A wheelchair is a manual or electric device with wheels that provides mobility to someone who cannot otherwise walk well or at all on their own. The wheelchair has been in use for close to 300 years. Today, there are many variations of manual wheelchairs and electric wheelchairs, which no longer makes these mobility devices basic.
Manual wheelchairs and electric wheelchairs come in three different basic styles; however, in the case of manual wheelchairs, there is the wheelbase, attendant-propelled, and self-propelled, most of which can be folded to easily store and transport. The person using a manual wheelchair will move it themselves. First, the wheelbase wheelchair has a seat that is specially made for those who are unable to sit upright. The manufacturer will make a cast mold of the person’s best position and replicate the shape from foam or plastic mesh. After wards, the rest of the chair is constructed around their form in order to give the user a custom fit.
Attendant-Propelled wheelchairs have handles on the back so the user’s caregiver can push them. Usually, the wheels of these chairs are smaller and rimless. These types of wheelchairs are for not only everyday use, but also hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, and hospices. Then there are self-propelled wheelchairs that showcase two hollow-tubed hand hand rims attached to two large wheels. Once a user becomes comfortable with a self-propelled wheelchair, they can move themselves up and down curbs as well as do the famous “wheelie.”
Manual wheelchairs and electric wheelchairs both come in three varying styles according to how they are powered – front wheel, center wheel, and rear wheel, all of which handle in a different manner. However, electric wheelchairs are also categorized by the kind of seat used. These wheelchairs and electric wheelchairs have a sling seat covering a metal frame that are much like the ones used on manual wheelchairs. More expensive models of wheelchairs and electric wheelchairs feature a “captain’s chair,” which is heavy and foam filled like a car’s.
There are some manual wheelchairs and electric wheelchairs that are used for particular purposes. A standing wheelchair lets the user stand in a direct upright position – these are moved with an hydraulic pump, but can also come in an electric version.
Wheelchairs, and electric wheelchairs particularly, can be motorized scooters that come with a joystick that the user manipulates to operate the chair. There are are also wheelchairs and electric wheelchairs that are made for bariatric patients who cannot fit their body frame into regular size wheelchairs.
Manual wheelchairs and electric wheelchairs that do not require the user to move them are usually best for those who are unable to operate their own wheelchair and can be operated inside the home as well as outside. Most of the time, manual wheelchairs are given to people who have full use of their arms and torso or to people who cannot afford an electric one due to insurance constraints.