Mobility Equipment Supplies

For more than 30 years, Swereco has been providing equipment and tools to make the lives of the handicapped and elderly people as normal and as comfortable as possible.

From its humble beginnings, it has founded a competitive company with faster and more personal service compared to its competitors. At present, Swereco is an even more superior company, but still encompass the essential aspiration and modesty to its customers and the reality.

Giving excellent customer service and offering high quality products at a reasonable price have been Swereco’s primary principles since 1973. Their headquarters is situated in Stockholm, Sweden. They have their own manufacturing plant located in Lenhovda in the southern part of Sweden.

Swereco’s credit rating has been, for many years, ranked AAA by a recognized finance company. For their customers this means safety and security. This guarantees that Swereco products will always be in the market and will continually provide good quality service.

Structure, value, and environmental consciousness are also some of Swereco’s priorities, proof of which are their certification of the Quality Management System of SS-EN ISO 9001:2000 and the Environmental Management System of SS-EN ISO 14001:2004.

Swereco manufactures and delivers a large assortment of effective and reasonably priced products. In addition, aside from their standard collection of mobility aids, they also have products for individual user needs.

Swereco’s most popular products include the folding travel cane, children’s toilet seat, walking frame for kids, wheelchair cushions, and shower benches among others.

DoAbility is the exclusive distributor of Swereco products in the United Kingdom.

Swereco Shower Chairs are soft, adjustable, and lacquered with a strong, white powder coating. The seat has bars made of polyurethane foam, which gives a soft heat-isolated surface. It is easy to rise from the chair, thanks to its armrests. The rubber tips are made of TPE, a soft plastic, which leaves no marks on plastic floor. The height of the chair can be adjusted with clips. The seat is easy to remove for cleaning.

Some of these seats are made for children, and some are for those who are extra heavy. Backrests may be bought separately for additional comfort.

They are designed to allow people to sit while in the bath or shower. Gaps on the seat make water run through it easily.

These shower chairs offer the in-between help you need. You can sit down and shower while staying comfortable and safe. Choose a shower chair, from several styles available at DoAbility UK, which will suit you or your loved one’s needs.

The Swereco Shower Frame can be mounted on walls over the bathtub or draining gutter. The frame is foldable to the wall that is why it does not occupy too much space when it is not being used. The cloth is made of nylon fabric, which allows water to run through it. The frame, on the other hand, is lacquered with a strong, white powder coating. The shower frames includes the cloth when you buy it.

The shower frame is 60 cm wide and 90 cm long. It can hold up to 100 kilograms (15.75 stones) of weight.

Swereco Shower Frame

The Swereco Shower Mattress is designed for the Swereco Shower Frame. It is a soft mattress, especially suitable for restless kids. It has a 9-cm border, which lessens the risk of rolling off the shower frame.

Swereco Shower Mattress

Wheelchair cushions increases comfort while it provides exceptional pressure management.

When we sit, only one third of the body’s surface is supporting all of its weight, and blood flow is restricted. In the presence of muscle atrophy, which is experienced most especially by most people with spinal cord injuries, circulation is limited further by the loss of muscle that once served as a sort of natural cushion. An additional risk of sitting is shear force, as we tend to slide forward in the cushion, causing stress across the surface of the skin. These situations could result to pressure sores, which can be very serious, leading to hospitalization, surgery, and in rare occasions, death. The right cushion is a primary tool for maintaining the health of your skin.

Wheelchair cushions can often significantly improve a wheelchair user’s posture, as well as give support and pressure relief to prevent further medical problems such as pressure sores.

Materials used for wheelchair cushions have come a long way. You now have several choices based on your individual needs. Cushions protect skin from damage that can lead to pressure ulcers, and they affect many functional activities such as reaching, transfers, and wheelchair propulsion.

Many researchers and clinicians who have studied cushions have developed a common conclusion: No one cushion is best for all people. Because so many cushions are available commercially, wheelchair users should be able to find one that adequately meets their needs.

