During a recent call from a customer we were asked how many of our electric wheelchairs have power seats fitted as standard and which powerchairs can have them fitted as an optional extra. We have sold models with this feature but it got us scratching our heads as to which of our current electric wheelchairs currently on sale have this ability.

We rarely are asked for this so we started to wonder how powerchair users who live on their own actually manage to undertake some of the simplest chores like reaching for items that are stored in top cupboards or how do they reach light switches.

Another good reason for using an electric wheelchair with an elevating chair is to allow the user to have conversations with people at an eye to eye level. This is often very important to many of us and is an important part of establishing good rapport when meeting people for the first time.

We know that many rooms and in deed entire homes are often converted for use by wheelchair users and so appreciate that many household items are rearranged to make things in reach. However for those who are not fortunate enough to have had their home converted or those who find themselves on the move and in others houses and offices the use of an elevating seat is invaluable.

Many daily chores including shopping require the ability to reach up for items, buttons or handles, even using the lift can sometimes become a problem if you can't reach the top range of the push buttons. This is where an electric wheelchair with an elevated seat comes in handy, allowing the user to rise sometimes as much as 500mm or 20" giving them that added reach.

Wheelchair users who cannot afford nor qualify for financial assistance to have their rooms or entire home converted may consider replacing their model with an electric wheelchair that has the elevating seat or might be able to find a company who can carry out a retro fit of a lifting seat. This may be a more viable option.

The most common design for the elevating or lifting seat is the gas powered or hydraulic system where a battery operated pump creates pressure to lift the chair on a hydraulic ram or piston which is operated from the wheelchair controls. However care should be taken to make sure the user's feet and or footrests do not become trapped under items including furniture as the seat rises up. There are some powerchair models that can be used at a reduced slow speed with the seat fully elevated which is often useful when browsing high shelves and other displays.

We will soon be compiling a limited choice of electric wheelchairs with this feature.

Over the last few years we get to hear of more sports being played by folk with disabilities and wheelchair users. When you hear of a new wheelchair sport you get a vague picture in your mind of how it may look but when we heard of wheelchair hurling being played by teams in Northern Ireland, I had no idea what to expect !

Ryan O'Connor is one individual who hasn't allowed being a wheelchair user to prohibit from playing many sports. Starting out with wheelchair basketball Ryan soon realised that he was able to enjoy playing sport rather than just watching it. A couple of months ago he got in to hurling and now considers himself 'very active'.

Ryan has two prosthetic legs and  has had a heart transplant and prefers to be in a wheelchair when playing these sports. His enjoyment and enthusiasm has lead him to helping others to participate and enjoy wheelchair sports and the social life that they bring. Ryan's involvement has allowed him to make many new friends both within the teams and off the pitch.

Ryan's praise for his coaches is endless and his spirit is strong encouraging others to make the most and get out there and enjoy whatever sport you can. Wheelchair hurling is a relatively new sport in Northern Ireland starting just 6 months ago so we will be interested to see it develop and admire all those on the pitch and making it happen.

Of the 3 clubs in existence, all the players have some form of disability, some with cerebral palsy and some forms of spina bifida and others like Ryan with missing limbs. Regardless of disability, the emphasis is very much on focusing on the ability they have to play the sport and enjoy themselves.

We wish them all luck !

Have you heard of Google Glass ?

One of the more recent gadgets that's aiming to change things is the invention of google glass - yes a pair of glasses with a built in computer allowing you to do a multitude of things using just your eyes to control things and not your fingers !

Efforts are already being made to use this device to help folk with disabilities thanks to Google Glass Explorer contest where techies and engineers alike are asked what they can do with this new gadget.

One contestant has used eye tracking software that is based on a web cam to control various items including a wheelchair ! This makes the technology more realistically affordable as the glasses are within some users affordability. It will only work on powerchairs and takes over the control that is generally provided by the joystick assembly.

Powerchair and electric wheelchair users will don the glasses and see many things including a visual controlled wheelchair throttle control, a stop function and of course steerage. These controls will allow most wheelchair and power chair users to go about their usual routes and leave their hands free if needs be

The man who has applied this new technology is called Steve McHugh and he is hoping to win some funding to make this exciting new development for more electric wheelchair and powerchair users.

Martyn Sibley completed his marathon wheelchair journey this week from John O'Groats in Scotland to Lands End in Cornwall - that's an incredible 874 miles, racking up to 40 miles in any one day in his electric wheelchair.

