Welcome to a guide that will transform the way you navigate the world: Living with a disability and moving around in a wheelchair. From the basic techniques of maneuvering a wheelchair, to advanced skills to help you get around this blog is full of helpful information. Come on in and get ready to mobilize yourself!
Understanding Wheelchair Mobility
Knowledge of how one can maneuver a wheelchair is the key to discovering mobility and liberty in ones life. It is not merely a transition from one location to another but more so learning the art of commanding how to maneuver and govern movement. That is why wheelchair mobility encompasses a definite set of skills – how to get through the narrow doorway, how to manage slopes and other barriers.
It is equally important when it is possible to maneuver the wheelchair and what factors might affect its maneuverability surprisingly. There are many classifications of wheelchairs, for example they could be divided by their method of operation – self-propelled or manually propelled. Knowledge of the characteristic of a specific model of the wheel chair will improve the mobility of the person using it.
Further, being aware of correct positions in wheelchairs and sitting positions also means avoiding or minimising any possible aches or long-term negative implications on a person’s health. Once you are aware of these important facets of wheelchair usage, you modify your tasks and movement in the best way possible for you.
Types of Wheelchairs and Their Functions
As far as wheelchairs are concerned, one cannot speak about some standard that would fit everyone. There is a wide range of wheelchairs ranging from those that fit different needs of a client to the preference of the client. Standard manual wheelchairs use the user’s upper body strength by pushing the wheels to move forward and backward by maneuvering.
On the other hand, POWER operated wheel chairs are battery operated and convenient to use for people with probabilities of having disorders that limit their arm movements or energy. These provide much more versatility regarding distance without the need to travel by walking.
In the next step, those who require a chair with little heft to make it easy to carry around get the transport wheelchairs. They are aimed to be easily moved around while at the same time being comfortable and secure.
Sporting wheelchairs are designed for the people who participate in the games that require wheel chairs such as basketball or tennis. This enables young athletes to be more mobile and swift when in their training kits on various terrains.
This simply means that the classification of the wheelchairs depends of the necessity of the user and his or her activities. The user should therefore take into consideration factors like, mobility level, terrain that you intend to use it on, and personal preferences.
Correct Wheelchair Manipulation
Improving mobility and quality of life requires proper wheelchair operation. Pushing the wheelchair upright with your back on the chair improves posture and control. Replace forceful thrusts with gradual wheel pushing to reduce arm and shoulder strain.
To turn issues to corners effectively, one has to take one wheel forward while at the same time pulling the other wheel back slowly. This technique allows you to move around in the narrow areas with much ease. To minimize the risk of falling over backward when moving downhill, one has to lean backwards a little. In uphill traveling, some minor tilting is needed to the driver’s side to avoid rolling back.
When it comes to mastering the wheel chair moves, the end say’s the word, practice without compromising. First it is recommended to travel small distances initially and gradually increase the challenging scale of the lanes. Thus, practicing these skills, you can easily move through various conditions and have more of a choice on how you can physically get around in your day-to-day life.
Adapting Your Home and Environment for Easy Mobility
If there is a need to change some aspects of the house and the surrounding space for better and more comfortable maneuvering with a wheelchair, it is high time to think about some things. First, look at the specificities of the territory occupied by living environment. A doorway should be wide enough for a wheelchair and should not have anything such as a doormat blocking the pathway.
Where stairs are part of the design then consider putting ramps or lifts to make it easier to move up and down the stairs. Move undesirable objects from the hallways and rooms to ensure that there are easy paths to follow. Also, redesign the layout of items as may be required to ensure that there are more corridors created to allow for easy mobility.
Finally within the kitchen special attention should be paid to the that working counters should be designed at a height that allows working while sitting down. It maybe necessary to have grab bars placed in the bathrooms to ensure that the patient has optimum support the time they are using the lavatory. Also do not forget areas of the house that are not inside, for instance, there are people who may be planning to pave some irregular paths or install banisters.
Overcoming Challenges and Navigating Terrains
Mobility of the body through different terrains is usually always complicated when one is in a wheelchair. Sometimes walking surfaces are imbalanced; sometimes they are made of gravel; sometimes ramps are steep; and learning how to get around them is critical to remain independent.
Here is one of the useful suggestions: This is to ensure that you have identified some of the possible paths and moved around in order to identify the best one for you as it might not be easy to identify the best one particularly for physically challenged persons. One must also avoid hazards such as carriage way potholes or curbs that may pose a threat to the bike when passing by.
If you find yourself in a difficult and NOT suitable terrain, as mentioned earlier, try does such things like wheeling over a hump. Another advantage is that the upper body strength can also allow effective fighting of inclines or rough terrains.
On the same note, acquiring of all terrain wheel chair or incorporating of the special wheels also improves the wheel chair activities in different grounds. However, if help is required, do not be afraid to ask for it, although, the best way to improve the control of the chair in various terrains is through practice and hard work.
