Wheelchairs -- Helping Live Life Completely
A wheelchair is a medical device that takes the form of a chair on wheels, used by people for whom walking is difficult or impossible due to illness or disability.
They incorporate supportive seating to aid posture and pressure cushions, in many cases. Wheelchairs and seating solutions are prescribed typically by highly specialised physio- or occupational therapists.
Wheelchairs come in many sizes and colors and are usually highly customized for the individual user, with many configurations possible including seat size (width and depth), seat-to-floor height, footrests/leg rests, front caster outriggers, tension adjustable backrests, and much more.
All models of Wheelchair are available with a range of accessories that ensure safety, stability, postural integrity, and functional ability of the occupant. These may be, for example, anti-tipping levers (prevent rearward instability when ascending a gradient), posture belts, tension adjustable backrest, tilt and/or recline etc. Some powerchairs are modular and allow the power-unit to be disengaged and replaced with a manual option. Some companies make power assisted hubs for self propelling chairs.
Experiments have also been made with unusual variant wheels, like the omniwheel or the mecanum wheel. These allow more directional movement options. The electric wheelchair shown on the right is fitted with Mecanum wheels (sometimes known as Ilon wheels) which give it complete freedom of movement. It can be driven forwards, backwards, sideways, and diagonally, and also turned round on the spot or turned around while moving, all operated from a simple joystick.
Disabled athletes use streamlined sport wheelchairs for sports that require speed and agility, such as basketball, rugby, tennis and racing.