Learning how to use a new wheelchair may take some time. Caregivers, occupational therapists, and wheelchair suppliers can give information and assistance that will help a wheelchair user get used to a new chair. Getting up to speed on a new wheelchair involves learning the new controls and adjusting the chair for your body. Even a seasoned wheelchair user has to learn how to move the new chair safely indoors and outdoors and how to get in and out of it. For a wheelchair user who drives, it will take practice to find the best way to get the new chair in and out of a vehicle.
While many wheelchair users have just one chair at a time, it’s not unusual to have more than one. Chairs last anywhere from two to twenty years, and it’s common to use an old chair as a backup after getting a new one. Wheelchair users may have different chairs for different purposes. A traveler may want a lightweight or folding chair for trips. Users who enjoy sports may have chairs specially adapted for their favorite activities. Wheelchairs for beach and backcountry use make the natural world more easily accessible by disabled outdoor enthusiasts.
Some people who use wheelchairs ride or drive in regular cars while others use vans. Wheelchair van dealers customize minivans and full size wheelchair vans to meet the needs of wheelchair users. Options include raised roofs, dropped floors, wheelchair lifts, hand controls, electric transfer seats, and electric lockdowns.
The safest way for wheelchair users to travel in a car is to transfer to the seat of the vehicle and use seatbelts. The wheelchair then gets stored in or on top of the vehicle. A mechanical roof box makes it easy to store a wheelchair on top of a car. The mechanical car topper can fold, lift, and lock away a manual wheelchair with minimal effort in as little as 90 seconds. Operated from the normal driving position, it protects the wheelchair from the elements and frees up passenger space in the car.
If transferring to the vehicle seat is not an option for the wheelchair user, the wheelchair must be secured facing forward. Experts recommend a WC19 wheelchair, or transit wheelchair, which is a wheelchair that has been designed and tested specifically for use in motor vehicles. If a WC19 wheelchair is not available the next best option is a wheelchair with an accessible metal frame for attaching tie down straps and hooks. For safety reasons, it is important to use a complete Wheelchair Tiedown and Occupant Restraint System (WTORS), which consists of a device for securing the wheelchair in a motor vehicle and a belt-type restraint system for limiting the movement of the wheelchair occupant in a crash.
Air travel for people in wheelchairs.
Getting up to speed on a new wheelchair involves learning the new controls
and adjusting to the changes for your body. Even a seasoned wheelchair user
has to learn how to move the new chair safely indoors and outdoors and how
to get in and out of it. For a wheelchair user who drives, it will take
practice to find the best way to get the new chair in and out of a vehicle.
One user found that it felt odd getting used to a new chair, even though
it was almost identical to his old one. He found it took a week or so for
his body to get comfortable, but a month or two to adjust to the difference
in suspension and weight distribution.
While many wheelchair users have just one chair at a time, it’s not unusual to have more than one. Chairs last anywhere from two to twenty years, and it’s common to use an old chair as a backup after getting a new one. Other than that, wheelchair users may have different chairs for different purposes. A traveler may want a lightweight or folding chair for trips. Wheelchairs as light as 16 pounds are easy to use and transport and can be kept in a storage bag. Users who enjoy sports may have chairs specially adapted for their favorite activities. Wheelchairs for beach and backcountry use make the natural world more easily accessible by disabled outdoor enthusiasts.