Just one month after his departure, Martyn arrived at his destination having driven himself the whole way while his girlfriend cycled alongside.

They encountered a mix of conditions including the inescapable driving rain and strong winds in some of the more exposed areas.

Martyn who has Spinal Muscular Atrophy made the trip to raise money for charities but also to prove that with the right kit disabled people can be incredibly independent and can achieve incredible things as his journey points out.

His powerchair suffered mechanical failure towards the end of his journey forcing them to make a diversion to South Wales for a free repair by the manufacturers. Other encounter included numerous near misses by impatient car drivers trying to pass them on some of the smaller roads.

Martin and his partner both celebrated their 30th birthdays prior to the trip and are both very thrilled to have completed the trip having made so many memories and encountered much of the beautiful landscape of Britain.
Martyn has always had big goals and has a habit of achieving them ! Including globetrotting in his mobility car with trips to Lithuania and Czechoslovakia in recent years.

As editor to the Disability Horizon magazine Martyn has a busy life but continues to do great things to raise the profile of disabled people and was assisted on this mission by the National Lotteries Big Lottery to keep the spirit of the 2012 Paralympics.

41 year old Andy from Cornwall recently won the world wheelchair darts title after almost packing the game in a while ago. Amputee Andy Chilton was always a keen darts player and had always played from a standing position using his crutches.

When he decided to enter for the World wheelchair darts tournament it meant he had to retrain to play darts from his wheelchair. Wheelchair users play from a standard oche but the bulls eye and indeed the whole board is lowered by 15 inches. This meant that there was a fair bit of change to get used to.

Andy states "I had to learn where to throw and how to throw, I had to change everything, but I wasn't going to let it beat me." Like many sports there are good days and bad days and Andy who is shocked at the wheelchair win title said "It's unbelievable, it's only really just sinking in"

Andy will now go back to playing both standing and wheelchair darts for his local club in Penzance called the Buffalo Club. You can read more here

So its always good to read stories like this where someone who has had a fairly severe set back in life is able to turn the tables and get back to one of the things that they loved.

In this case its a man from Edmonton in Canada who was left wheelchair bound following the amputation of his right leg in 2000 due to a complication with diabetes. But thanks to a gift from a stranger, Gordon Cameron is back up to speed – up to 70mph – in his customised motorbike that allows him to steer from his wheelchair in the sidecar.

Friends of Gordon saw an old motorbike for sale complete with side car. After extensive modification to accept the wheelchair Gordon is now able to wheel himself complete with self propelled wheelchair in to the side card and off he goes!

Being a Hondamatic there is no need to change gear as it has an automatic box which leaves the accelerating, braking and steering. Although Gordon uses the wheelchair converted motorbike for local errands he says it is great to feel the wind in his hair. A year later, he catches people’s attention wherever he goes. Some take photos, others give him the "thumbs up."

Read more here

Strictly Wheelchair Dancing is a Manchester based dance group including folk of all ages and abilities whose motto is “You can do it”!

Using both electric or manual wheelchairs, the club welcomes everyone regardless of their ability or their disability as they put it.

Wheelchair Dancesport is becoming more popular thanks to clubs like this and involves individuals with a physical disability that affects the lower limbs. Having said that you wouldn't believe what they can do.

Wheelchair dancers as they are known can participate in “combi” style dancing with an able-bodied (standing) partner or “duo” style dancing where two wheelchair users dance together.

Sticking to a fairly conventional menu,wheelchair dances include the Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Foxtrot and Quickstep. Latin-American dances include the Samba, Cha-cha-cha, Rumba, Paso Doble and Jive. There is even Group Formation Dancing for 4, 6 or 8 couples at a time.

So a bit of fact about this sport / art: Wheelchair Dancesport became an IPC Championship Sport in 1998 but is not yet part of the Paralympic programme. It is governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and co-ordinated by the IPC Wheelchair Dancesport Technical Committee, which incorporates the rules of the International Dance Sport Federation (IDSF).

Wheelchair Dance Sport is widely practised by athletes in 22 countries. Read more here

Its great to follow the wheelchair tennis doubles masters tournaments currently although its a shame I can't find it on television. What's more encouraging is that there are 4 British players in the semi-finals ITF Wheelchair Tennis Doubles Masters in California USA.

