1. Folding or rigid frames?

On manual chairs, folding frames are the usual conventional type having an X brace in the center allowing the frame to be folded sideways. Folding is simple, but a chair of this type tends to be bulky as well as quite heavy. New versions of lighter materials are now available, but regardless of this point because folding frames involve many parts, it is heavy compared to a rigid frame. Rigid frame joints are welded and a lightweight aluminum material is used, enabling one to transfer the wheelchair into the car without help.

2. It’s all about comfort: get the footrest angled perfectly

An angle footrest is measured from the horizontal or is regarded from the side, whereas tapered footrests are regarded from the front, and joins both feet at the bottom, providing more clearance when turning. However, if you have limited hip and knee joint flexibility, this can be uncomfortable.

3. Don’t overlook the handrim

Note that the overall diameter of a handrim will affect its propulsion. This means that having a large diameter climbs will be easier and with a diameter that is much smaller, it brings about a lot of speed on a flat surface.

4. It’s all about the wheels

While spoked wheels are lighter, they require extra maintenance with continued use. Composite wheels on the other hand usually wear out at the bearing escalations. Then, the zero camber gives a slender wheelchair measurement. When the camber is increased, the measurement at the wheels botton is also increased and the measurement at the top is decreased, providing steadiness and turning can be done with ease.

5. Wheel locks

These are of two types namely the under-seat and the side mounted. The side mounted type provides easy operation, though one has to be careful when pushing as thumbs can easily be caught in the wheel lock. Whereas the under-seat type can pas up to this problem, it is much difficult to use since it calls for reaching under the seat.

6. Front and back balance

Check the balance well – as if the rear wheels are very much far forward to the frame, the user can tip backwards. Also, the chair will be hard to push if the wheels are put too far backwards.

Wheelchair safety measures:

- Always make sure that your wheelchair is in good condition all the time.

- When using a power wheelchair, be certain to turn the power off when leaving it at a slope or inclined place.

- When pushing a patient, inform her first before you move the wheelchair.

- When not moving, use brakes.

- Do not attempt to go up or to go down on steep slopes.

- When pushing a patient on a manual wheelchair, be sure that your speed should not exceed that of brisk walking.

- When transferring a patient to a wheelchair, be sure to raise the footplates before doing so. Then lower the footplates after and place the patients feet onto the footplates.

- Avoid passing through grassy or pebbled plains.

- When crossing the street, be sure to stop, look and listen.

Safety on power wheelchairs:

- Choose a type with mechanical brakes that can be released or set by the user.

- For outdoor use, a power wheelchair must have power large wheels at the front and never free swinging casters.

- For the user with an impaired hand or arm, install an orthotic elbow or arm support so as to aid the hand when operating the controls.

- Shut off breaking sensors can detect when a wheelchair is moving out of control and quickly shut off the power.

- Mechanical brakes can bet set by the user with normal hand functions.

- Check the batteries before you go out that they are fully charged, every time.

- Always keep a cell phone handy. Youll never know emergencies might happen.

- A power wheelchair has many of the same parts as a car. Have it checked by a professional every three months for safety, and check it daily yourself.

Are you at risk?

1. Paraplegics

Fit & active individuals are on the average the safest users of a manual, power-assisted, and fully powered wheelchair. They are at very low risk.

2. Amputees

Individuals with missing arms or legs, having active upper bodies are generally safe power wheelchair users. Although it depends on the type of control device that is used, but when used and executed properly, they are at low risk.

3. People having weak upper bodies like people with Cerebral Palsy, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson Disease, and many other conditions

A standard joystick is used to maneuver power wheelchairs. These disorders cause slowed reflexes, impaired eyesight, or impaired judgment. All must be carefully screened for their functional insufficiency. They are at moderate risk.

4. Individuals with little or no upper body movement

Individuals who uses a mouth a puff & sip breathe control, mouth joystick, or gyroscopic (inertial) wheelchair controls. They are at high risk.

5. Paralyzed individuals and children.

Children as well as very small adults that are using special seats need a power wheelchair, mostly with significantly paralyzed bodies. Depending on the mechanical operation, the individuals ailment, and personalized progress and safety instruction, these individuals are at high risk.

