Vacuum Hose Sock
What You Should Know About Wheelchairs, In General by Alan Stewart
What You Should Know About Wheelchairs, In General
1. Make “Lemonade” From Lemons – If your wheelchair is a “lemon”, does not conform to the
terms of the written-warranty or the dealer or manufacturer is unable to repair it during the first
year, you should check your state’s wheelchair “lemon-law”, since you may qualify for a replace-
ment chair.
2. Rain-or-Shine – It is not necessary to stay home on a rainy day if you take precautions to protect
your power-chair. Cover the hand-control with a plastic bag but exercise caution when using the
joystick” with a covering on it. Protect the drive motor by avoiding puddles that might splash or
submerge the motor. Common sense is the rule. Sitting in a power-chair in the pouring rain
waiting for a bus is not a good idea. However, rain should not stop you from attending to life’s
daily activities such as going to work or keeping a doctor’s appointment.
3. Get in Your “Comfort-Zone” – It would be nice if wheelchair-seats were like our favorite, over-
stuffed chair but sadly, enough, they are basically not that comfortable. Therefore, here are some
tips on getting close to being comfortable. The width of the seat should be as narrow as possible
without your hips touching the sides. A chair that is too wide causes bad posture and affects chair
performance. Proper seat depth is tricky. Too deep and you slouch, too shallow and you do not
have enough support and less stability. A “sling” backrest with adjustable tension will allow you
to sit further back in the seat while a fixed backrest allows you to sit further forward. Seat angle,
commonly called “squeeze”, is when the seat has a permanent slope. Seat-angle helps keep your
weight in place and prevents you from sliding forward. It is important to get the right amount of
angle because too much can cause problems with discs in the back, curvature of the spine and
pressure sores. Most manual and power-chairs have a built-in adjustment that will allow you to
customize the seat-angle. Seat cushions provide comfort, positioning and prevent pressure sores.
The type of cushion you chose will depend on your own personal criteria. Someone who spends
all day in a chair will, obviously, have different needs than someone who may use the wheelchair
just to go shopping.
4. “All Work and No Play” – For housework and cleaning, my advice would be to get your friends
and family to do it but that just is not realistic. Learning to live with a little clutter and coming to
grips with the fact that your house may never be as clean as it was might help with some of the
obvious frustration. Make sure that you have accessible electrical outlets. Try plugging the vacuum
in when the outlet is behind the couch and you will see why this is so important. Better yet, get a
cordless vacuum. If you need to mop, always start in the corner, first. Cleaning the shower is easy
with all the new sprays that are on the market. Pick-up clutter all during the week since it lessens
what you have to do during the actual cleaning. Keep a “reaching-aid” handy to get those items
that are “hiding” under the bed or that may have fallen behind some furniture.
5. No Need for a Spare Tire – “Flat Free” tires no longer means made of solid rubber. Technology
has evolved to include a range from foam-filling to a polyurethane-tread to a rubber-insert. There¬
fore, the question, “Which material best meets your needs”? Polyurethane-tires are used most
commonly on manual wheelchairs. They are highly resilient and fairly light. The life-span is three
to four times that of traditional rubber tires. Semi-pneumatic tires and inserts feature molded-in air
pockets, much like the air pockets in the soles of athletic shoes, providing a slightly cushioned ride.
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Found in forms ranging from polyurethane tires to inserts, semi-pneumatic tires never need air but
will become flat when punctured, making them truly “flat-free”. On today’s power-chairs, foam-
filled tires, especially on the drive wheels, are the most popular “flat-free” solution. The foam may
vary in density depending on the required weight capacity. Co-molded tires are most commonly
found via power-chair casters and low-end, manual-wheelchair wheels. Co-molded tires are
especially useful as anti-tip wheels where durability is more important than ride characteristics.
Co-molded tires have an exceptional lifespan but the entire wheel assembly requires replacement
when worn.
6. “Ball in Your Court” – Being in a wheelchair should not stop you from getting out there and
participating in sports. Wheelchair users are now competing on a professional level. There are
numerous wheelchair sports associations. Wheelchair basketball was started over 40 years ago
by the Veterans Administration as a rehab program. It has grown exponentially and is now a
sport. There are over 180 teams across the United States. Quad Rugby is another wheelchair
sport designed for quadriplegics who are unable to play basketball. It is a mixture of basketball,
ice-hockey, rugby and handball. Power soccer is another great sport for those in electric wheel¬
chairs. There are many wheelchair sports accessories available including belts, harnesses, drink-
holders and special back supports.
