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Wheelchairs have been built in order to help people who cannot move by themselves. The simple initial device has been later on motorized and improved to enable handicapped persons perform more tasks. There are two basic types of wheelchairs: the manual wheelchair and the power wheelchair. Some lead wheelchair producers are Invacare and Whirlwind Wheelchair International. What Is an Electric Wheelchair?

An electric wheelchair (or a power wheelchair) is a chair that uses electric power in order to move the wheels. They are mostly used by people who don't have enough strength to move their arms. These motorized wheelchairs uses batteries that need to be recharged on a regular basis. Types of Power Wheelchairs The Folding, Lightweight Power Wheelchair

These power wheelchairs have a pretty similar design with the manual wheelchairs, but they have two motors and rechargeable batteries. They are made for indoor use. They have small wheels in front. These wheelchairs are controlled with the use of a small joystick. Quadriplegics, who cannot move their hands, may use a special device for breath or mouth control.

The advantage of the folding power wheelchairs is that they are easy to use in very small spaces. Anyway, it is not very safe to use them outdoors. The Lightweight Power-Assisted Wheelchair

For most of the time, these wheelchairs are used in the same way as manual wheelchairs. This model of power wheelchair is ideal for a quadriplegic or paraplegic person, who needs to use his arms for the benefit of the physical exercise. The electric power is used when the user gets tired or has to climb inclines. The Non-Folding, Stand-Up Power Wheelchair

This model of power wheelchair has a special function to help people who cannot stand by themselves be stood up when they have a face-to-face conversation with someone standing up or for some household chores. They do not have casters so they are more difficult to use in small spaces. It is advised to use the standing-up function only on perfectly flat surfaces. The Outdoor Power Wheelchair

This power wheelchair has been designed a long time ago, mostly for being used in rural areas. It weights up to 500 pounds so it is very unsuitable for being used in the apartment. Nevertheless, it is very efficient outdoors and can also be used in public buildings, hotels or hospitals. The Indoor Stair-Climbing Power Wheelchair

This power wheelchair is built to be used in apartments and public buildings. Apart from the basic power wheelchair functions, it also has a stair-climbing facility. The Combined Indoor-Outdoor Power Wheelchair

This type of power wheelchair tries to mix the characteristics of indoor and outdoor wheelchairs in order to reduce costs and storage space. Anyhow, they do have lots of safety limitations and many functions are performed poorly.

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The different types of wheel chairs for your choice

People did not need much guidance when choosing a manual wheel chair in the early years. The first and early wheelchairs were heavy and were made up of dark-colored upholstery. But today, a wide range of manual wheel chair models to choose from. Each model is perfectly designed for a user from all types of ages.

These are designed for a larger assortment of needs. The stainless steel wheel chair is no longer a single option because it can just be replaced with aluminum, chrome, titanium, aero plane and other lightweight materials.

Lightweight or Sport Wheelchairs is one type of wheelchair. It is made up of material such as titanium, chrome and aluminum or some of the lightweight materials. It is perfectly designed for sports use. It became popularly known as an everyday use wheel chair and has a sporty look and the movement offers were greatly appreciated by most of the users.

This type of wheel chair is not suitable for obese persons because this wheel chair has a lower weight capacity compared to the standard wheelchair but is perfect for a user who has a good upper mobility.

Junior or child wheelchair is another type of wheelchair. It is designed to meet the child's changing needs in the growth period and have to be designed to help the kids in overcoming their social difficulties and walking. This makes a handicapped child feel socially acquainted with the colorful wheel chairs that they are using. It does not only aid a child with walking difficulties but it gives the child a warm feeling to be accepted by other normal kids.

Standard wheel chairs are composed of a cross-brace frame which has a mid-to-high-level back. Its frame is built-in and it has removable armrests and it has swing-away footrests for the comfort of the user. Most people prefer this type of wheelchair especially the elders.

One important thing for a wheelchair is the seat cushion. Foam cushions are very comfortable for a handicapped person. These are inexpensive and lightweight so it does not affect too much. They also come in a variety of densities and sizes in order to accommodate the seat of the wheel chair.