Dogs are known as mans best friend. Dogs are very adorable and very social animals. When it comes to stories of loyalty and service dogs are always the lead characters. Yet sadly they are not invincible. Yes they get injured sometimes. Sometimes it leads them to being handicapped.

For it is not uncommon for elderly, injured, or disabled dog to lose their back and front mobility. For this situation, this does not be the end of a dogs life. A dog cart or maybe a dog wheelchair can bring the dogs life better again as it can result to a wholesome and healthy life.

These are the common reasons why dogs need wheelchairs:

• Hip Dysplacia

• Disc disease

• Ruptured discs

• Spinal cord injuries

• Fractured back

• Arthritis

• Chronic leg weakness

• Front and back leg amputation

• Paralysis

• Neurological disease

• Limb paralysis

If one of these affects your dog, especially the overall mobility performance, there is now an easy way and affordable solution to finally help your dog to move around just like before. You can now be at ease in seeing your dog in better shape despite suffering from illnesses or ailments. For in a dog wheelchair you too can have the time to enjoy playing with your pet again either indoors or outdoors.

In finding the right dog wheelchair or cart for your disabled dog, you must buy the perfect one to fit the condition for there are different kinds of dog wheelchairs available in the market today. Is your dog having a back or front problem? Different wheelchairs and carts support the back, front, or all four legs. Dog wheelchairs are designed for specific conditions; these include stirrups, training wheels, counterbalanced carts, and counterweights for amputees.

There are many dog wheelchair designs made by manufactures with the advantage of proving the effectiveness to handicapped dogs. The right way to understand dog wheelchairs is to properly examine to how it is to be used by the animal. For in some dog wheelchairs, the dog wears a harness that is attached with its clips framed to the cart. In another way, the dog sits on the saddle.

How to purchase a dog wheelchair:

1. Measure your dog- once you finally chose which type of wheelchair you want, complete the entire owner/dog questionnaire and measurement chart for the manufacturers design.

2. If you want to order, go personally to the manufacturers office. If you want to order online make it sure you know the procedure and the cost which will usually be displayed on the website.

3. If there are problems with your order, directly discuss it to the manufacturer. Sometimes, before you order, they will ask for information or photos regarding the case your dog is experiencing.

4. After finally purchasing your desired wheelchair and your dog is wearing it, give your pet time to adjust to their new condition.

Finally, helping your dog become what they used to be is very important factor that you should consider. Make sure what you want for your dog meets your expectations. Bringing your dog to their usefulness is what you really ask for.

No matter what occasion you need the clothes for, work, recreation or general wear; you need clothes that look and feel good.

As the well known saying goes, “if you look good, you will feel good”.

Everyone has the right to wear stunning comfy clothes, being in a wheelchair does not mean you have to settle for anything less.

Clothing adaptions needed for wheelchair users.

Your posture will determine how your clothing will hang.

When you are seated you will observe that clothing made for non wheelchair users will bunch at the back and waist.

Garments than hang near the brakes or wheels, can be very hazardous.

Shirts can be made too tight around the shoulder area. This restricts the arm movements, not good when arms are needed to be able to operate the wheelchair.

As you can see, clothing needs to be cut differently to ensure, mobility, independence and safety.

What to look out for.

One thing to make sure you do is to buy from a company that specializes in making adaptive clothing, especially for wheelchair users.

Specialist companies will completely understand the adaptions needed.

There has never been a better time to buy fantastic products. There is abundance available.

Fashionable garments and quality fabrics will leave you spoilt for choice.

Waterproofs for wheelchairs

Products specially made to enable you to dress quickly and go out in any weather.

Waterproofs are made conveniently so you can take them out and carry them on your chair.

I hope this has provided an insight to A free wheelchair clothing available.

The Medicaid Program:

Medicaid is a government subsidized healthcare program designed to assist people who fall into the low income category to receive adequate healthcare by providing supplemental insurance coverage to Medicare, the primary government subsidized insurer. Within both the Medicare and Medicaid programs are sub-programs with coverage for durable medical equipment. Wheelchairs, power chairs and scooters are considered durable medical equipment and therefore qualify for coverage most of the time.

