Wheelchairs Sales » Mobility Aids

Petra Bike: The Racing Mobility Aid

Tom Doerr — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:56:24 +0000

Mansoor Siddiqi, a Paralympic bronze medal winner became fed up of competing in backward wheelchair racing as she was greatly limited by the wheelchair design. In 1989 she got in touch with Connie Hansen, a well known wheelchair racer and ergo-therapy expert who could help create a wheelchair in which she could use all her power.

Forward racing was more difficult due to the design of the chair but the pair agreed that the concept of racing forward was a lot more appealing. With the help of Connie’s father, a retired blacksmith, they fashioned a vehicle made from the front end of a bike with a rear end made from swivel chair runners.

Petra, the mascot of the 1992 Barcelona Parylimpics caught the attention of Mansoor and Connie. With no arms Petra managed to compete in a variety of sports and symbolized the potential of willpower and overcoming obstacles. The bike subsequently became known as the ‘Petra Bike’.

The bike’s design resembled a tricycle minus the pedal and crank system and the progress of the design gave it full sized rear wheels, this gave disabled people a chance to push forward with their legs even if they had poor lower body strength. The bike is designed to support the user’s body weight leaving their legs free to run on the ground.

As well as being a very useful mobility aid, the Petra Bike is also a practical way of improving overall fitness, muscle tone and nervous and metabolic systems. Users with major physical disabilities can still use the bike for extended periods without getting tired and helping improve balance and motor reactions.

The Petra Bike can give its users a whole new sense of freedom and is suitable for use by children aged 3 through to adulthood. The bike is predominantly used by sufferers of Cerebral Palsy but it is suitable for those with Muscular Dystrophy, Parkinson’s Disease and other mobility diseases. The low centre of gravity offers a good stability and balance whilst running, walking or resting.

If you want to find out more about mobility aids visit Quest88. For outstandingweb design talk to Prodo.

Petra Bike: The Racing Mobility Aid is a post from: Wheelchairs Sales

Electric Mobility Scooters – Information About These Mobility Aids

Chris Station — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:51:26 +0000

Electric mobility scooters are like regular electric scooters in the way they’re built and in how they operate. They have many of the features found on power wheelchairs. But electric mobility scooters are better suited for those who have some arm strength and upper body balance. You’ll be able to use an electric mobility scooter if you require a limited amount of assistance.

Electric mobility scooters can be very useful for those having any medical condition which makes walking around challenging. They are also handy for elderly persons who find walking any further than a very short distance to be difficult. A person who is able to make use of a scooter should still have the ability to walk at least a little bit because a scooter is not intended to take the place of a wheelchair.

Mobility scooters have a few simple components.

The seat is found above the rear wheels. There will be a flat area for both power source and for the users’ feet. The front of the mobility scooter has either a single wheel or two wheels, depending upon whether it’s a three wheel or a four wheel scooter.

The handlebars will be located on the steering column. Generally, mobility scooters are electric and powered by a rechargeable battery. Gas scooters, although you can get them, are not common.

Electric mobility scooters come with one or two batteries. Trying to operate a mobility scooter on a hill or a steep slope can be quite challenging with only a single battery. In these cases, you may find that the extra power that a second battery delivers is needed. The rechargeable batteries used in scooters come with a standard charger. This charger can be plugged into any standard electrical outlet.

Located at the front of the scooter is the tiller, or steering column. The tiller controls both forward and reverse movements for the scooter. It’s operated using a switch, a thumb paddle or possibly finger controls.

Electric mobility scooters are available with a front or rear wheel drive option. If the scooter is intended for use indoors mainly, then a front wheel drive is usually the right choice because they are generally smaller than rear wheel models. Another point is that they are intended to be used by riders up to about 250 pounds.

A rear wheel drive mobility scooter can be used indoors and outside. Since they’re larger, they are able to easily accommodate a weight of about 350 pounds.

