Everything about wheelchairs
As per definition wheelchairs are devices that offer mobility to persons disabled due to an accident. It is a chair that can either be moved manually through pushing of the wheels on either side or automatically by attached machinery. People who face difficulty in walking, either due to health problems or some mental health issues, or who have faced a physical injury causing disability need wheelchairs.
Wheel benches are typically used by people who face both walking and sitting disabilities. According to the Oxford Dictionary wheelchairs existed way back in the 1670s in England. In Europe wheelchairs were widely used during German Renaissance periods.
Forms of wheelchairs
In a manual wheelchair you will typically find a back and a seat. There will also be two small wheels located in the front, also called caster wheels and the larger two wheels on either side along with a place to rest the feet.
Most wheelchairs build upon this basic structure and today one can obtain customised wheelchairs according to individual requirements. Features that can be customised include the footrest, height from seat to the floor, size of the seat, backrests, caster wheel outriggers, controls etc. People who have specialised requirements might need a greater degree of customization on the wheelchair.
Add-on parts like wheels, bars without tips, backrests with adjusts, safety belt, reclining and tilting aspects, limb and neck supports, mounts to carry crutches, oxygen tanks, cloth protection mechanisms, drink holders etc. are easily available these days.
There have been various studies carried out using different kinds of wheels such as mecanum or the omniwheel variants. These provide higher degrees of directional motion.
Some electric wheelchair types have Mecanum wheels that provide maximum motion ability. You can drive sideways, backwards and forwards as well as diagonally. One can also use this wheelchair to turn around 360 degrees at the same place using joystick mechanisms.
Wheelchair Descriptions:
Manual wheelchairs:
necessitate human movement to facilitate their motion. The three kinds of wheelchairs of manual type are attendant propelled, self propelled as well as wheelbase kinds. You can fold these manual wheelchairs to facilitate easy storage or place it into a vehicle. However, many modern wheelchairs can be difficult to fold up.
Self propelled wheelchairs:
are those where the occupant moves the wheelchair forward. by pushing/rotating the 20 or 26 inch diameter wheels on either side the wheelchair. Hand rims situated on the outer portion of the wheels are pushed by the occupant's hands. These hand rims are smaller in circumference compared to real wheels. Experienced occupants can learn to maneuver the wheelchair and even perform a "wheelie" where the wheelchair is poised on the rear wheels. The wheelie can be a vital mechanism to help climbing obstacles and go down curbs.
Single arm driven wheelchairs:
are those where the wheelchair can be moved from one side. Both hand rims in such a case are located on a single side of the wheelchair. One of the hand rims is smaller than the other and is linked to the other rear wheel through folding axles. Both the rims can be held in conjunction to propel the wheelchair back or front. One of the rims can be pushed to move the chair right or left. There are also lever driven wheelchairs in which a lever is used to push the chair front and back. Instead of pushing on the rims a person can use the feet to push the wheelchairs. Such wheelchairs are designed differently.
Attendant wheelchairs:
the wheelchairs rear wheels have no hand rims and are smaller in size compared to manual wheelchairs. These are also called "transfer chairs" as they are used to shift patients as a makeshift alternative. In places like hospitals such chairs are used widely till the standard wheelchair is available. You can also find such wheelchairs in airports. Most of the reputed airlines have transfer chairs available which can even go through narrow aisle areas and can shift a wheelchair occupant from the seat on the plane to the wheelchair.
Wheelbase chairs:
are characterised by a wheeled platform that has a molded seat arrangement. People who do not have a typical posture will need such a wheelchair. Usually casts are made of the person in the best seating position and the seat is made from the cast using plastic mesh or memory foam materials. Then the seat is coated and framed and finally adhered to the wheelbase chair.
The lighter the manual wheelchair the higher is its cost. On the lower end of the spectrum you will find the heavy and tubular shaped wheelchairs that contain sling seats. These are most common. In case of temporary disability or inability to afford a better wheelchair such chairs are the best options. In shopping malls, airports and amusement parks the non-modified manual varieties of wheelchairs are common. In case of a long term physical injury or disability the lighter weight and costlier wheelchairs are better options. There are also expensive wheelchairs that are super light and have multiple seating arrangements as well as high end accessories with all terrain riding ability etc.