In order to adjust to the comfort of the user in some sensitive areas, or in some sensitive points, air cushions have air chambers that can be puffed up. These are also lightweight and waterproof and are also subject to punctures and leaks. That is why they need to be regularly checked and fixed tight for some problems.

A person can always have the best choice with the different choices of wheelchairs which is according to his/her style of comfort. These wheelchairs are built to mainly provide comfort and aid to disabled persons. In the coming years, wheel chairs will be more enhanced for the user's comfort.

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To provide simpler access to areas for wheelchair users, having a system of lowered curbs and smoothed out pathways is an essential consideration of your outdoors areas, but these are design changes and must be implemented at the planning stage of construction. IF you want to provide immediate access to an area where there has not been previous thought given to providing access, then an alternative must be implemented, and this is normally done with wheel chair ramps.

These flexible and easily positioned devices stretch across areas that would otherwise present an access issue, and make sure that there are no obstacles to get in the way of people who want to access your facilities with ease. Whether you just need to install a simple wheelchair ramp over a raised curb to ensure that people with mobility issues are able to get from the car park onto the sidewalk, or alternatively need a ramp to provide an alternative to a short stair case, then there are many solutions in a range of different sizes and strengths.

Wheel chair ramps feature a number of well thought out design features that are intended to maximize their safety and stability in use and give the impression and feel of a permanent solution that will make getting around your workplace with confidence a reality for anyone who might otherwise have problems.

One of the main innovations that you will see on a wheelchair ramp is the pair of raised lips on either side of the ramp. These prevent users from accidentally rolling off the ramp in use, and increase the safety. The surface too is specially prepared for additional safety in use. By using a high quality serrated pattern on the main surface of the ramp, users can get traction when rolling up, and enjoy good control on the way back down.

If you need to be able to move the ramps quickly, then their lightweight construction out of extruded and bonded aluminum minimizes the weight, while a centrally positioned carrying handle means that they can be moved from one location to another by a single person, allowing them to be rapidly repositioned in order to make accessing different areas of the facility much more simple, and reducing the cost impact of purchasing multiple wheel chair ramps when one or two sets can be used in multiple locations without any trouble.

It has become a moral and legal obligation for business owners to ensure universal access to all facilities in order to reduce their exposure to anti discrimination laws, and by providing a means for all staff, however physically able to gain entry to places that would otherwise be off limits by installing wheel chair ramps, you as an employer are ensuring that you are completely in line with existing and forth coming legislation that is designed to ensure that no one is discriminated against solely on the basis of being confined to a wheelchair.

Wheel chair ramps come in many styles, including safespan telescoping, roll-o-ramp, fold-away, and suitcase ramps.

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Since the invention of the first folding wheelchair in 1932 by Harry Jenning, wheelchairs are still to this day used as the main device of mobility for people with disabilities. Over the years, the wheelchair has been optimised in terms of manoeuvrability, weight, size, seating adjustability and switching from manual to electric.

Wheelchairs have been in use for many centuries prior to the invention of the folding wheelchair. It is not quite known when and where exactly the first wheelchair was invented, however evidence of them being used in much of Europe and Asia, during the earlier centuries BC, have revealed that they were perhaps more common amongst the richer and established societies. These were more common in the 16th and 17th century when they became more of a mobility device for people with disabilities.

It was not until the 1940's that wheelchairs became more than just a tool for people with disabilities to manoeuvre, as it then came to light that this would not restrict them from taking part in internationally renowned sports. In 1948, Sir Ludwig Guttwig, a neurologist who treated WWII veterans, came up with a new type of treatment for people with disabilities. As part of his rehabilitation programme, he would use sports to help his patients, which later came to be known as the Stoke Mandeville Games.

The movement became internationally recognised in 1952 when competitors from the Netherlands decided to take part in the competition - and thus followed in 1960 the first Olympic competition in Rome. Guttman had brought in 400 athletes using wheelchairs to compete in the games. The Paralympics was then born, with first one held in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden in 1976.

