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Wheelchair - Blog Posts
How to approach a wheelchair user in your way
-> A visual guide
[ID: a graphic with simple figures. on the left is a column of 3 identical images of a wheelchair user sitting in front of a pedestrian. on the right are examples of do's and don'ts. the first don't is a person attempting to step over the wheelchair user. the second don't shows a person attempting to push the wheelchair user. the final image is a do with a person saying "excuse me" to the wheelchair user]
❌ stepping over wheelchair users
❌ pushing wheelchair users
✅ asking politely for the wheelchair user to move
ayo this pretty cool
[id: active style manual wheelchair with frame made of rectangle wood planks screwed together. end id]
as we know active type wheelchair very expensive, & repair need buy from specific medical manufacturer n take very long time. someone (who wheelchair user themself of near 40 years) made open source active manual wheelchair where most (if not all?) material from commercial easy get materials! wood, plastic, pvc pipe, & those commercial aluminum square pipe things. n they put guide made them yourself in link for anyone want try make
this video from their instagram show their wood frame wheelchair actually pretty durable, include clip from everyday use & even drop wheelchair all over place (basically imagine what airline do to them…) - n wheelchair stay in tact! n even if some part break - it easy change because wood planks all screwed together so you just buy wood plank & unscrew & rescrew.
not great for people w advanced seating positioning needs probably (think if only problem is easy butt pressure sore, maybe can still use this + supportive cushion but think beyond that it get hard). but if like you don’t need those things then maybe fun project?
have not use for self so can’t actually talk about experience but it look pretty cool
wheelchair users deserve a minimum of three wheelchairs to meet different needs. like, bare minimum of indoor chair, outdoor chair, and off road chair. chairs that meet different needs for transport, activity, positioning needs, energy levels, etc.
there is not "one chair" that can meet every need. wheelchair users deserve to have multiple chairs that meet specific needs, no matter how complex their seating/positioning needs. we deserve to at least have a backup if our chair breaks that is just as suited to our needs.
As a wheelchair user I'm trying to reframe my language for "being in the way."
"I'm in the way," "I can't fit," and "I can't go there," is becoming "there's not enough space," "the walkway is too narrow," and "that place isn't accessible."
It's a small change, but to me it feels as if I'm redirecting blame from myself to the people that made these places inaccessible in the first place. I don't want people to just think that they're helping me, I want them to think that they're making up for someone else's wrongdoing. I want them to remember every time I've needed help as something someone else caused.
Not smoking weed before I use my forearm crutches so I'm not operating machinery under the influence
Things to research before getting your first custom manual wheelchair
one of the biggest things I can recommend to anyone getting a new custom chair (but especially a first custom chair) is to understand all of the parts of a wheelchair and what they do. I decided to make a guide with wheelchair parts to research and places to look for information to make this process a little bit easier. additional link suggestions are welcome.
General resources:
Permobil - The Wheelchair Handbook
Motion Composites - Preparing for Your Wheelchair Evaluation: Before the Evaluation (Part 1)
Motion Composites - Preparing for Your Wheelchair Evaluation (Part 2)
1. Frame
Motion Composites - Folding vs Rigid Wheelchair Frames: How to Choose
Permobil - Manual wheelchairs: rigid and folding frames. How do you choose?
GTK - Oh what’s in a frame? Comparing Multiple Materials
Motion Composites - Wheelchairs: Carbon Fiber Versus Aluminum
2. Front frame angle
Motion Composites - Understanding the Impact of Rigid Wheelchair Front Frame Angle
Sunrise Medical - Rigid Frame Wheelchairs – Frame Angle and Inset
4. Seat dump
Permobil - Ergonomic Seating and Manual Wheelchairs
Spinlife - Wheelchair Back & Seat Angle
5. Caster size, style, and position
Motion Composites - Front Casters for Manual Wheelchairs Practical Guide
Sunrise Medical - Front Caster Position in Manual Wheelchairs
6. Caster forks
New Mobility - Caster Wheels and Forks
Sunrise Medical - Maneuverability in Manual Wheelchairs - What Fork to use?
