We recently saw a very unusual wheelchair online whilst researching new products with a view to increasing our inventory of wheelchair accessories. Why did the model we saw catch our eye ? it was the wheels, which looked like no other wheelchair wheels we have seen.

Known as loop wheels, they are significantly different to the traditional spoked or mag models and instead have three loops of highly flexible composite attaching the central hub with the outer rim.

Designed to 'help you push over uneven streets, cobbles, grass, rough tracks and gravel paths, with less effort' as they say on their web site, they refer to the loops as composite springs. There are videos to be seen which are impresive and show just how much suspension effect they provide when the wheelchair drops off a kerb stone or moves over cobbles. As well as effective suspension they offer vibration absorption also, helping to improve the ride of any self propelled or manual wheelchair.

Although these wheels are available they are in their early days having only started production last year in 2015. Made in Nottinghamshire in the UK, these wheels are available for a number of different applications including bicycles, mountain bikes and of course wheelchairs.

We will be looking in to selling these in the near future but in the meanwhile if you want to learn more then please visit the loopwheels web site to see how they may improve your indenpendance in your wheelchair.

For those of you who spend time in a wheelchair it will come as no surprise that posture and comfort are closely linked and are all important. In essence, posture is all about the alignment of your body and is equally important for abled folk as it is for those who use a wheelchair regularly. And, whether it is a self propelled or a transit model the principal remains the same.

So what is good posture ?

Starting from the top of your body we begin with the head, which should ideally be kept balanced centrally over your shoulders. Tendency to tilt to one side for prolonged periods can cause problems. Moving further down the body, the shoulders should be tilted back a little behind the hips helping the spine to maintain its intended S shape. This is not so easy to achieve in all wheelchairs and often as not some support in the form of a well placed cushion is required to assist with this. The cushion will need to be re-positioned and reshaped if necessary throughout the day

If you are not able to set your wheelchair up to attain good posture you can experience discomfort and aching and in some situations eve poor breathing. If you lean forward in the wheelchair it can lead to slight compression of the diaphragm which will affect the efficiency of your breathing. In turn, muscles that should be in use can become atrophied leading to the shortening of tendons and ligaments which will over time make the problem worse.

Moving down to your legs, we all know how easy it is to get pins and needles and poor circulation if your legs are positioned badly, so keeping them parallel and setting the foot plates correctly so that your feet are flat is very important to avoid numbness in the feet. If you can achieve right angles between your spine and your legs, your upper legs and lower legs and lower legs and feet you  will feel the most comfortable and reduce the risk of muscle atrophy.

So what do i need to look for in a wheelchair ?

The more time you spend in your chair, the more important it is to address comfort and posture and to ensure you have suitable model. Ergonomic pressure systems like the ones in some of the Karma range of wheelchairs are ideal. This systems aims to reduce slumping or sliding in the wheelchair and give added back support. Some models have shaped seats which again help you to remain upright and prevent sliding down in the chair. Sitting as far back in the seat as possible will help you to achieve the upright position that you need. If you need a more comfy cushion please see our range here.

We hope these tips are useful. If you have specific requirements then please seek advice from your OT and if you have any other questions please don't hesitate to call us and we will help in any way we can.

In Bolivia in South America disabled folk have found a new way to get themselves heard in protest by dangling from bridges in their wheelchairs. They argue that the government is failing to listen to their demands all of which are aimed at increasing awareness of the needs of the disabled and their low level of benefits.

This recent protest is certainly getting them seen as some of the bridges are over busy main roads. Essentially the campaigners are asking for higher state subsidies to help them get by in their everyday lives. The subsidy is currently set at just 500 bolivianos a month ($73; £50) which doesn't go far enough to get the assistance that they need.

Protesters have tried to protest against the president when he visited earlier this month but were forced back by the police with force, even using water canons at one stage to push back protestors. 900,000 dollars are allocated each year for the disabled, half of which is paid out in monthly allowances and the rest goes towards funding of projects, although the protestors insist that they are not seeing the benefit of these projects.

Instead they are wanting a five fold increase in their disability benefits but the government of leftist President Evo Morales has, so far rejected their demands.

Bolivia is one of Latin America's poorest countries and with some 388,000 people with disability, according to official figures, not somewhere you would want to be if you are a wheelchair user. As for dangling from bridges to prove your point, this seems a little extreme. We wish them well in their battle for improved conditions.

BA and a number of other airlines have been criticised for their treatment of disabled passengers and damage to their wheelchairs. It seems to stem from one particular incident where female actor Athena Stevens who commenced legal action against BA after alleged damage to her wheelchair.

Now the equality watchdog is involved and Chris Holmes, the disability commissioner on the Equality and Human Rights Commission and a highly successful Paralympic athlete. This particular incident occurred when Athena was making a trip for work to Glasgow flying out of London City airport with BA when her wheelchair was damaged. The chair is said to have a value of £25,000 but was not insured so she is wanting compensation from either BA or the City Airport itself.

However it's understood neither the airline nor the airport have admitted liability for the damage although BA have stated to the Guardian newspaper they they are looking to resolve things with Mrs Stevens. BA went on to state that they do cater for the needs of the disabled and treat their needs very seriously.

During the enquiry, Mr Holmes has questioned BA, the official airline of both Team GB for the Olympics and the national Paralympic team in Rio de Janeiro this summer, whether they would treat athletes in the same way as they did other disabled customers. He also pointed out that many disabled folk are reluctant to fly for these reasons, knowing that they and their wheelchairs may not be looked after in the way they would like to see.