The word Paralympics has often been mistaken to be derived from the 'paraplegic' or 'paralysis', when in fact this word is derived from the Greek 'para', which literally means alongside or beside. Thus referring to a competition that is alongside, beside or parallel to the Olympic Games.

The first games however, were not always smoothly run and did have issues with adjustment for people in wheelchairs. The athletes' village were not built to be wheelchair-friendly, and the athletes had to be carried up and down the stairs. Not only that, the basketball and athletics games were held some distances away from the village, which meant that transportation had to be arranged for the competitors.

Despite the initial teething, problems the first games saw a crowd of 5000 people, of which the largest delegations came from Italy.

The sports movement spread worldwide, reaching those not only suffering from spinal injuries but all sorts of disabilities making it possible for all to take part, train and compete. Since the early days of the birth of the Paralympics games the number of participants has increased from 400 athletes to 3806 athletes, all attending from 136 countries recorded from the last competition in Athens 2004.

The Paralympics is now an elite sporting event, which is open to people of six different disability groups to compete.

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It is believed that the wheelchair is originated from England in 1670s. As its name, a wheelchair is a chair with wheels. It can be propelled either manually or using electrical power. Transporting people who have walking problems is the main function of the wheelchair.

A standard wheelchair has a seat, a back, two small front wheels, two large wheels, and a footrest. Along the years, wheelchairs were customized to meet the requirements of their users. Various accessories are also available to be added in a wheelchair, such as seat belt, adjustable back rest, pouch, and cup holder. The electric-powered wheelchair was invented during World War 2 and it has become very popular nowadays because it offers excellent freedom of movement to its users.

Another type of wheelchairs is a sport wheelchair, which has a streamlined design to provide agility and speed. Common wheelchair sports are basketball, rugby, tennis, and racing. A sport wheelchair is non-folding to maintain its strength, has a pronounced angle for the wheels to provide stability on turning, and lightweight. This wheelchair is not for daily use, although some people prefer to use it everyday.

The development of the wheelchair advances rapidly following the development in technology. Today, high-tech wheelchairs have been invented and perhaps the most famous one is iBot. This wheelchair has various capabilities, such as a self-balancing capability, running on two wheels, and climbing the stairs.

Nowadays public are more aware towards people who are confined in wheelchairs. Therefore, in order to increase their quality of life, ramps and elevators are provided in most public buildings as wheelchair accesses. Public transports also have provided wheelchair accesses and special spaces for wheelchairs to be secured.

Why I still see manual wheelchairs everywhere

Perhaps you are wondering about this because obviously you feel that electric-powered wheelchair is much more convenient for its user rather than the manual one. However, even in todays advanced world, manual wheelchair is still needed in certain situations. You might be surprise, but some people just do not like technology and prefer to use the old reliable manual wheelchair. They are happy with it and do not feel the needs to use electric-powered wheelchair.

Manual wheelchairs are also useful for people who need to use wheelchairs on a temporary basis. A condition like a sprained ankle or a broken leg will only confine a person in a wheelchair for a few weeks or months. Since it is only temporary, it is unnecessary for that person to buy an expensive electric-powered wheelchair. A manual wheelchair will work fine during their recovery period.

A manual wheelchair is also a good option in the case of emergency. Perhaps you have seen on TV repeatedly how a woman, who is going into labor, is placed in a wheelchair and brought into her room. As you can see, manual wheelchairs are perfect for emergency situations that happen only in a very short duration.

The last reason is cost. An electric-powered wheelchair can cost a considerable amount of money and not everyone can afford to buy it. For these people, manual wheelchairs are the best alternative for them. Although an electric-powered wheelchair is more affordable these days, especially due to financial supports by organizations like Medicare, a person who is in financial trouble will definitely choose the cheapest option and that is a manual wheelchair.

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Wheelchair sports are something that is widely appreciated not just by the disabled community, but has also found appreciation within the Olympic sports committee and international sports associations. Wheelchair users have found that they can take part in sporting events without feeling restricted by their disability. However, like sports itself, sport wheelchairs have also developed making it easier for users to take part with little difficulties.