The Cushion Ellips by Swereco is a seat cushion moulded in cold and stiff foam that has unsurpassed comfort and support. The cold foam core gives stability and the stiff foam has a pressure-distributing effect. The leg divider and the slightly marked seat hollow give a stable seat surface for the best possible pressure distribution. The leg divider is equipped with air channels on the upper side to facilitate air circulation. It improves seating safety by preventing slipping. It also helps maintain an upright sitting position.

Cushion Ellips comes in various sizes and are available at DoAbility UK.

To know more about it, please check out the video below.

Walking sticks have always been used by the blind and the elderly for mobility assistance. Nowadays, due to the development of modern technologies, many different types of equipment, such as rollators, have been available to assist the blind and the elderly. Nevertheless, walking sticks remain to be the simplest, cheapest, and easiest mobility tool to use.

Unlike crutches, canes are only intended for balance, not as a support to the user’s full weight. Use discretion and common sense in the use of canes, which are very thin, or have a dual use or feature. For instance, for a sore ankle, use a support cane, not a sword cane. To get the most out of your walking stick or cane, you need to use one, which is the appropriate size for you.

There are two simple ways to determine the right walking stick size.

The first one is to measure the user. When having someone measure your cane size for you, put on your walking shoes. Note that different heel heights of varying shoes may change your size. Stand naturally upright. Let your arms fall to the sides in a relaxed manner. You will need the measurement between your wrist down to the floor.

Another way is to divide your height by two, and convert it to inches. However, measuring the distance between your wrist and the floor is much more accurate.

Rollators are a kind of wheeled walker with brakes, which is designed to hold upper-body weight and assist people with walking limitations to enjoy greater mobility and shun fatigue.

Different from traditional medical walkers, which need to be raised with each step, a rollator glides easily across flat indoor and outdoor surfaces, and may be customized with a multitude of options, which allow for ease and convenience.

If you are thinking of buying one, speak with your therapist first and ask for some advice on models and components that best accommodate your lifestyle, needs, and size.

The following are some factors you need to consider when purchasing a rollator:

Brake System
Your brakes need to be easy to reach and aptly responsive for safety.

Cable brakes, like the ones used on bicycles. The user squeezes the breaks with both hands and the wheels instantly stop. There are also one-handed cable brake systems for people who only have strengh in one hand.

Slow down brakes can be useful when the user is finding the walker is rolling too fast for them to control the walker.

Park brakes are essential when the rollator has a seat and you need to sit down.  It will stop the rollator or walker from moving and reduce the incidence of falls.

Frame Type
There are frames built with either steel or aluminum. Steel frames are stronger and heavier than aluminum, and is designed to sustain greater body weight. However, aluminum frames are lighter and easier to push for those weighing less than 100 kgs or 15 stone.

Handle Adjustment
Opt for a model that allows you to adjust the handles to a suitable height for your size. A number of designs permit a greater range of adjustment than others allow, so be sure to test it before buying to make sure that you feel the comfort and the proper fit.

Number and Size of Wheels
A rollator can be either three-wheeled or four-wheeled. Three-wheeled models are easier to maneuver around corners and in tight spaces. Nevertheless, four wheels are more stable.

Wheel size is one more concern. If you are inclined to spend a lot of time outdoors and on uneven surfaces, decide on a model with larger wheels. Small wheels are designed for indoor use and flat surfaces.

In addition to a variety of fashionable designs and colors, you can setup your wheeled walker with other accessories including baskets, a soft seat, cane holder, cup holder, basket bags, oxygen tank holder, back rests, and other features.

DoAbility UK offers the widest range of the latest and most affordable rollators that will suit your every need.

This walking frame for kids, which is made available by DoAbility UK is made of steel tubes, lacquered with a blue and red strong powder coating. It is furnished with four wheels and a removable sling seat. The sling seat is furnished with Velcro closings on both sides, which makes it easier to adjust the size. The sling seat is pinned on the waist ring by strong push buttons.

Suitable for both mobility and therapy purposes, the walker is extremely flexible and adapts to the individual needs of most children, with its multiple adjustments and posture support.

With its standard features alone, it will easily support a child with mild to moderate physical disabilities.

It is designed to make walking less energy consuming, while improving rhythm and timing.