In the case of Athena Stevens, Holmes pointed out “She has been left without a replacement chair for eight months. We’re not talking about a suitcase or a set of golf clubs – this is a person’s mobility and independence.

“Considering that BA is a main sponsor of Team GB, I think it’s fair to ask whether this practice would equally apply to competing athletes, and if so, whether the Paralympic team been made aware that British Airways will not cover the full cost if their equipment is damaged.”

In the meanwhile, The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority publicly warns people with disabilities that amounts paid for damaged equipment “may be limited to around £1,300” which clearly doesn't cover many manual and all electric wheelchairs.

In defense BA stated “More than 426,000 people with reduced mobility traveled with us last year and we take their needs extremely seriously.

“We always take great care when transporting wheelchairs. However, there are rare occasions when damage occurs,” the airline said.

“In those circumstances when we are responsible, we pay compensation to the value of the damage caused over and above the limits of the Montreal agreement.

“We are speaking with Ms Stevens and her legal representatives to reach a suitable resolution.”
London City airport said: “We have been in communication with Ms Stevens from the outset and the airport has made every effort to assist her in resolving this situation. We are awaiting a response. Because this is a legal matter we are unable to provide further comment.”

The British Paralympic Association said: “We’re pleased that BA have made the commitment to Paralympics GB and are confident they are making great plans to ensure our Paralympic athletes are given a world class service.”

“Considering that BA is a main sponsor of Team GB, I think it’s fair to ask whether this practice would equally apply to competing athletes, and if so, whether the Paralympic team been made aware that British Airways will not cover the full cost if their equipment is damaged.”

Lets hope this case in point brings some realistic review of the legislation and that it is resolved satisfactorily and Mrs Stevens has a replacement wheelchair very soon.

It was announced last month that more control was to be given very soon to individuals healthcare and in particular, a new approach to wheelchair commissioning will replace the current voucher scheme.

The existing 20 year old voucher scheme has presented many pitfalls including a real lack of information and guidance around maintenance, repair and replacement as well as a shortage of providers where such a voucher can be redeemed making things very difficult for many.

The planned change, now named the new personal health budget scheme is aimed to offer greater choice of where wheelchairs can be purchased as well as a detailed care plan that helping users make better informed decisions about their wheelchair, including much needed guidance on future maintenance, repair and replacement requirements.

The planned change means that their wheelchair will form part of their wider care, catering for all of their individual needs and ensuring a more joined-up approach, which is one of the key aims of the NHS 5 year forward view. This new approach is also hoped to give NHS England more accurate data on wheelchair provision that will improve services and address regional variations across the country.

Ruth Owen the CEO from Whizz-Kidz, commented: “We’re delighted with today’s announcement; it’s a significant step forward, and will give young disabled people, and their families, freedom of choice and control over their own wheelchair provision. We know that the families we work with want choice and flexibility; making Personal Health Budgets available for young people’s wheelchair services makes this a reality. This will, at long last, open the door to truly personalised, holistic support for young disabled people."

I'm not sure that it will have done the wheelchairs much good but the quick thinking staff at one supermarket decided to use them to ferry folk in and out of the store when the heavens opened recently.

In the photos, you can see the large wheels of the self propelled wheelchair poking out above the water level and the occupants being pushed by the store employees in their high-vis jackets. These spring like showers that can flood are difficult to contend with as a wheelchair user. One minute you need to be lightly clothed as you push yourself about and then you need the wheelchair poncho or cape on as quick as possible to dodge the deluge.

In this Stafford based Tesco the wheelchair were used for an hour or so and over 50 folk were ferried out of the store back to the dry. My fear would be that those wheelchairs will now need a good service with particular attention being paid to the wheel bearings which are likely to rust having being submerged. most bearing cases are designed to repel a bit of surface water but when the are submersed and the wheels turned, water will get in side and start the rusting process. Apart from having a squeaking wheelchair you are also likely to be let down when the bearings eventually fail.

It was good to see Wimbledon's first wheelchair singles matches kicked off yesterday having been a real success at the 2012 Paralympics in London. Wheelchair doubles has been a hit at Wimbledon for some years now since 2001 so it is progression to see the singles come along.

The UK's doubles women's partners Lucy Shuker and Jorndanne While are first to play but this time head to head in the first quarter finals, Jordanne had this to say about the event at Wimbledon "I’m here to win Wimbledon singles. For us to be able to showcase our sport to the highest level in the singles event is just absolutely fantastic.”

In the mens game, the Scotsman Gordon Reid who is currently World No. 3 is looking forward to his matches having already had success this year by winning the Australian Open singles, he said “I’m just really excited to get going. I grew up watching Wimbledon on TV, mainly the singles event. It was always a dream of mine to play singles here.” Gordon is dues to play Frenchman Nicolas Peifer in the quarter-finals.

In total, five British players from the Tennis Foundation’s wheelchair tennis world class programme are among the 16 playing at the championships. In the women’s draw Louise Hunt, 25, faces Marjolein Buis from the Netherlands, and in the men’s draw Alfie Hewett, 18, from Norfolk, faces Dutchman Joachim Gerard.

For those of you who are unfamiliar, it is a fantastic watch and very similar however in wheelchair tennis the ball is allowed to bounce twice. The rate at which the courts are covered in these bespoke sports wheelchairs is nothing short of amazing and the individuals talent and fitness is very impressive. We wish the British players all the best of luck.