New Mobility - Innovations: Emerging Trends in the Wheelchair Market (information about single sided forks)
7. Footplate
Motion Composites - Footrest Options to Support Function and Mobility
When Tania Talks - Active User Wheelchair Footplate Options
8. Calf strap
Spex Seating - Lower Leg Support Considerations in Wheelchair Seating
9. Seat pan
Permobil - Solid Seat Insert for Wheelchair: Taking a Closer Look at Cushion Components
10. Seat cushion
Permobil - What to Look for in Seating & Positioning Products
Permobil - How to Choose a Cushion in Long Term Care
Permobil - Cushion Geometry: Linear and Contoured
Freedom Mobility Center - Wheelchair Seat Cushions: 5 Tips for Choosing the Right One for You
Mobility Basics - Seat Cushion Rigidizer
Motion Composites - Selecting the Right Cushion for Your Wheelchair a Clinicians Guide
Motion Composites - Covering the Basics of Wheelchair and Back Support Covers
11. Seat belts
12. Clothing guards
Sherman Oaks Medical Equipment - Wheelchair Clothes Guards / Side Guards Guide
13. Arm rests
United Spinal Association - Wheelchair Armrests What Do They Really Do?
Spinlife - Wheelchair Arm Rest Choices
Motion Composites - Armrests: Getting the Support you Need
14. Back supports
Motion Composites - Solid vs Upholstery Backs
Mobility Management - How to Choose the Right Back Height for your Client
Freedom Mobility Center - Why a Solid Back is Preferred Over a Sling Back
Mobility Basics - Back Supports
Sunrise Medical - Tips for Selecting Prefabricated Wheelchair Backs
Motion Composites - Covering the Basics of Wheelchair and Back Support Covers
15. Head supports
16. Push handles
Motion Composites - Push Handles: Pushing Around
17. Wheels
Motion Composites - Rolling Along: The Importance of Rear Wheel Selection
Sunrise Medical - Comparing Wheelchair Wheel Spoke Options
Mobility Basics - Manual Wheelchair Wheels
18. Tires
New Mobility - Everything You Need to Know About Selecting the Right Wheelchair Tires
GTK - Solid versus Pneumatic Tyres
Mobility Basics - Manual Wheelchair Wheels
Motion Composites - Tire Selection: Balancing Performance and Maintenance
19. Brakes
Motion Composites - Wheel Locks: Unlocking Safety and Function
20. Push rims/Hand rims
Motion Composites - Getting a Grasp: Understanding the Impact of Hand Rims
DME Hub - Wheelchair Hand Rom Options and Factors to Consider
21. Anti-tip wheels
22. Camber
Motion Composites - Camber - Degrees of Performance
23. Center of Gravity
Motion Composites - Rear Wheel Position 101
A guide to designing wheelchair using characters!
I hope this helps anyone who's trying to design their oc using a wheelchair, it's not a complete guide but I tried my best! deffo do more research if you're writing them as a character
I want more people to be aware of disabled joy. The freedom of getting the right mobility aid. The sense of victory and accomplishment when doing a task you thought you would never succeed at. The smug superiority of zooming ahead of your walking friends on a downhill slope. The relief of a proper diagnosis answering your questions. The peace of learning how to radically accept yourself and your body. It ain’t all bad, folks.
I don't have a scooter attachment or any motor attachment for my wheelchair, but I sometimes drive fast bc I am able to and I love it. I'm genuinely considering getting a "ringing bell" (idk I forgot the English word for it) and/or a "honking thing". Bc people walk sooo slow and I'm zooming ahead and most people are completely unaware of their surroundings
For the Danes or Danish speaking individuals, the words I'm thinking of are "ringeklokke og båthorn" :D
I've used a wheelchair for about a week now and I was soo nervous about it. But it's honestly been great, despite the minor accidents. I've gotten both thumbs stuck between the tire and the fender sideguard.. and I've tipped backwards onto the ground. But the worst part about that was that my open drink spilled everywhere:(
It feels easy, natural, amazing to just be able to move so freely with a lot less pain than before. I'm gonna be really sad, when I have to give it back.
Seeking advice: new wheelchair user
I will be using a wheelchair semi-regularly the next month to see if it will help reduce pain flare-ups / baseline pain and to figure out if it's helpful for me.
Tomorrow is the first day and I am going to uni and therapy. I have only used a wheelchair a couple of times but I'm comfortable with folding it and such as my dad's disabled and it's his wheelchair I'm borrowing. In theory I know how to maneuver around but I'm nervous about it.