Nevertheless, it is very important to have the frame at the correct height. If it is too high, your child will find it difficult to straighten out their elbows sufficiently and will not take enough body weight through their arms. If the frame is too low, it will encourage your child to bend over, resulting to poor posture.

The most effective way of ensuring the frame is at the correct height is for your child to wear their regular, supportive footwear and be measured by their physiotherapist.

Regular maintenance of walking frames is essential to ensure safety. Checks should be made for signs of wear and tear, particularly at the site of screws and height adjustment mechanisms.

For the best information on the latest walking frames for kids, visit DoAbility UK today.

Another year has come to an end, and the year 2009 is now nothing more but a part of history.
So for 2010’s first article, I thought of sharing with you the history of wheelchairs.

It is uncertain as to what can be considered the first wheelchair, or who invented it. The first known dedicated wheelchair invented in 1595, called an invalids chair, was made for King Phillip II of Spain by an unknown inventor.

King Phillip II of Spain

But the wheelbarrow, a 3rd century invention from China used for moving the sick or disabled, is said to be the oldest evidence of wheeled chairs.

Wheelbarrow

In 1655, Stephen Farfler, a 22-year-old paraplegic watchmaker, built a self-propelling chair on a three-wheel chassis.

In 1783, John Dawson of Bath, England, invented a wheelchair named after the town of Bath. He designed a chair with two large wheels and a small one. The Bath wheelchair outsold all other wheelchairs throughout the early part of the 19th century.

Bath Wheelchair

However, the Bath wheelchair was not that comfortable, and during the last half of the 19th century, many improvements were made to wheelchairs. Comfort for the disabled person became more of an issue. Convertible chairs, with reclining backs and adjustable foot rests, were then invented. An 1869 patent for a wheelchair showed the first model with rear push wheels and small front casters. Between, 1867 to 1875, inventors added new hollow rubber wheels similar to those used on bicycles on metal rims. In 1881, the push rims for added self-propulsion were invented.

Indian Reed Wheelchair

It was also during this time when some wheelchairs were made from Indian reed, with large wheels either front or back, weighing 50 to 58 lbs. depending whether it had push rims or not.

In 1900, the first spoked wheels were used on wheelchairs. In 1916, the first motorized wheelchair was manufactured in London.

Foldable Wheelchair

In 1932, engineer, Harry Jennings, built the first folding, tubular steel wheelchair. That was the earliest wheelchair similar to what is in modern use today. That wheelchair was built for his paraplegic friend, Herbert Everest, who wanted a wheelchair that could go in an automobile. On 1933 in Los Angeles, together they founded Everest & Jennings, a company that monopolized the wheelchair market for many years. An anti-trust suit was actually brought against Everest & Jennings by the Department of Justice, who charged the company with rigging wheelchair prices. The case was finally settled out of court.

In 1934, Samuel Duke, independently of E & J responded to the demand in Chicago. He developed the second manual, lightweight, folding wheelchair for the market.

Over the years, the causes of changes in wheelchairs were brought about by the introduction of the automobile and the need to get wheelchairs into cars; the increased number of injuries due to automobiles; the development of rehabilitation and re-education programs for the injured; improved medical services; and the demand for independence of disabled people.

Wheelchair sports were introduced as a form of therapy in the rehabilitation program of Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury, England between 1944 to 1947. They had their Annual World Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Games. At present, there are more than 70 member countries in the International Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Sports Federation.

Wheelchair Sports

Wheelchair sports improved the physical function of disabled people. It created more active individuals who want to do more. It increased the demand for performance in manual wheelchairs. Wheelchairs used in sports are lightweight, versatile, and stable.

Early power chairs used belts in the drive-train. The motor turned a rotor which had a belt wrapped around it, and the belt transmitted the power to the wheels. Today’s chairs use direct drive, meaning the motor turns gears which in turn move the power through a gear transmission to the wheels. Direct drive is more reliable and needs less maintenance.