How it Works:

Most people, who have supplemental Medicaid insurance, also have primary coverage under Medicare. Medicare will generally cover 80% of the cost of a medically necessary wheelchair, if the Medicare recipient has Part B coverage, which covers outpatient services including doctors’ visits and durable medical equipment, and has undergone a full physical examination by an approved physician. Conditions that warrant a medically necessary wheelchair include: spinal, brain or muscular conditions that prohibit the normal use of the patient’s legs, an inability to build upper arm strength due to spinal, brain or muscular conditions, or any other condition that would render a patient bedridden when not in a wheelchair.

Whether or not the supplemental Medicaid coverage will pick up the tab for the remaining 20% will depend completely upon an independent review by Medicaid. Medicaid is under no obligation to approve coverage, even if Medicare has.

The Result:

There is no guarantee of a free Medicaid wheelchair, power chair or scooter and those companies who make such promises should be regarded with caution. Since 2003, Medicare and Medicaid have imposed much stricter guidelines in determining who qualifies for medically necessary wheelchairs and the amounts they will cover for such equipment after being the victim of several unscrupulous companies who bilked the insurers for thousands of dollars in fraudulent claims and astronomical prices. Medicaid recipients who have been deemed disabled and requiring a wheelchair should work closely with both Medicare and Medicaid to understand what costs will be covered and what limits will be imposed when looking for a wheelchair as well as whether or not their condition falls under a covered condition category.

The drive wheel on your power chair is the reason the chair maneuvers the way it does. There are several other factors that determine how your power chair maneuvers, but the main reason is the drive wheels.

Power chairs, like vehicles come in rear wheel drive, front wheel drive and center or mid wheel drive. They each have a different pivot point, which determines how the chair will maneuver. The pivot point is where the drive wheel axle line and the power base’s centerline cross. The chair maneuvers and turns around this point.

On a rear wheel drive power wheelchair the pivot point can be found in the rear of the power chair behind where you sit. The majority of the power chair is in front of the pivot point. This is the old stand-by and the most stable chairs in most cases. If you own one of these types of chairs, you may have noticed when going up steep hills, the chair will lean back on its anti-tip tubes to prevent the chair from tipping backwards. The top speed for this chair is about 6 mph. Because it is rear-wheel drive it has the largest turning radius. If you have owned one of these types of chairs and are planning on replacing with a different type of drive wheel, keep in mind the tie-down you use in your van will need to be replaced to accommodate the new style chair.

On a front wheel drive power chair the pivot point will be in the very front of the chair with the majority of the chair behind it. This means you will be sitting behind the pivot point on this type of chair. This chair is very stable in uneven terrain with up and down hills. Of the three types of chairs, the front wheel drive power chair will move over obstacles well. Since most of the chair will be behind you, you will need to adjust the way you turn to accommodate the rear of the chair. This type of chair drives a lot like a forklift. The maximum speed for this type of chair is slower than all of the others. It will range from 5 to 5.5 mph because the front wheel drive chairs have a tendency to “fish tail” at a higher rate of speed. The turning radius is only slightly smaller than that of the rear wheel drive chair.

On a mid wheel drive or center wheel drive power wheelchair the pivot point is directly beneath you. It is in the middle of the chair with the chair on top of the pivot point. You will have equal parts of the chair in front and behind you and your center of gravity is about the same as the pivot point. With this type of chair you will have a much smaller turning radius than the rear wheel and front wheel drive chairs. The speed of this chair is limited to about 5.5 mph. If you ride on uneven terrain on a regular basis, you may want to reconsider buying one of these chairs. These chairs have a tendency of getting stuck if you are riding on uneven terrain or up and down steep curbs. The front or the rear wheels will get stuck, which will suspend the drive wheel so they cannot touch the ground.

Your specific lifestyle and needs should determine the chair you buy. So consider your choices carefully.

You are going to love the new Honda Odyssey vans. They are some of the best on the market when it comes to sturdiness and style and are an excellent choice for families who enjoy traveling. The space inside an Odyssey has been maximised. Additionally, it will include quality CD and cassette players, a back-up sensor, and two removable front seats. Since both seats can be removed, you are going to be able to either be the passenger or to drive for yourself when there is no one else around.