Many of us have heard of Jordanne Whiley who is playing against fellow Paralympic bronze medallist Lucy Shuker in the ladies semis today. Louise Hunt is in the other semi while Gordon Reid is into the last four of the men's doubles.

Wheelchair tennis at any level is a very involved game and requires great fitness strength and mobility. Their wheelchairs are specialist models with great rigidity and are ultra-light allowing them to make the alarmingly fast turns and sprints on court. Having found some coverage on YouTube it is great to see the dexterity of these wheelchair users and all the better to see that their grit and determination has helped them to become the top in their sport.

So back to the tournament, from what I can tell Whiley and her Japanese partner Yui Kamiji, who are the defending champions also won all four majors in this year !

They are now up against Shuker and Germany's Sabine Ellerbrock and face a tough semi-final match. Shuker and Ellerbrock won both of their pool games and won a tournament together in South Africa earlier this year so they definitely have their work cut out. Good luck and keep it up. Hopefully we can get to see more wheelchair sport on TV before too long.

Not all users get the chance to select their first powerchair this decision is often made by the therapist. We have heard of some users only being able to select the colour of their new electric wheelchair and nothing else but we stress that the therapists are in the best position to assess your mobility needs and requirements to suit the lifestyle you lead. However powerchair users all know that until you have used the electric wheelchair for some time and in a range of circumstances you do not know how it is going to work out. For this reason we run an assessment where you and your needs are consulted to ensure the right model is supplied as this is a big commitment for most. When the time comes for a replacement model you will have much more idea about what you need and want.

As the choice of powerchairs widens and the features increase the choice doesn't always become easier. Our team are on hand to advise you if needed on which model may suit you best and which features you should be looking for. One of the biggest considerations when buying an electric wheelchair is where is it going to be used most i.e. inside or outside. Comfort and mobility are the primary objectives so we work with you to ensure you find the model that is best matched to your lifestyle. Users buying their second powerchair generally have a far clearer idea of what to buy so their decision is generally based on price and after sales service, which we like to think we excel on both. Don't forget we have a price match promise so on most models of electric wheelchairs we are able to match a competitors price. Please see our Price Match Promise page for terms and conditions. Over and above price we are proud to offer an excellent assembly service to take the worry of getting your new powerchair ready for use. The assembly service includes delivery to your home, assembly, initial charging of the battery and a brief explanation of all features and advice on how best to use your new chair should you require it.

In the ideal world we would spend a day in your life seeing what you get up to what your requirements both at home and when you leave, what your travel habits are and the sort of environment / terrain you encounter. This way we can best advise you on the powerchair. However this is not possible so our assessment is as thorough as is possible to address all the considerations you need to make when selecting the right electric wheelchair.

In addition to medical factors there is an increasing move towards further considerations many of which are cosmetic ! At long last there is a move away from the powerchair looking like a medical device. This move is winning support from many users who may prefer not to be seen as having a medical condition. Many people we speak with are looking for a mobility scooter but need a powerchair so the convergence of design of these is increasing for this reason. The benefit being the functionality of the electric wheelchair but with some of the cosmetic looks of the scooter. As this happens there is a greater want for many users to get out of the house more and increase their mobility and quality of life.

We will soon be looking at the main features to look for in your electric wheelchair but if you want some assistance in the meanwhile please do not hesitate to call us.

Once the best model of chair has been found there is the question of wheelchair accessories which is in itself is a big consideration to make sure your comfort is maximised. We will be looking in to this soon and posting an article on powerchair accessories.

With Internet news we're able to see local news from virtually everywhere so we often follow the US news and came across this wheelchair user revenge article which we thought was worth a post. Essentially wheelchair users protested in Georgia as they were fed up with able bodied motorists taking the disable parking spots all too often. So they teamed up with a group called Tree Of Life and took to the streets. Armed with dozens of wheelchair including self propelled and transit but no powerchairs, they blocked off parking spaces outside the city's Rustaveli metro station using 2 wheelchairs per parking bay to prove their point. Organisers were clever and left only one parking space unblocked and reserved for people with disabilities.

See the photo here.

Of course, there were a few who were no so impressed by their protest which comes ahead of the United Nations Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December but all in all the campaign was deemed a success and backed up by wheelchair users and general public alike. As most folk commented, its not uncommon for disabled spots to be taken by the lazy and not spared for wheelchair users.