Power chairs were actually once called “electric chairs”, until marketers realized that the public thought of electric chairs as machines of execution. The early power chairs were manual chairs with batteries and drive mechanisms jury-rigged on. The chairs were bulky and difficult to navigate with. Designers have since fixed those problems, and modern power chairs have all their elements integrated into a coherent system. While the first power chairs used electric power only for moving the wheels forward, today’s systems include powered adjustments for seats, foot rests, back pads, and head rests.

Innovation continued, with the first voice activated power wheelchair being used in Norway in 1984, enabling its young user to attend university classes. A new class of portable power chairs was also manufactured, that could be folded and put in the boots of most cars. In the 1990’s, innovation focused on custom power wheelchairs, with the manufacture of bases that can be tuned to suit the individuals needs.

Current innovations are extremely exciting, if rather expensive at the moment. One of the most exciting new developments of the moment is the Ibot. Not only does it rise up on two wheels, if someone tries to push you off your balance, it is better able to keep its balance than a human.

The Ibot

Unfortunately, with a price approaching $30,000, it is not for everyone.

Where wheelchairs will go from here is uncertain, but you can be sure they will be very different from now. It is likely that at some point there will be power chairs controlled by neurological impulses from the brain. Spanish scientists are currently working on a brain to computer interface which will allow users to control their chairs, while Texas Instruments recently demonstrated what they claimed was the first thought controlled wheelchair.

For the latest wheelchairs in the market today, visit www.doability.co.uk

Wheelchairs are used by people for whom walking is difficult or impossible due to an illness, injury, or disability. The earliest record of the wheelchair in England dates from the 1670s.

Here are some famous people who use and used wheelchairs:

STEPHEN HAWKING

He is a well-known example of a person with Motor Neuron Disease (MND), and has lived for more than 40 years with it. The internationally renowned physicist/mathematician has defied time and doctors’ diagnosis that he would not live 2-years beyond his 21st birthday after he was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. The symptoms are very similar to those of Cerebral Palsy. He cannot walk and talk, and has difficulty in holding up his head, swallowing, and breathing. He has been using a special computer that displays the text he types and speaks what he types with an electronic voice.

Hawking knew what he wanted to do by the time he was eight. He did not want to study medicine, a career his parents hoped he would follow. Instead, he decided to be a scientist and chose physics. He was interested in studying the universe. He attended Oxford University in England, as an undergraduate student. He received his Ph.D. in 1966 from Cambridge University. By the time he was 35 years old, he was Cambridge’s first Gravitational Physics professor and received the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics Award. He has also published a book called A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes. The book tries to explain many of his physical and mathematical ideas and calculations without using math. The book became a best seller and was made into a movie.

FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT

He was the 32nd President of the United States. Elected to four terms in office, he served from 1933 to 1945, and is the only U.S. president to have served more than two terms of office. In August 1921, while his family were vacationing at Campobello Island, New Brunswick, he contracted a near fatal case of polio, which resulted in his total and permanent paralysis from the waist down. He refused to accept that he was permanently paralyzed. He tried a wide range of therapies, including hydrotherapy. Fitting his hips and legs with iron braces, he laboriously taught himself to walk a short distance by swiveling his torso while supporting himself with a cane. In private, he used a wheelchair, but he was careful never to be seen in it in public. In 2003, a peer-reviewed study found that it was more likely that his paralytic illness was actually Guillain-Barré Syndrome, not Poliomyelitis.

Pres. Roosevelt established a foundation at Warm Springs, Georgia to help other people who had polio, and he directed the March of Dimes Program that eventually funded an effective vaccine.

THEODORE DEREESE PENDERGRASS, SR.

His career began when he was a drummer for The Cadillacs, which soon merged with Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes. He was invited by Melvin to become the lead singer after he jumped from the rear of a stage and started singing his heart out. On March 18, 1982, in Philadelphia, he was involved in an automobile accident when the brakes failed on his Rolls Royce and he hit a tree, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down with a spinal cord injury. After completing six months in rehabilitation, he returned to the studio to record the album Love Language, featuring the 1984 ballad “Hold Me”, a duet with a then-unknown Whitney Houston.