The wagon is designed for easy accessibility and has a power ramp found in the floor. The dual air conditioning guarantees a comfortable ride in both front and back. You’ll be able to select the color of your wheelchair truck from a good selection of interior and exterior options so that your wagon will reflect your own personal style.

A Dodge Grand Caravan would be another excellent choice. These vans also come with the dual A / C, a power ramp that will fold out, and a power sliding door. The interiors are terribly roomy and comfortable and have seats that adjust so you won’t feel cramped or claustrophobic when traveling for long amounts of time.

Chevrolet puts out a great wheelchair wagon called the Venture. A venture features lots of space, keyless entry, and seats which can be removed. There’s also a CD player so that your tunes can travel with you and keep you pleasantly occupied while traveling.

If any of these lorries sound like what your folks might like, you should talk with your local dealership to see what can be done to customize your van for your needs. Some dealers will wish to charge more for these services than you should have to pay, so make sure that before agreeing to any deal you do some comparison shopping in order to get the most your get for the littlest price .

A good way to comparison shop is to visit internet sites such as mobilityvansusa.com where you are going to be able to read more about each lorry as well as compare costs. Another good site is libertymotorco.com which has photos of all of the different trucks listed. By doing your research ahead of time, it’ll eliminate surprises when you see the completed product.

Be certain to check out Honda or Chrysler. You’ll be able to visit with a rep about the customized wagon packages they offer as well as prices, so that when you are through doing your research, you are going to be able to find the ideal wheelchair van for you and your family.

There are manual wheelchairs and powered wheelchairs to choose from also. The advantages of each are contrasted with drawbacks. The manual wheelchair can be picked up and placed into the truck of a vehicle. Plus the manual wheelchair gives the user a physical workout in arm exercise. The power wheel chair gives you a 20 mile range in effortless locomotion. However the operating provides no physical exertions at all. The electric wheelchair can weigh over 200 pounds. Plus you must remember to recharge the battery ever night. They have a limited distance they travel on one charge that usual requires all night.

Wheelchair curling is the only Paralympics sport that comprises teams made up of both men and women on the same team. The Torino Paralympic Winter Games saw the first entry to this sport.

The sport requires that the entrant must have a disability to the lower half of the body. You must require a wheelchair for mobility.

Your disability could include double amputation, multiple sclerosis, a spine injury or cerebral palsy.

In this sport no brooms are used as in curling for the able bodied athletes.

So how does it work?

Wheelchair Curling works similar to shuffleboard in one way and bowling in another. The teams made up of both male and female athletes play against another team. The object of the game is to propel the 19.1 kilogram stone down to the other end of the ice where concentric rings are marked on the ice similar to a bulls-eye.

An end is similar to an inning in baseball or a period in hockey. The teams play six ends. Each person on each team will slide or throw, as it is called, two stones, 16 in total. The wheelchair must be stationary while doing so. The player can either use their hands or an extender cue that connects with the stone to push the stone to the circles.

At the end of each end, the team with the most stones closest to the center wins. At the conclusion of the six ends the scores are tallied and the team with the best record is declared the winner.

Because there is no sweeping of the ice, strategy is most important.

In able bodied curling, players are allowed to sweep the ice in front of the stone as it is sliding. The rapid sweeping causes the ice in front of the stone to melt momentarily. Since there is less friction from water than ice, the ability of the stone to curl is delayed therefore allowing the stone to be steered as the players desire.

This is why it takes more skill to curl without sweeping. The person throwing the stone must calculate distance and the amount of curling the stone will turn. The stone glides on the surface of the ice because the ice has a surface that is similar to a pebbled effect. Skilled icemakers will set up the surface once the temperature of the ice is maintained at about 25 F or -5C.

The pebble effect is applied by an expert using water droplets. During the game the pebbles act upon the stone causing it to curl or turn. The pebbles slowly get knocked off as the game progresses thus changing the curling effect of the stone.

The ice surface is 146 feet long and approximately 16 feet wide. The 12 foot set of rings, called the house, are the target and the distance from the center, or button as it is called, to the backboard is 16 feet. There is a line drawn that is 37 feet from the backboard and that is called the hogline. Any stone that does not even touch the house is not counted.

A gentleman named Rusty Drew passed away early in 2008.

