Wheelchairs

A wheelchair is essentially a mobile chair, which enables the transport of an individual sitting in it.

Most commonly used wheelchairs have four wheels, two at the front and two at the rear.

Manual wheelchairs have two broad categories - transit or ‘attendant-propelled’ chairs and ‘self-propelled’ models.

The former requires the help of a second person to push the wheelchair, while the second is propelled by the person sitting in it.

Wheelchairs are fundamental mobility aids for people unable to walk unaided.

This may be because of illness, disability, or another condition preventing or inhibiting their mobility and particularly the lower limbs.

These chairs have small wheels at the rear and the front, and require the help of a second person in order to propel them.

They have two handles with which the attendant pushes and steers the wheelchair.

Transit wheelchairs - these are versions of the attendant propelled models which are specifically designed for use in vehicles.

They are crash tested and have straps to allow them to be tied down, along with seat-belts and hand brakes.

These wheelchairs are the familiar design with two small front wheels, and a pair of much larger wheels at the back.

The rear wheels have a second ‘rim’ which the person in the chair can manually rotate from their sitting position.

The user is able to access the wheels by reaching down from the armrests as they sit in the wheelchair.

Yes, most models have footrests.

These prevent feet dragging on the ground or getting caught up under the wheelchair.

Typically, footrests are mounted on metal arms to position them perfectly where the user’s feet hang down in front of the seat.

Wheelchair footrests can usually be flipped up and out of the way, should that be required.

Some footrests have heel straps, preventing the foot sliding off backwards.

Self-propelling wheelchairs have readily accessible brakes for each wheel.

These are usually either ‘scissor brakes’, ‘pull-to-lock’ or ‘push-to-lock brakes’.

In most cases, the brakes are mounted at the front of the large rear wheels, making them easy to reach for the person sitting in the wheelchair.

Attendant propelled wheelchairs often have brake levers located on the pushing handles.

Some wheelchairs have brake levers on the pushing handles as well as those on the wheels themselves.

Wheelchairs range in seat width and this will be detailed in the specific product’s description.

The standard seat width ranges from around 16 inches to around 20 inches.

There are some bariatric wheelchairs with a seat width of 22 inches plus.

Yes, there are a whole range of wheelchair accessories, along with a specific section devoted to wheelchair bags, and wheelchair cushions.

Yes, bariatric wheelchairs are widely available, with user weight tolerances and measurements far above those of standard models.

Both attendant propelled and self-propelled versions are available..