Wheelchair Accessories: Getting Loaded

Buying a wheelchair these days is almost like buying a car. You have your very basic wheelchairs that have “no frills” which can perform their tasks very well. Then you have the “loaded” wheelchairs that come with various accessories that add greatly to the comfort and convenience of the wheelchair user.

The most popular comfort items are the seat cushion. Once it is properly fitted and constructed can add to the comfort of the user, but if they are poorly fitted they can lead to poor posture and can even result in pressure sores.

A good wheelchair seat cushion encourages the user to sit with proper posture position, which is crucial for those who have difficulty swallowing or who have a neuromuscular impairment. Proper posture also helps with both respiration and circulation; therefore, a well-designed wheelchair seat cushion will have a number of positive benefits.

Ramps and Lifts

Even though most public buildings are wheelchair accessible, there are still a number of buildings that have not been updated and very few homes can actually accommodate a wheelchair. Accessories like a portable wheelchair ramp allow wheelchair users to access buildings that were previously inaccessible. Portable wheelchair ramps are perfect for getting wheelchair users in and out of vehicles and upstairs.

A wheelchair lift operated more like an elevator and is used to carry wheelchairs from one floor to the next in a building or home. These hydraulic wheelchair accessories permit wheelchair users to be mobile even in power outages. They cost much less than electrically powered lifts and do the job just as well. A secondary power source is needed to keep it operational during electrical outages. Other wheelchair accessories help with getting users from one level to the next such as stair lifts and vehicle lifts.

Other Accessories

Even though ramps and lifts come in a variety of shapes and sizes, there are additional wheelchair accessories that help you personalize your wheelchair to suit your needs. One such accessory is the wheelchair restraint, which is used to keep the wheelchair in place securely when driving in a vehicle. Wheelchair mounts to accommodate a lap top or other items is yet another useful accessory. Some additional ones include adjustable controls that can be activated by hand or voice and wheelchair locks or covers.

Accessories that help to improve the comfort level of the user include gloves, neck and head supports, back cushions, protective padding for arms, elbow and legs. There are a number of wheelchair accessories that provide comfort, convenience and safety to wheelchair users. Just find the ones that are most helpful to you and allow you to enjoy using your wheelchair.