Sport wheelchairs are designed to be much more aerodynamic than standard wheelchairs, because they make taking part in any athletic sports easier, faster and simpler to manoeuvre. Further wacky designs of the sporting wheelchair have including better adaptability to mountain quad biking, a military tank chair, wheel chair skis and wheelchair jousting complete with cattle prods. Many of the latter items are not necessarily official sporting events; however they play a part in the radical world of extreme sports.

Many participants have found that the sports world have restricted their ability, hindering their potential to taking their fitness to the next level. With cleverly crafted equipment and advancement in technology it is possible for wheelchair users to enjoy the same activities as a normal thrill seeker without having to worry about moving the chair around and making fast turns or, catapulting oneself in the air for some daring stunts.

Historically wheelchair users did not have the opportunity as they do now in taking part in large sporting events. Those who were using wheelchairs were subjected to a restricted way of life. This included having very little scope for travelling to local areas, as there were little or no ramps to aid some assistance in taking a look around shops, public places etc. It was not until Dr Ludwig Guttman of Stoke Mandeville Hospital came up with the first every concept for the Paralympics.

This was initially set up for the British World War II veterans, who suffered from spinal cord injuries. The activities were held in London but did not gain international recognition until 1952 whereby Dutch participants also took part alongside the British veterans. These were not officially affiliated with the Olympics until 1960, when the first event took place in Rome. There were much excitement and anticipation as to the result of holding an event to this scale, however, with much preparation and plenty of setting up. The event was well received and subsequent events have followed on.

These included a rising popularity of extreme sports, some of which were daring enough to take on the mountain biking activities and skiing. These have become more than just a sport, but also an opportunity to socialise and mix with others of similar hobbies and interests. This means that as the popularity for taking part in these sports grow, so do funding and sponsorship opportunity making them one of the most highly regarded sports of our time.

Whilst extreme wheelchair sports is growing, so is the need for training the people partaking, opening up further opportunities for the disabled community and extending the activities to people with varying conditions.

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A handicapped scooter can enhance a disabled or elderly person’s mobility to a great extent, but if you have to take it around or out of town while on a trip, you will have to purchase a scooter lift of some kind.  There is a great variety of scooter and wheelchair carriers available out there and one of the best is the Harmar carrier. In particular, the Harmar AL100 scooter lift carries a handicapped scooter or any other scooter in a class three receiver on a car, van, truck or your sport utility vehicle.

The Harmar AL100 comes fitted with its own scooter restraint arm which makes tranbsporting the disability scooter a lot more secure. There are many a Harmar carrier that you can choose from depending on your requirement and your budget. Most scooter carriers make use of an electrical motor to in order to lift the scooter. Such scooter carriers either use the car battery or use a separate battery pack which is rechargeable and can be purchased additionally. 

Wheelchair and mobility scooter carriers may be installed externally or internally. The Harmar carrier is installed externally and gets directly attached to the hitch of a vehicle. So as to support maximum weight, you would need to use a class II hitch, but you do get scooter or wheelchair carriers that work with class I and II hitches. Most external lifts make use of a platform to lift the mobility device vertically off the ground. The Harmar AL100 scooter lift is one of the most popular Harmar carriers today. It is fully automated and provides you with easy operation and a lifting capacity of up to 350 pounds.  The distinct arm that it has to hold down the scooter ensures safety while transporting it and it is compatible with hitches from both class II and III.

The main advantage of the Harmar AL100 is that since it is an external lift, it can be installed with ease and also removed quickly. The internal lifts are most often installed within the vehicle and require a minimum of one row of seats to be taken out. Others make use of a mechanism like a crane to lift the mobility scooter into the vehicle; these are normally installed in the boot of the vehicle. So unlike the Harmar AL100 and other models of Harmar carriers, internal carriers force you to give up some of the passenger or luggage space in your vehicle.

If you plan to make use of your mobility scooter or other device when away from home, then it would be wise to invest in a scooter or wheelchair lift. Although external scooter lifts like the Harmar AL100 are quite popular, the only disadvantage is that your scooter or wheelchair is exposed to the dust, heat and other weather conditions outside so it could do with a cover for protection.

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