Leese interviewed on International Wheelchair Day","datePublished":"2024-03-01T16:26:24+00:00","dateModified":"2025-04-10T15:04:39+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/news\/direct-access-nathan-leese-interviewed-on-international-wheelchair-day\/"},"wordCount":436,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/news\/direct-access-nathan-leese-interviewed-on-international-wheelchair-day\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG-20240301-WA0004-1.jpg","articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/news\/direct-access-nathan-leese-interviewed-on-international-wheelchair-day\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/news\/direct-access-nathan-leese-interviewed-on-international-wheelchair-day\/","url":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/news\/direct-access-nathan-leese-interviewed-on-international-wheelchair-day\/","name":"Direct Access\u2019 Nathan Leese interviewed on International Wheelchair Day - Direct Access Middle East","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/news\/direct-access-nathan-leese-interviewed-on-international-wheelchair-day\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/news\/direct-access-nathan-leese-interviewed-on-international-wheelchair-day\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG-20240301-WA0004-1.jpg","datePublished":"2024-03-01T16:26:24+00:00","dateModified":"2025-04-10T15:04:39+00:00","description":"International Wheelchair Day, observed on March 1st, is a celebration of wheelchairs and their impact on the lives of those who use them.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/news\/direct-access-nathan-leese-interviewed-on-international-wheelchair-day\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/news\/direct-access-nathan-leese-interviewed-on-international-wheelchair-day\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/news\/direct-access-nathan-leese-interviewed-on-international-wheelchair-day\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG-20240301-WA0004-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG-20240301-WA0004-1.jpg","width":2048,"height":1364,"caption":"A photograph of two young male and caucasian teenage wheelchair users in dark blue and white sportswear sit on the corner of an indoor basketball court. A bench with a team captain\/coach, a middle aged woman, is sat at a table behind them observing the match."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/news\/direct-access-nathan-leese-interviewed-on-international-wheelchair-day\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Direct Access\u2019 Nathan Leese interviewed on International Wheelchair Day"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/#website","url":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/","name":"Direct Access Middle East","description":"International award-winning disability and accessibility organisation led by disabled people.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/#organization","name":"Direct Access Middle East","url":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Dark-Logo-Transparent-Background.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Dark-Logo-Transparent-Background.png","width":1328,"height":262,"caption":"Direct Access Middle East"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DirectAccessGp","https:\/\/x.com\/DirectAccessGp","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/directaccessconsultancy\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@directaccessconsultancy","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/direct-access-consultancy-ltd\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/#\/schema\/person\/3521a65816a2a1548014d1cdb361df4b","name":"Michael Miller","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-content\/litespeed\/avatar\/b3332a6f067777fad9e51846aaad3a1a.jpg?ver=1776887013","url":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-content\/litespeed\/avatar\/b3332a6f067777fad9e51846aaad3a1a.jpg?ver=1776887013","contentUrl":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-content\/litespeed\/avatar\/b3332a6f067777fad9e51846aaad3a1a.jpg?ver=1776887013","caption":"Michael Miller"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/directaccessgp.com"],"url":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/author\/mmiller\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2460","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2460"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2460\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3963,"href":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2460\/revisions\/3963"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2457"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2460"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2460"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/ae\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2460"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}