Mobility Equipment Supplies

These days, there is plenty of mobility equipment available to help the disabled and elderly. However, before you decide on buying any type of mobility equipment, you should make sure that it is of high quality, practical, and safe. A few of the factors you have to consider are comfort level, cost, and flexibility.

Wheelchairs provide excellent mobility both indoors and outdoors. You can buy a wheelchair that is either manually operated or motorized. Manual wheelchairs are relatively inexpensive, though they are best used by those who can propel their own wheelchairs. The greatest advantage of motorized wheelchairs is that they do not require human effort, since they use a built-in motor and run on batteries. Portable ramps made of steel or aluminium can also be bought to help them navigate through steps.

Before purchasing a wheelchair, see to it that the seat is aligned and comfortable to sit on. A misaligned seat can bring inconvenience and amplify the user’s pain. Luckily, many wheelchairs today can be tailored according to the needs of the user.

Disabled people can ascend and descend a staircase using a stair lift. They attach a rail to the stairs, and on the rail is a chair the rider can sit on. This costs less than an in-home elevator or a platform lift. Some factors you want to look at in your search for chair lifts are the height and width, and whether they would fit the person who is going to use it. Additionally, it will need to be sturdy enough to support the weight of the user. It is also wise to check how much power it uses, how flexible, safe, and smooth it operates.

Rollators come in different sizes and shapes to meet the individual needs of people with limited mobility. With a rollator, people, who have a hard time walking, can now move around their environment more freely.

Check out a variety of mobility equipment at DoAbility UK today.

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One of the biggest problems of people with disabilities is going to far-away places with their wheelchairs. Though these have wheels to aid them to go from place to place, some mobility equipment are not designed to get in an airplane, bus, or train.

Flying on a plane with a wheelchair can be a bit intimidating for disabled people. Usually, they struggle in fitting their wheelchairs and getting through security, but what is even more hassling is getting into the airplane. Luckily today, all the major airlines have better assistance and services for customers like them.

If you are preparing to go somewhere with your mobility aid and ride on a plane, you had better plan your trip in advance of the schedule. Do not get disheartened just because you are nervous to transport your wheelchair with you.

If you wish to buy a ticket, all you need to do is to do it over the internet. You do not have to proceed to your local ticketing outlets to purchase tickets. If you want to arrange to travel with your chair, it is advisable to book your ticket online. Most airline companies post their passenger assistance and services on their official sites, where you can find the best support you will need for your trip. In addition, you get the option to choose your seat. It will be better if you are seated near the front of the airplane, as you do not have to pass by everyone and go down the aisle. Mainly, good rates are also posted on the internet. You can also look for their promos and discounts there.

Call the company where you booked days before your departure. Double check and follow up on your flight and boarding procedures, and repeat information about the assistance you will require.

The best option for disabled people is flying first class. First class airplanes have bigger and more comfy seats and wider aisles. Nevertheless, if you cannot afford expensive airfare, you can wait for on sale first-class tickets. Check in before time for unsold tickets. From time to time, these tickets are sold in a lower price.

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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.

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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

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So can you spot what’s wrong with this picture? If not, let me give you a hint. It has something to do with the name that you see on the building. If you still do not get it, this article might give you an idea.

How many times have you been to a building with no ramp/s for those on wheelchair? Or go to a parking facility with no parking slots dedicated for the handicapped? Or ride an elevator with no brails on the floor buttons? Hopefully, not too many.

For some of us, these things I mentioned are considered useless and, worse, a waste of precious resources, be it money, work and space. Not everyone realizes though that there is a reason why we have these now, and that people before us fought hard for us to have these “useless” things.

For centuries, people with disabilities have had to battle against biases, stereotypes, and fears. Since the mid 1900s, these people have been fighting for recognition and fair treatment. The stigmatization of disability resulted in the social and economic marginalization of generations of men and women with disabilities, and like many other oppressed minorities, left them in a severe state of impoverishment for centuries. This continued up to the two World Wars. During the 1930s, the United States saw the introduction of many new advancements in technology as well as in government assistance, contributing to the self-reliance and self-sufficiency of people with disabilities. A great advocate for this was the late great US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who had a disability himself. In August 1921, before he became president, while the Roosevelts were vacationing at Campobello Island, New Brunswick, Roosevelt contracted an illness believed by his physicians to be polio, which resulted in his total and permanent paralysis from the waist down. This did not stop Roosevelt from dreaming and achieving greater things, making him one of the most popular US presidents in history. In fact, on October 20, 1995, the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute and the World Committee on Disability established the Franklin D. Roosevelt International Disability Award to recognize and encourage progress by nations in improving the lives of their disabled citizens. This award is still being given up to now by the United Nations.

In the 1940s and 1950s, disabled World War II veterans placed increasing pressure on government to provide them with rehabilitation and vocational training. World War II veterans made disability issues more visible to a country of thankful citizens who were concerned for the long-term welfare of young men who sacrificed their lives to secure the safety of the United States. Despite these initial advancements made towards independence and self-reliance, people with disabilities still did not have access to public transportation, telephones, bathrooms and stores. Office buildings and work sites with stairs offered no entry for people with disabilities who sought employment, and employer attitudes created even worse barriers. Otherwise talented and eligible people with disabilities were locked out of opportunities for meaningful work. This began to change by the 1960s. By then, the civil rights movement began to take shape, and disability advocates saw the opportunity to join forces alongside other minority groups to demand equal treatment, equal access and equal opportunity for people with disabilities. The advocacy continued until in 1973, the Rehabilitation Act was passed, and for the first time in history, civil rights of people with disabilities were protected by law.

Yet all these advancements were not enough.

In the 1980s, disability activists began to lobby for a consolidation of various pieces of legislation under one broad civil rights statute that would protect the rights of people with disabilities, much like what the 1964 Civil Rights Act had achieved for Black Americans. After decades of campaigning and lobbying, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990, and ensured the equal treatment and equal access of people with disabilities to employment opportunities and to public accommodations. The ADA intended to prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability in: employment, services rendered by state and local governments, places of public accommodation, transportation, and telecommunications services.

The rest, as they say, is history. And knowing this made me grateful to those who fought for disability rights in the past, and for those who are still fighting for it now. Make no mistake, the struggle continues and it is upon ourselves, the current generation, to make sure that all what the others before us fought for will not go to waste.

Still do not know what’s wrong with the picture? I’m sorry. I gave you all the clues already.

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