I recently got engaged to an amazing partner and mother. My fiancé's name is Amanda, and we met on an online dating app called Hinge. I still remember waking up one morning, opening the app, and seeing a message from her. I am always intrigued when a woman sends the first message. I have a good amount of experience with online dating apps. Usually, the guy has to initiate the conversation and, a lot of times, doesn't get a response back. I messaged her back and then clicked on her profile. I read her bio and looked through her profile pictures. My first thought was that I thought she was very attractive. She also had some things in her bio that I resonated with. I could tell she was on this app looking for something serious and the right reasons. Not just to hook up or find a fling. I was also on the app looking for something serious.
Dating in a wheelchair comes with its own challenges, and I have had mostly positive experiences regarding online dating. Amanda had tattoos and a big, beautiful smile. The next thing I noticed was she had a daughter. Her daughter was with her in some of her pictures. I appreciated her doing this because, in my profile pictures, I always made sure it showed my wheelchair. I have talked to other people in chairs, and they hide that they are in a chair because they are insecure or embarrassed or think that showing their wheelchair will turn people away.
If someone turns you down because of your wheelchair, they aren't suitable for you. I wanted to set myself up for meeting someone and having a successful relationship, and that starts with being honest and open about my situation. I always started by making sure the person knew I was in a chair. I also mentioned it in my bio.