Wheelchairs are used for many different purposes as civilization gets older and people live longer. This well-liked and secure mobility aid is designed to give the user independence, comfort, and the capacity to fully enjoy life. The majority of the time, using a wheelchair is simple, but there are some tough situations that require caution for wheelchair safety.
To ensure you are making the greatest use of your wheelchair, there are a number of safety precautions you'll want to take into account and adhere to. To prevent accidents and provide other safety advice, we have put together this helpful wheelchair safety guide.
User's Centre of Gravity in a Wheelchair
When utilising your wheelchair for the first time, be mindful of your centre of gravity.
The wheelchair user must reach, bend, and transfer into and out of the chair for many tasks. Your balance, your centre of gravity, and the weight distribution of the wheelchair will all vary as a result of these motions.
Use the casters as a tool to maintain stability and balance when reaching, leaning, bending forward or sideways. When using a wheelchair, finding the right position is crucial for your safety. You'll want to start off using the casters to keep your stability and balance. Practise carrying out a range of actions, including reaching, bending, and getting in and out of your wheelchair.
Stooping downward
You should place your wheelchair as close to the object as you can when you need to bend backward to reach for something. Create a lengthy wheelbase by extending the casters away from the drive wheels (see Figure 1 for an illustration). Without moving from where you are sitting, extend your arm as far back as it will go. Please refrain from bending your wheelchair backwards as this could cause it to tilt and cause a tumble.
In a forward bend
Please take caution in this. First and foremost, always remember that if you have to lean forward on the seat of your wheelchair, you should never try to reach for something. This might be hazardous. Instead, you should position the casters so that they are extended away from the drive wheels, lock the wheels, and then advance towards the item.
Paying the wheelchair a tip
A helper should grab the wheelchair's back on a fixed section when attempting to tip it. Before tipping the wheelchair, warn the user and encourage him to lean back for more stability. Make sure all wheels and/or any other pinch points are away from the occupant's feet and hands.
Circulating around Curbs
Curbs should only be crossed with another person's aid. With the help of your healthcare provider, it is crucial for you to create your own safe technique that is best suited to your talents. The wheelchair user faces hazardous impediments like curbs, steps, and stairways. Try to avoid these barriers whenever you can by using the approved disabled elevators that are now commonplace, curb cuts, and ramps.
Accident avoidance
The two most frequent incidents among wheelchair users are tipping and falling. For instance, pushing your wheelchair too quickly, unlocked brakes, slick surfaces, the user's stability when seated, and hitting a big bump with one wheel can all result in falls. The tipping lever should be securely fastened when necessary, and you should be careful not to tip over while driving on uneven or tight-corner surfaces. Safety for wheelchair users is paramount.
Tips for Wheelchair Users on Safety
- Avoid pushing your chair up or down stairs, hills, or inclines.
- BEFORE getting out of or into the wheelchair, LOCK the brakes. Before transferring, motorised wheelchairs should have their power turned off.
- Before moving, raise the foot rests and arm rests as necessary.
- So that other pedestrians can easily see you in the dark or at night, affix flashy accessories to your wheelchair, such as flags and flashing taillights.
- Regularly maintain and replace the casters. It has to be replaced if you notice a side-to-side motion when travelling at high speeds.
- Make any changes to the settings of your motorised wheelchair so that you are comfortable with the speed.
- In the event of rain, stay inside. The controls on a motorised wheelchair can get wet, and wheelchairs might lose their grip.
- Avoid placing a hefty bag or other items on the wheelchair's back. Because of this, when transferring, the wheelchair could tip backward.
Prevention of Fall
You risk tipping the wheelchair over if you extend out or reach for anything too far.
- Avoid leaning forward because you could topple the wheelchair over.
- Before attempting to get out of the wheelchair, lock the brakes.
- Be careful not to slide or lean too far forward on the seat.
- To prevent stumbling over any foot rests while transferring, get them out of the way.
Outside Use
There are wheelchairs made specifically for outdoor use. However, you should always exercise caution and steer clear of any surfaces or environmental factors that can make wheelchair movement difficult.
Sandy surfaces ought to be kept as far away as feasible. Even a small amount of sand on a paved sidewalk might throw your wheelchair off balance, causing it to whirl around and topple over. With powered wheelchairs in particular, this might occur suddenly. Avoid the sandy area by moving around it to stop this from happening.
Avoid standing water and moist areas as well. Your motorised wheelchair may become completely wet, slide, spin, tip and fall over if you drive through a puddle in it. You can decide to skirt the area rather than step on the damp surface. If it's raining outside, move slowly and with caution.
Always check the state of the ramp before utilising it to make sure there are no holes, slick spots or other obstructions blocking your approach to the ramp. Before attempting to use a ramp, you can ask someone to take a closer look at you as you approach it.
Tips for Safe Wheelchair Travel
To document the state of your wheelchair before your journey, take pictures of it and its accessories with a camera that can record the date and time. When arguing damage claims with the travel agencies, this record could be helpful.
- Before any travel, check and service your wheelchair.
- Don't provide the personnel your wheelchair with leg rests or other accessories still attached.
- When making bookings, tell the travel agency personnel that you need a wheelchair.
- Obtain all the information, guidelines, and requirements for wheelchair travel that you will need to follow while travelling.
- Carry the phone number of a wheelchair repair facility close to your destination in case of an emergency.
- Please allow at least 2 hours between connecting flights because wheelchair users are permitted to board the aircraft first and may be the last to disembark.
- Do some research and reserve tickets with airlines that accept wheelchairs. Many low-cost airlines are not accessible for wheelchair users, and some even demand a handling fee.
- At the security barrier, be ready to have your wheelchair thoroughly scrutinised. This extends to your seat cushion and non-removable pouches.
- At the security check, let the customs and security personnel know about your restrictions.