A wheelchair can offer unprecedented independence for people with disabilities and/or temporary mobility limitations, but today’s options in wheelchairs and mobility equipment take “independence” to a whole new level.

A Mobility Equipment Option for Every Life – and Lifestyle
A power wheelchair may be just the ticket for you, or perhaps you prefer the physical connection and fitness-building aspects of a manual wheelchair. You may be an athlete interested in the various sports wheelchairs available, or an outdoor enthusiast who can make the most of one of the new beach or all-terrain-vehicle wheelchairs. And even within each of these categories, you’ll have choices and options for your mobility equipment.

Manual wheelchair - Manual wheelchairs are self-propelled; if you want to move, you push. Mobility in manual wheelchairs is based on you moving two large rear wheels by pushing on the handrims. While the choice of a manual wheelchair assumes a high level of upper-body strength, it also ensures upper-body strength through the effort needed to propel the wheelchair. Manual chairs’ direction is controlled by maneuvering the wheels in various configurations. In addition, manual wheelchairs can be customized to be controlled with only one arm, by pumping a lever, or by your feet.

Another type of manual wheelchair is designed to be propelled by someone else, e.g., a personal care attendant or caregiver. A narrower version of these attendant-propelled wheelchairs is often used as a “transfer chair” – for example, when moving a patient through a hospital to a waiting car, or on an airline, when a customer with a wheelchair needs to be transferred into a plane seat.

And a recent advance in mobility equipment is the power-assist chair. While using the manual chair’s frame and seating, this type of hybrid chair adds a battery-operated power “assist” that senses and responds to the wheelchair user’s pressure or push by providing additional power to help the chair navigate, for example, up a hill or over rocky terrain. This option would be especially helpful to those wishing to use their wheelchairs more actively in the outdoors.

Power wheelchair - If you’d prefer to save wear and tear on your shoulder joints or lack strength in your arms, shoulders, and/or torso, a power wheelchair may be your best choice for mobility equipment. Also occasionally called an electric wheelchair or motorized wheelchair, a power wheelchair is propelled by an electric motor and motorized navigation controls.

Power wheelchairs generally are one of four types - rear, center, front- , or four-wheel drive, each with unique handling and control characteristics. Generally, you move about and control your speed by hand-maneuvering a “joystick” on the chair. (Depending on your model, you can also control other chair movements such as tilting, reclining, and raising/lowering the seat.) Although the joystick is the most common method of controlling power wheelchairs, controls can also be adapted with alternative “input devices” to suit a large number of physical limitations.

Another variation among power wheelchairs is the type of seat used. The two primary options are the sling-type seat found with many manual wheelchairs and the more substantial “captain’s chair” type of seat, similar to that found in a car.

Mobility Equipment for the Gym… and the Beach, and the Mountains
Athletes with disabilities have pushed wheelchairs to new limits, demanding a level of speed, flexibility, and responsiveness to meet their competitive skills. These sports wheelchairs see duty in a multitude of wheelchair sports, including wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby, and handcycling.

Beach wheelchairs are specifically designed with tires that enable them to handle both the sand and water, while all-terrain wheelchairs have frames and tires that can navigate hilly, rocky terrain. Specialized wheelchairs have even been designed for dance competitions.

Other options among wheelchairs include bariatric wheelchairs for heavier users, and pediatric wheelchairs for children and shorter individuals.

Making Sure Your Wheelchair Works for You
As part of your wheelchair purchase, you’ll want to check various points to ensure the wheelchair suits your particular body. In particular, check:

  • The seat: are the width and depth appropriate for the size of your bottom and legs, is the distance between the seat and the floor right for the length of your legs, is the angle set so that you sit securely in the seat rather than tilting forward or back?
  • The footrest: are the footrests and legrests in a comfortable spot for your feet and legs, and are they sturdy and well-attached?
  • The backrest: is the backrest securely attached, with sufficient padding, and does it provide enough back support?
  • The controller: for power wheelchairs, is the controller easy for you to use, and does it seem solidly built and attached, rather than flimsy, wobbly, or unresponsive?

In addition to these considerations, most wheelchairs can also be customized to fit your special needs or requirements. For example, items like adjustable backrests, different types of controllers, anti-tip bars, carrying devices, and limb or neck supports are all optional additions, among others. Your mobility equipment choices will depend on the wheelchair vendor you work with, and, of course, your budget.

Purchasing Your Wheelchair: Cost Considerations for Mobility Equipment
As you would expect, wheelchair costs and quality range from heavy, unwieldy and poorly made to solid and well made to extremely light weight (advanced materials) with extraordinary functionality. At the low end, a used wheelchair may cost in the hundreds, while at the high end, it’s in the tens of thousands. Low-end wheelchairs may be heavy, difficult-to-maneuver items with sling seats that offer no support. In the mid-range, lightweight chairs offer more maneuverability and control and greater comfort. The ultra-light, highly-customizable and adaptable wheelchairs make up the high-end range, where advances continue to be made in power, control, and flexibility.

Considered durable medical equipment (DME), the cost of your wheelchair is covered to a degree by your disability benefits; however, how much and how proportionate to your individual needs is always “to be determined.” For example, if you want a power chair rather than the lower-cost manual wheelchair, you may have to prove that you’re unable to use a self-propelled chair. So if you’re getting ready to purchase a new wheelchair, you’ll want to check with your healthcare provider, your disability benefits administrator, and possibly the chair’s seller – companies are eager to help you line up government funds to offset the purchase price of mobility equipment, so may know of avenues you hadn’t been aware of.