Do any wheelchair-users have tips/advice for new wheelchair-users?
Extra info: it's a foldable wheelchair, brand is Quickie. I'm nervous about tipping backwards (no anti-tip), going up and down curbs, taking the metro, painful hands/arms/shoulders.
Commission i did for @ryuzaki-lawliett !! thank u so much<3 :3
I really love how it turned out hehe
In case anyone finds it helpful because mobility aids are horrifically expensive and inaccessible…
And for those people who have access to mobility devices but might benefit from a second chair they can abuse without risking expensive damage…
Erik Kondo has made a website, Open Source Innovations, that details plans for DIY wheelchairs. These wheelchairs can be made from common materials like wood, plastic, and pvc. They are lightweight and can be custom fit to the user allowing from the same degree of movement you would get from a custom chair. And they are durable and easily repairable. (he has been stress testing his latest design by dropping it down stairs, dropping it out of a car, launching it across a driveway, and throwing it off a deck). Its 12lbs and I think he said its was in the $200 ish range for parts.
He also is working on cheap, open source, accessible designs for beach chairs, off road chairs, motorized attachments (think smart drive), and so on. Plus he skateboards in his wheelchair. Cool dude, helpful info, pass it on.
Remembering that one time I made a supervillian in a wheelchair character cause like, cool character and no one in a superhero/villain discord would hear about him cause of the whole wheelchair thing. Let alone a hero to fight him xD
Tiring stuff
If I didn't make this video, I would've made Transformers One an exaggerated documentary.
A little PSA to the numskulls at my school if you see me on the ramp or waiting near the ramp STOP WALKING ON THE RAMP YOU CAN USE THE STAIRS I CANT!!! I will f*cking run you over
@goat-and-a-pig has been begging me to post for a while. So here it is :)
Some of the fandoms that I am in are: TOH, amphiba, GF, SU, tadc, svtfoe, WoF, and probably more that I can’t remember rn
I read quite a bit but not as much as I would like to. I am a ambient wheelchair user, and I have T1D.
I can kind of crochet and I paint and draw
‼️please help me get a wheelchair‼️
hello, my name is leo, or more commonly known as ‘lav’ on here.
i’ve been dealing with debilitating chronic pain for over 10 years and i really need a wheelchair. i haven’t gotten much help from my healthcare system, being fat and afab has really fucked me over while trying to seek medical attention..
i am still fighting to completely figure out what’s wrong with me, but for now i know that i have several bulging discs in my lower back, as well as scoliosis. (as well as medically recognised POTS).
my pain is getting worse and worse, and i barely leave my home since walking and being upright in general hurts so much. a wheelchair would improve my life immensely, both physically and mentally.
i am currently on disability benefits, which pretty much is the lowest income group in sweden, and saving up for a wheelchair myself would take a very long time.. i will of course also be saving up as much as i can and putting into an account meant for wheelchair funds.
so i’m asking you to donate if you want to and if you are financially able to, and if not, please reblog this.
i have found a good chair that is also accessible to a fat person, and i need 7111 SEK (around 650$) to cover the cost of the chair & the shipping. i have started a gofundme that i’ll be sharing in this post, and i welcome all help, donating just a little helps, and reblogging and sharing the gofundme in general helps immensely too.
thank you so much for reading💜
“this bathroom is accessible!!1!1”
if my chair was one (1) inch longer, the door wouldnt have shut. this stall was also the exact same size as the non-accessible stall next to it. you cant just slap some grab bars on it and call it accessible 🙄
image ID: first image: a shot of someone sitting in their wheelchair in a bathroom stall, the stall is so small that the edge of the toilet hits their knees. the stall is very narrow as well. there are grab bars on the walls around the toilet. second image: a shot from the other view showing how the wheelchair fits in the stall. the back wheels hit the stall door, and there is about an inch between the footplate and toilet. end ID.
Hate have say this but
NOT TOUCH OTHER PEOPLE DISABILITY THING PLEASE
Should not even have be please, should be good and know but somehow not.
Person in Aiden class before today *grab* Aiden laptop with AAC and Aiden had *physical* grab back because person start press random button on Aiden AAC.
Then! Person get *mad* because Aiden not want person play with Aiden *voice* like *toy*
This not good, and wish person know more good but guess Aiden have say too.