CHRISTOPHER REEVE

He was an American actor, director, producer, and writer. He portrayed Superman/Kal-El/Clark Kent in four films, from 1978 to 1987. In the 1980s, he also starred in several films, including Somewhere in Time (1980), Deathtrap (1982), The Bostonians (1984), and Street Smart (1987). In May 1995, he was paralyzed in an accident during an equestrian competition. His horse balked at a rail jump, pitching him forward where he landed head first. His injuries left the actor paralyzed, unable to use any of his limbs or even to breathe without the help of a respirator. He was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He lobbied on behalf of people with spinal cord injuries, and for human embryonic stem cell research after his accident. He founded the Christopher Reeve Foundation and co-founded the Reeve-Irvine Research Center. He was dedicated to increasing public awareness about spinal cord injury and to raising money for research for a cure. He was also the Chairman of the American Paralysis Association and Vice Chairman of the National Organization on Disability. He died at age 52 on October 10, 2004 from cardiac arrest caused by a systemic infection. Never has a person with a disability commanded so much media attention in recent history.

ITZHAK PERLMAN

He is an Israeli-American violinist, conductor, and pedagogue. He is one of the most distinguished violinists of the late 20th century. He contracted polio at the age of four. He made a good recovery, learning to walk with the use of crutches. Today he uses a wheelchair or walks with the aid of crutches on his arms and plays the violin while seated. Critics say it is not the music alone that makes his playing so special. They say he is able to communicate the joy he feels in playing, and the emotions that great music can deliver.

Perlman began his music career at the Academy of Music in Tel-Aviv, Israel. In 1958, at the age of 13, he won in an Israeli talent competition. This made it possible for him to travel to the United States to tour and appear on television. He then stayed in the U.S. and continued his musical training at the Juilliard School in New York City. In 1964, he won a contest among young musicians known as the Leventritt Competition. Winning opened doors for him to perform his violin music all over the world. In 1986, he received the nation’s Medal of Liberty from U.S. President Ronald Reagan. His joy of making music has captivated audiences and has achieved him a level of respect and admiration among people of many nations. Great violin concertos make up the core of his recorded music, ranging from the baroque to the contemporary. He is also featured in the hit movie Music of the Heart.

Itzhak is also a well known advocate for people with disabilities, actively promoting laws to ease access to buildings and transportation.

TANNI GREY THOMPSON

She is the disabled athlete that most people instantly recognize. She has competed in Paralympic Games since 1988, representing Britain at distances ranging from 100m to 800m. She has won fourteen paralympic medals including nine golds, and has broken over twenty world records. As a wheelchair athlete, she was also the winner of London marathons in 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998 and 2001. In recent years, she has established herself as a TV presenter, including BBC TWO’s From the Edge disability magazine programme.

PAT STACK

He was a left-wing revolutionary, and was part of the Socialist Workers Party’s organizing committee. He uses a wheelchair, resulting from a Thalidomide pregnancy. Unlike Roosevelt, he does not keep his disability hidden. As well as having a brilliant political understanding, he is a great speaker and does several meetings every year at Marxism in London. He wrote the “Stack On The Back” article in Socialist Review, the SWP’s monthly magazine, from the 1980s until late 2004.

All walking frames can be folded for storage or transportation and all have some kind of brake. They also all have fixed wheels at the back and swivelling wheels (castors) at the front, like a supermarket trolley.

Three and four-wheeled walking frames

There are two basic varieties of wheeled walking frame – three-wheeled and four-wheeled.

Some people prefer three-wheeled walking frames because they look smaller and less obtrusive. They can also be a bit lighter and easier to manoeuvre than some four-wheeled models.

However, many professionals advise against three-wheelers because they are less stable. It is also easier to use them without unfolding them all the way, which can be even more risky.

Some three-wheelers have a safety feature that makes it harder to use them without unfolding them properly.

Features

Folding

All walking frames can be folded.

Three-wheelers fold like a book.

Four-wheelers fold in one of two ways: in ‘A’-type walking frames, you fold the front wheels and back wheels together and in ‘X’-type walking frames you fold the two sides together.

Folding can be difficult on some models, so you need to make sure that you know how it works, and that you can do it safely.