7. “On the Road, Again” – Insure that your chair is ready and in good working condition when
traveling. Take it in for a service check. Be sure that your name and address are clearly printed on
all removable parts. Use sticky labels and cover them with a piece of clear tape. If you will be
flying, be sure to notify the airline that you are traveling with a wheelchair. Airlines are required
by law to stow your chair in the cabin but do not count on this fact if there are many travelers with
wheelchairs. An alternative is to gate-check your chair that will allow you to “wheel” onto the jet-
way where they will tag your chair and stow it in the belly of the plane. Remove leg-supports and
the seat-cushion and carry them on board with you. Be sure to request an aisle seat if you are
unable to walk onto the plane. Always check your wheelchair for damage on arrival. Be sure to do
your homework ahead of time. Check on hotels that may have accessible rooms for the handi-
¬capped. If you are going to be sightseeing, make sure that there are no barriers present. Arrive
early at bus and train-stations. Wheelchair travel can be both challenging and rewarding. With a
little planning, it will be an adventure that you will not soon, forget.
8. “Stumbling-Block” – Nobody ever said it was going to be easy being disabled. Learning to cope
with the mountain of little obstacles that are so frustrating is a major step in the right direction. If
you have diminished hand strength and function, use a wall mounted dispenser with refillable
chambers and push-button dispensing for the shower. This will eliminate the need for opening and
closing bottles with wet hands. If grasping a utensil is difficult, slide a piece of 12-mm hose over
the handle. Regarding your toe nails, get a simple trim at the nail salon on a regular basis. Use a
“reaching-aid” to get socks from under the bed or behind the couch. Do not chase your food all
over the plate. Use a bowl instead. Be sure to carry straws with you if you are unable to pick up a
cup or glass. A 3-foot dowel with a rubber cap on both ends works great for turning light-switches on-
and-off, ringing doorbells, pushing television buttons and as a pushing tool. Putting a thin cord
through the hole on your zippers helps to make them work more conveniently. Be sure to join a disabled
support group since they possess a great wealth of information.
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9. “Play-it-Safe” – Make sure that your wheelchair is in good condition at all times. The top-
priority when considering safety are the brakes. Be sure to check them regularly since loose
brakes can compromise the wheelchair user’s safety. Another thing to consider is stability and
balance. A guideline to follow is never lean forward any further than the length of the arm¬
rests. If you do lean forward, be sure the front-casters are facing forward. Do not try to pick
things up from the floor by reaching down in between your knees. Do not shift your weight in
the direction you are reaching as the wheelchair may tip over. For ultimate safety, it is
Important that you be fully contained within the wheelchair. A weakened arm or leg that
occasionally drops to the side cannot be considered the ultimate in safety. Arm supports as
well as foot and leg-huggers assist you in keeping it all together.
10. “Live-and-Learn” – Become a self-advocate. Being a self-advocate simply means that you
Understand your own disability. You know your weaknesses and strengths and you are able
to convey this to others. So, how do you get started? Write it all down, your weaknesses,
strengths, disabilities – whatever you need to do to participate in the things you enjoy or
need. Find out your rights. The American Disabilities Act spells them out. Now comes the
hard part, for some. Assert yourself. Ask for whatever you need. What do you have to lose?
Finally, follow-up and make the change happen.
11.Wheelchair Variables – The following is a partial list of wheelchair variables and
accessories to-be-considered when selecting, choosing and/or designing a wheelchair that is
as personal as it can possibly get. There are more than 230 common models in over 10
categories of electric and manual wheelchairs. Some of the factors to be considered are
included in the following:
Seat Cushions Ramps Spoked / Solid Wheels
Clothes Guards Seat-Depth Controllers
Arm-Rests Wheel-Camber (Rear-Angling) Molded Mag-Wheels
Spoke-Guards Swing-Away Joystick Mounts Elevating Leg-Rests
Designed for Recreation Designed for Sports Designed for Travel
Gloves Grips Flip-Back Arms
Locks/Anti-Theft Devices Restraint (Belt) Devices Trays / Pouches
Aquatic Chairs Shower Chairs All-Terrain Chairs
Ultra-Light Chairs Bariatric (Heavy) Chairs Extra-Wide Chairs
Calf-Pads / Foot-Rests Cane-Crutch Holders / Clips Head-Rests
Oxygen-Bottle / Tank-Holders Accessories
Desk-Arms / Full-Arms (Detachable or Permanent) Carry-All Bags
Shoulder/Elbow/Wrist/Hand/Arm-Supports
Tires (Normal/High-Pressure/Special-Purpose)
Living with a disability and being in a wheelchair means that you have had to make changes
and adjustments to your lifestyle. You can still stay active and enjoy your life. With the
above wheelchair-tips and a positive attitude, you can learn to thrive and MANAGE your
disabilities instead of letting them MANAGE you.
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About the Author
Author is a long-time professional in the research and scientific
fields whose wife was stricken with MS (Multiple Sclerosis)
many years ago and who, more recently, had a stroke that left
her dependent on her wheelchair for mobility and self-
confidence. The current situation has left this couple with super-
knowledge of wheelchairs, mobility-devices, accessories and
their services. To find out anything about these devices, just ask