He was the inventor of the extender curlers cue. It is so named because it extends the playing career for those curlers who cannot handle the curling stones by bending down. Disabled curlers use them while in the wheelchair. The stone is released by pulling back the cue at the last moment of the push.

A sloping route constructed with a slope greater than 1:20 is considered a ramp in ADA specifications. The ADA plans for wheelchair ramps are detailed in the schedules and appendices. The ease of using a ramp depends on the slope as well as the length of the ramp. Normally, ramp slopes in the range of 1:16 to 1:20 are preferred. Most wheelchair users can manage a slope of 1:16. However, a slope of 1:12 for a distance of about 30-ft. would be very difficult for disabled persons using wheelchairs. As such, the least possible slope has to be used in the construction of the ramp. Construction or alteration below the stipulated requirements is not permitted.

The ramps must have level landings both at the bottom and at the top of each ramp. To comply with ADA specifications of building wheelchair ramps, the landings must be as wide as the ramp leading into the landing. The minimum landing length has to be 60 inches. If there is a direction change of the ramp, the minimum landing size has to be 60 inches by 60 inches. Ramps and landings with drop-offs must be protected with curbs, railings, walls or projected surfaces to protect users from slipping off the ramp. Outdoor ramps and landings should be planned for complete water drain to avoid slipping on wet surface.

Handrails with a maximum height of 28 inches from the ramp surface to the top of the rail surface would be advisable. To assist children, a second set of handrails in between the top rail and the ramp surface has to be provided. The ramp should be constructed with handrails on both sides, if the ramp has a rise greater than 6 inches. The gripping surface of the rail has to be continuous. The ends of handrails should be rounded or joined to wall or post or floor to avoid injury to users.

Specifications of ADA require that the slope of a ramp should be one inch or lesser for every 12 inches of ramp run. ADA further specifies that the wheelchair ramp surfaces must be hard, stable and regular. Soft loose surfaces and irregular surfaces that could impede wheelchair movement have to be avoided. Carpets, loose sand or gravel and wet clay are normally considered soft loose surfaces. Cobblestones and the like are treated as irregular surfaces. Pressure treated wheelchair ramps are the most suitable method of ramp construction.

ADA recommends a static friction coefficient of more than 0.5 for surfaces used by normal persons. On the other hand, the static friction coefficient recommended for ramps is 0.8 to assist disabled persons using wheelchairs from slipping. Pressure treated wheelchair ramps would normally conform to the ADA guidelines of slip resistant surfaces.

The do-it-yourself wheelchair ramps are usually made of steel. They are modular in design for easy use by wheelchair persons. The ramp is normally of steel mesh type so that water and snow do not stagnate on the ramp. These ramps are available both with handrails on both sides or without handrails. The standard widths offered vary from 30 inches to 60 inches. Lengths are determined by the needs of the user. Steel turning landings are also available with sizes of 4 ft. by 4 ft. and 5 ft. by 5 ft.

Wheelchair ramps for GMC Safari as well as GMC Safari vans fitted with ramps for use by disabled persons and patients are available from several van dealers in most American cities. GMC Safari vans with wheelchair ramps can be purchased for prices ranging from $6,000 to $25,000, depending on the model of the GMC Safari and its condition.

Manual wheelchairs are, as the name implies, a wheelchair which requires manual power to make it move. These type of wheelchairs are best used in the home, and especially where there is a flat surface which facilitates easy movement. But any kind of rough terrain makes it very difficult to move in these wheelchairs.

For rough terrain, or even for a journey outside for most people, demands the use of a motorized wheelchair. These wheelchairs are powered by a battery, or sometimes two batteries, and make it very easy for the disabled person to move around. Many of these types of wheelchairs have a range of up to twenty miles when the battery is fully charged, which is more than enough for the person to go about their daily business such as going to the shops and back.

But a normal motorized wheelchair won’t do when the disabled person want to go onto really rough ground. For that what is needed is a heavy duty wheelchair. These wheelchairs have an extremely strong body, and tyres which can cope with the roughest terrain. These wheelchairs give a mobility that is unthinkable with lighter types of wheelchair.

So before you choose your wheelchair, take time to think about what type of use you will need it for, and then do some research into the type of wheelchair that suits your needs.