Things to watch out for:

On some models it is possible to unfold the walking frame without it clicking securely into place. Obviously this can be dangerous. Some walking frames have a catch that shows clearly if it is in place or not.

Some models need two hands to fold them. If the frame is not stable when folded, this might make you lose your balance.

Most walking frames still stand up when they are folded, but some of the A-folding models do not. This may make them harder for you to use.

Make sure you don’t catch your fingers when folding or unfolding the walking frame. Some are better for this than others.

Some walking frames have a clip or catch that secures them in the folded position. This may make them easier for you to use.

Wheels

The size and shape of the wheels can make a big difference to how easy the walking frame is to use. Larger wheels are easier to push on uneven or bumpy surfaces.

There are four main kinds of wheels – balloon, double, solid and rubberised. All the balloon, solid and rubberised wheels are around 200mm (8 inches) across; double wheels are 90mm (3 1/2 inches) across.

Hard, shiny tyres can be slippy on some surfaces, even carpets. Even the brakes can slip, especially if they are not properly adjusted.

• balloon

Most three-wheelers have ‘balloon’ wheels. These are large wheels with fat, quite hard, plastic tyres. The brakes hold quite well on these tyres.

• double

These are pairs of smaller, plastic wheels, like on a push chair. The brakes do hold quite well on these wheels. Some of the people in our tests found them a bit rattly.

• solid

Some of the four-wheelers have solid tyres. These are large wheels with slimmer hard plastic tyres. Some of them were quite slippy in the tests. Some have ridges to give them better grip.

• rubberised

Some of the four-wheelers have rubberised tyres (right). These are large plastic wheels with low profile rubber tyres. They were the grippiest tyers in the tests, though they did still slip on some surfaces.

Holding on

Handles and hand grips are important because they take your weight and you will be holding them for a long time. It’s important to make sure they are in the right position so you are going to be comfortable. Usually you can adjust the height of the hand grips, and on some models the angle as well.

Mostly you hold and steer the walking frame with both hands, holding on to the frame or holding special handles, but if your hands are stiff or painful you can have forearm supports on some models.

It is also possible to adapt some walking frames to be used with just one hand. This is done either by fitting a bar or grip that you can hold in the middle of the walking frame, or simply by connecting both brake cables to the same lever. Be aware that if you are putting all your weight on just one side of the walking frame you might risk overbalancing.

There’s a variety of different hand grips. The simplest are covered with padded tape, like on a bicycle, or have soft foam grips.

Some walking frames have specially shaped hand grips (sometimes called ergonomic or anatomic grips) that are supposed to fit more comfortably in your hand. These can be more comfortable, but if the moulding doesn’t fit your hand, they may become uncomfortable to hold.

Other walking frames have simple plastic hand grips.

Brakes

All walking frames have brakes of one kind or another.

Pressure brakes go on when you push them down. As you push down the wheels spring up so that the frame stands on its rubber feet. They are easy to use because it is easy to use your weight to press down. They only stay on while you are pushing, so you cannot lock the brakes on if you want to stay put for a while. Make sure they are properly adjusted; otherwise they might come on by themselves when you are not expecting it.

Lever brakes work by squeezing a lever, like on a bicycle. They can be used to slow you down as you are going along and can be locked on to keep the frame steady while you sit down, or put things on the tray or basket.

Strap brakes Some walking frames have a strap brake, that works like a lever brake except that you squeeze a loop of the strap instead of a lever. These are quite comfortable to use, but you sometimes have to squeeze quite hard. They can be locked on.

If you are choosing a walking frame with lever or strap brakes, check you can stretch your fingers far enough to reach and squeeze with enough force and that you can comfortably apply the brakes. You also need to be able to push the lever or strap down to lock the brakes on. Some brake levers are shaped to make them easier to use.

Brakes should not need much maintenance if they have been set up properly. Strap and lever brakes may need to be adjusted to allow for wear. Make sure you or someone who may help you knows how to do this. It’s easy, but with some types you will need two spanners (not supplied).

Seats and backrests

All four-wheeled frames have seats. Very few three-wheelers do. Seats can be useful, especially on longer trips. They are meant for short rests, not sitting in for a long time. They are made of fabric, wood or plastic, and may be rigid or flexible. Some are padded and some have backrests.

