Persons with disabilities who are unable to walk may be prescribed with a wheelchair to enable them to get around. A wheelchair is a mobility device that may be self-propelled or assistant-propelled. Some wheelchairs are propelled by electric power.
Assistive mobility devices also allow people who have a temporary inability to use their legs to go from one place to another. When choosing a mobility aid for a loved one with a disability, you must rely on the prescription of a rehabilitation and movement specialist.
These days, persons with disability are rather fortunate there are electric mobility devices that allow for self-propelled mobility and transfers for both short and long distances.
Scooters
Some persons with disability require a different kind of mobility device, especially if their line of works require them to travel longer distances. For these people, it becomes relevant to look for upgrades on electric mobility scooter accessories.
Mobility scooters look like a motor scooter but have similar design features as a wheelchair. Scooters designed specifically for the use of persons with disability should be powerful and safe enough. After all, they are the alternative to a car as a means of transportation.
Scooters share common design elements across the board, but there are variations in terms of the number of wheels, size, and speed. Innovative models of electric scooters offer adjustable or removable seating. Some products provide more supportive seating for people who require such features.
Still, the equipment should be used only by someone who can sit upright, has adequate strength of the upper extremities, and have the hand strength to manipulate the steering controls. The strength requirements are still lower than of a manually propelled wheelchair.
Electric Wheelchairs
For persons who have to deal with mobility issues for a long time, it becomes prudent to ask the question of acquiring an electric wheelchair. Long-term usage entails reliability, which the standard folding cloth chairs may be unable to provide.
The advanced features of electric mobility devices allow for better maneuverability. Hi-tech wheelchairs can be programmed for various routes and terrains. The best ones can be used as effectively in both indoor and outdoor environments.
Another advantage offered by electric wheelchairs is the available variety of seat movements. Whereas the standard cloth chair has only one seating option, advanced equipment could provide recline functions as well as various angles of tilt.
It becomes relevant for people who have postural dysfunction to receive postural support as well. This is available as a design option for some electric wheelchair products.
Given all these features, electric wheelchairs are costly, and may not be fully accessible to a person with a disability on a limited income. More expensive are the powered wheelchairs, which is the epitome of personal mobility.
Assistive technology has come a long way, and persons with physical and sensory problems now have ways to move from one place to another without depending on another person. Electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters allow people with disabling conditions affecting their whole body to move about.