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Am I hearing you correctly? You're telling me that it's being put in a wheelchair? I can fully understand because it happened to me last week, even though I don't need one. And I'm still shaken by the humiliation five days later.

I've just returned from a trip to New York City. Shortly before landing at Newark airport, the cabin crew asked if I need assistance when on the ground. Indeed I do; being blind, and not knowing the airport, a bit of 'sighted guide' (as it's known in the trade) is hugely appreciated, or I could be there for some time trying to find the way to my baggage and then out of the terminal.

"I'm afraid Newark only offers wheelchair assistance, sir," said the air steward.

"Well when the assistant arrives, can't I just follow him or hold his arm?"

"I'm afraid not."

There is history, here. Being stuffed in a wheelchair or electric buggy at train stations and airports is the stuff of heated discussion at blindie get-togethers. "I don't need a wheelchair so why do they make me use one?" Visually impaired people hate it. For them it's not normal.

In years gone by, blind people (my lot) would refuse wheeled help which often led to great confusion with the porters: "Just get in, it'll be much easier for you. I'll push you," they'd say not understanding the resistance.

Nowadays, the message has got through and most assistance services with transport understand that visually impaired people would rather walk to their destination in the way they usually would do.

Once off the plane at Newark, a man approached me. He was my help - and isn't it rather cool that this kind of help exists at all, really? - I asked him if I could walk instead but was refused. No. get in the wheelchair or I won't help you at all," he said. Nice.

I got in, flipping down those nice footplates and putting my huge trainers on them. He started pushing me.

Interestingly my girlfriend, who is also visually impaired, was allowed to follow the man while he took me first to a toilet (where I jumped out of the chair and left him) then to the baggage collection area (where I handled a big case onto a trolley) and then to a yellow taxi (who was going to refuse me because his cab wasn't wheelchair accessible, until I stood up and confused him).

We did toy with the idea of sharing the wheelchair. Me for the first fifty yards then girlfriend for the next fifty just to make a point. We decided this was plain silly. Then I came up with the idea of standing up on the seat of the wheelchair to show passers-by that I'm better than your average wheeler: "Eat my stamina" I was going to shout. I was also considering a Jesus crucifix pose while standing up and being pushed actually ... thought I'd add that because I might just as well offend as many people as I can with this article the way it's going.

OK. I own up. I don't think being in a wheelchair is in the least bit degrading. It's helpful, enabling, positive and gives independence. I'm a tease and was actually quite excited at being able to use a wheelchair for the first time - even though I had no choice.

Wheelchair users. I've not taken much notice of what you guys get up to but You've got that extra metallic round handrail thing that you push instead of touching the tyres. I like that. It's cool. I wanted to use it. Trouble is that the airport assistant wasn't about to let a blind person push himself round the terminal for reasons of health and safety. He insisted on pushing me all the way.

When we stopped though, I did take the opportunity to do a bit of static dancing: left wheel forward a bit, then the right, then the left. Cool! I got away with that for a few minutes until he noticed me inching further towards the baggage carousel and the people standing there. He grabbed the chair and pulled me back. I felt swiped-away, for want of a better phrase. Talk about disempowerment! I hated that.

The wheelchair was pretty alien to me. The only thing that really bothered me about being put in a wheelchair is the one-size-fits-all disability customer service. The reason I was in the wheelchair was for their ease (?). It wasn't about guiding me to where I needed to go it was about dealing with a 'disability problem' with one solution. Does this airport also put deaf people in wheelchairs if they ask for help?

Though I appreciated getting to my destination, I didn't much like the fact I was taken out of my world and forcibly put into theirs - if you know what I mean.

Whilst waiting for a taxi, I was very pleased when a young girl walking past me and my access chariot turned to her mother and said: "That man's blind." Happily she was able to see past the wheelchair.