Wheelchairs Information

The Wheelchair
Everyone recognises the manual wheelchair. It is, after all, the symbol denoting disabled access, parking, toilets and other special facilities (and is also scattered liberally through this web site!). The wheelchair is one of the most used but, arguably, least understood item of rehabilitation equipment.

The range of models and styles is enormous. AustralCare has access to over forty different manual wheelchairs as well as a range of special accessories. Why?

Firstly, a person with limited mobility may sit in a wheelchair for up to fourteen hours a day – every day. This means a comfortable, well-fitting wheelchair is essential. The seat should be the correct width, providing support and adequate room to move; the armrests, whether fixed or removable, should also be the right height and cushioning and suit the occupant’s requirements for access to desks and tables, or be specially fitted to provide secure support for stroke cases. The seat should be the correct depth from front to rear; the back should be the correct height and at the correct angle. The leg rests should be set at the right length to provide not only support for the legs, but also to set the correct angle for the thighs to give the proper weight distribution for minimal-pressure sitting. Seat cushions may be required to help distribute the pressure on the buttocks and to encourage more even blood circulation. In more critical cases, special pressure-relief seating may be indicated to help prevent the formation of pressure sores. Does it need a reclining back or elevating leg rests? Are amputee or other special supports required?

There are other considerations:- Is the occupant going to propel the wheelchair? – with or without hand rims? Or is a carer going to provide the motive power? Will it require foam-filled or pneumatic tyres? Can the user operate it with only one hand? Is a hand-lever driven model required? If extra-width is necessary for a larger person, are they within the weight limit of the chair?

What about the carer? Can they easily fold the wheelchair and put it in the car? Is the car big enough? Is a carrier necessary? Can they transfer the occupant between the wheelchair and the bed? Or the chair? Are the handles at the right height? Will they have to negotiate steps and kerbs?

Finally, does the wheelchair have a satisfactory warranty and meet the necessary Australia / New Zealand / European or International Standards? Or is it a “special’, imported in bulk?

There’s quite a lot to the common old wheelchair, isn’t there?