Try them out to find out which suits you, and take enough time doing so. Check that the seat is the right height for you to sit comfortably, and high enough to let you sit down and get up easily. Some are adjustable and some frames come in a range of sizes. If you need back support check it is at the right height to support you comfortably. A few backrests are adjustable.

Bags, baskets and trays

Many frames come with a bag or basket for carrying things. Some frames can be folded without taking the (empty) bag off, but solid metal baskets must be removed before folding. This means that if you go by car to the shops you have to take all your shopping out before you can get the frame into the car. If you put a shopping bag into the frame’s bag first, you can lift everything out in one go.

Some baskets sit at the front of the frame. If you are worried about bag snatchers look for one where the basket or bag can be closed, or is harder to get at.

Many frames have a tray – useful for carrying things from room to room at home. Check that you can reach it easily (some are very low down) and they are firm enough (some shake around a bit).

Other features

There are many other features that come with some walking frames as standard or as optional extras. These include walking stick holders, drink holders, oxygen cylinder holders and parasols.

Some walking frames have ‘kerb climbers’. These are small pedals attached to the rear wheels that are meant to make it easier to get up kerbs. We found they were quite hard to use.

Some walking frames also have slow-down brakes that can be tightened up on one of the wheels to stop the walking frame running away with you.

Models

We asked a group of experts (an ergonomist, three occupational therapists, two physiotherapists, three people who use walking frames and a mechanical engineer, who carried out a mechanical safety inspection) to look at eighteen walking frames. They looked at the various features that are available and evaluated the walking frames on eleven different points.

In this section, we discuss each model in turn highlighting the good and bad points of each one.

Volaris S7

The Volaris S7 is an X-folding four-wheeled walking frame.

It has rubberised tyres, straight hand grips and lever brakes and a solid plastic seat with a strap backrest.

You can adjust the height of the hand grips (10 positions) and the seat (5 positions). Adjustment is very easy.

It has a removable wire basket and a tray.

Handling was easy.

The hand grips were good.

Brakes were easy to operate and very effective.

Folding was easy, though the two sides didn’t go very close together. The Volaris S7 does stand when folded.

Unfolding was easy and it clicks right into place.

The seat and backrest were comfortable.

The basket is nice and large, but the tray is very low, which makes it hard to use.

Evaluation summary:

• Handling: ok

• Brakes:

• operation: good

• effectiveness: very good

• Folding:

• secure when unfolded: yes

• secure when folded: yes

• stands when folded: yes

• operation: good

• Seat: good

Mechanical safety:

• Frame: 5

• Finger traps: 5

• Stability: 5

• Overall: 5

(1 – considered dangerous, 2 – considered potentially dangerous, 3 – some concerns for safe use, 4 – minor criticisms but still considered safe, 5 – no safety concerns)

Volaris S3

The Volaris S3 is an X-folding four-wheeled walking frame.

It has rubberised tyres, straight hand grips and lever brakes and a solid plastic seat with a strap backrest.

You can easily adjust the height of the hand grips. You can also adjust the angle of the hand grips, though the range is not very great.

It has a removable wire basket and a tray.

Handling was easy.

The hand grips were good.

Brakes were very easy to operate and very effective.

Folding was easy. The Volaris S3 does stand when folded and has a velcro-fastening strap to keep the two sides together.

Unfolding was easy and it clicks right into place.

The seat and backrest were comfortable.

The basket is nice and large, but the tray is very low, which makes it hard to use.

Evaluation summary:

• Handling: good

• Brakes:

• operation: very good

• effectiveness: very good

• Folding:

• secure when unfolded: yes

• secure when folded: yes

• stands when folded: yes

• operation: ok

• Seat: good

Mechanical safety:

• Frame: 5

• Finger traps: 4

• Stability: 5

• Overall: 4

(1 – considered dangerous, 2 – considered potentially dangerous, 3 – some concerns for safe use, 4 – minor criticisms but still considered safe, 5 – no safety concerns)

Exert of report produced by Ricability 2009