For many people, wheelchairs represent limited mobility, or a prison of sorts. Some are lucky enough to use them temporarily, some use it for certain activities, and for others, life seems to be confined to the 18×16 piece of moving nylon they now call home.

But being confined to a wheelchair doesn’t have to mean the end of life. It just means the end of life as you knew it, and the beginning of a new and different type of life and mobility. And often, it is within the very constricting confines of the wheelchair that the spirit gains its greatest mobility, finding new ways to live, and learn, to give and teach and love, surpassing what it had previously thought possible.

Take Sheila Pitt, for example. Due to a riding accident, the University of Arizona art teacher became a quadriplegic. And yet, though she had no use of her arms, she returned to teach and create the art she loves. Her critique is more thorough and precise, as she uses keen perception and careful dialogue to motivate her students. Her artwork combines her skill as a printmaker, adaptive techniques, and a more reflective perspective on life and the world around her. Her pieces are showcased in galleries around the country. For more on Sheila Pitt, visit her website or click here.

So, although it is really important to choose the right wheelchair, the bigger question is: What will you do in yours?