Wheel chairs can be cumbersome, heavy, and difficult to maneuver. This is especially true of electric chairs and the new "scooters." If you are person who enjoys getting out and about, especially in places where "normal" wheel chairs have disadvantages, a portable wheel chair is the answer to your problem! With this type of chair, locations previously unavailable to the wheel chair bound person have opened up. Many people who use portable wheel chairs are quite independent because they have been given the chance they need to see and do things- doors that were previously closed to them are now wide open!
Realistically, it's not possible to rock climb in a portable wheel chair. Of course, there are some limitations. However, with a lightweight but sturdy portable wheel chair a handicapped person can hoist both him/herself into a specially designed automobile and go wherever they wish. Getting the folding portable chair out of the car and climbing down into it is just as easy as getting into the car. This type of independence and personal mobility is extremely important to a wheel chair bound person.
What to Expect in a Portable Wheel Chair
First, your portable wheel chair needs to be lightweight enough for easy maneuvering, but sturdy and durable enough to hold your weight and take you where you need to go. One excellent way to see a portable wheel chair in action is to make a visit to any federally funded Native American hospital or pharmacy; folding portable wheel chairs are the norm among Native Americans. You will also see them at Veteran's Hospitals and clinics. Watch how easily the user maneuvers them, and how simple they are to load into cars, vans, and pickup trucks. You will soon become convinced!
To assist in independent living, portable wheel chairs can be easily rolled into a shower stall; an impossible feat for electric wheel chairs. Since these chairs are so easily folded and tucked into a vehicle, there are portable wheel chairs made for going to the beach! They are not bogged down in sand or surf as a manual or electric chair would. To give you an idea of how sturdy a portable chair is, some models can effectively hold obese users weighing up to 650 pounds. "Portable" does not mean "delicate." At home, a portable chair is much easier to use when getting into and out of bed, where a manual or electric chair may be harder to position because of their size and weight. Once out of bed, the user can easily transfer to his/her "everyday" chair.
A best-seller is the Blue Invacare Companion Portable Wheel Chair. The price of this chair depends upon your needs, your size, and what you plan to do with the chair. You can find this company on the Internet to determine what you need and what you can afford to pay. Among the new "scooter" portable power chairs, the Jazzy 1113 ATS is said to be the "ultimate" power chair. If you buy your chair locally, be sure to try it out first. If you buy your chair from the Internet, be sure the company has a return, full-refund policy if the chair fails to meet your needs or perform as described.
