He wasn't dragging himself 50 feet across a stage by his hands or something, shooing away would-be helpers. He just clambered up onto the stage (which is something mostly done with one's arms anyways), with the idea being that his wheelchair would be lifted (by others) onto the stage with him. But then they couldn't lift the wheelchair, so he had to come back down. So he did accept help.

I don't get why there are so many folks in this thread whose reaction to a guy in a wheelchair not getting the disability accommodations required by law is to blame the guy in the wheelchair...?