But there are also heavy duty mobility scooters manufactured. These are rear wheel drive as well, and because they’re heavy duty they can accommodate a user along with medical equipment weighing up to 500 pounds

Power scooters come with an automatic braking system in place. With this, the brakes don’t have to be manually engaged. Instead what happens is that when the controls are released, the scooter stops automatically. With that comes the assurance that there is no chance of it continuing to coast. To decrease or increase your speed, simply press on or release the controls. You can also set the maximum speed that your scooter can reach which is a good safety feature.

When a person gets to a time in their life where they have trouble walking or standing for an extended time, it shouldn’t mean that a wheelchair is needed. In cases like this, electric mobility scooters allow the person maintain an independent lifestyle and not become housebound.

For heavier individuals or those needing to bring medical equipment along, a heavy duty mobility scooter may be the ideal solution. Find out more about the many features these mobility scooters have by visiting my website at http://www.personalmobilityscooter.org/.

categories: mobility scooters,electric mobility scooters,electric wheelchairs,power scooters,scooters,assistive technology,health,disabilities,elder care,seniors,senior issues,retirement,family,mobility aids

Electric Mobility Scooters – Information About These Mobility Aids is a post from: Wheelchairs Sales

How to Shop For a Motorized Wheelchair

Tariq Yaman — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 01:09:26 +0000

Motorized wheelchairs are incredibly important vehicles. The right one will provide you a nearly normal life, and the wrong model might bring you more complications than convenience. It’s always easier to discern what you need in Mobility Aids & Disability Aids and then identify the ideal model to answer those needs. In this article are explanations of three especially good motorized wheelchairs, every one of them ideal for their anticipated function.

Invacare’s Pronto M91 is a good mid-wheel drive chair made to be suitable for indoor and outdoor movement. It achieves 6.5 mph and can negotiate steps up to 3″ high, which means that low door thresholds are going to be no problem. The leg rests might be effortlessly customized to answer your personal preferences and the chair is thin enough to go through most doorways.

The two recurring criticisms seem to be that this chair’s battery charger may be a problem to reach, and the rear suspension is not what you’d call soft. This is one of today’s best daily use chairs which is routinely Medicare approved, though, so perhaps an extra pillow or two might take care of the problem. This chair will support up to 300 lbs and the company makes a heavy duty version capable of carrying up to 400 lbs.

If you’d rather have a high performance Power Scooter & Disability Scooter, you might want to check out the Bounder Plus H-Frame wheelchair. This chair can maneuver well inside a standard sized home, although it really performs well outdoors. The Bounder Plus may hold anyone under 500 lbs yet still fly along at 11 mph on the sidewalk. The battery is capable of a distance of 40 miles under ideal conditions. The galaxy of options are too plentiful to specify, but mentioning that the Bounder has 9 seat options is illustrative. Medicare normally will not purchase a Bounder, although you could get it by picking up the difference between the price Medicare permits and the real price of the chair.

If you could justify the cost of a second chair for travel, your money might be responsibly spent on the Invacare AT’M Travel Electric Wheelchair. The seat frame will disconnect from the base and collapse similar to a lawn chair, and as soon as the batteries are taken from the base it only weighs 34 pounds and the complete compilation is made to fit in standard car trunks. The battery range is only 12 miles, and capacity is limited at 250 lbs, but for a lightweight travel chair the AT’M is practically the most efficient you’ll find.

Motorized Mobility & Disability Aids and Scooters are such essential mobility devices that they ought to only be bought after extensive study. These chairs is going to have a substantial consequence on both your standard of living and your finances. Choose carefully, then invest confidently.

Tariq Yaman operates a Wheelchair Disability Scooter website that teaches consumers everything about the Power Scooter & Disability Scooter.

How to Shop For a Motorized Wheelchair is a post from: Wheelchairs Sales

Independent Living for the Disabled: Stair Lifts Make Moving Up and Down Very Easy

Janeene Baker — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 16:34:24 +0000

Having a house with a beautiful winding stairs is great, yet it might not be very practical when you reach old age. There used to be a time when things are very easy but as people age, those things suddenly become challenges to everyday living. Climbing the stairs is among the things that used to be so easy but when you get old, it turns into a burden.

You do not have to transfer to a new home when this happens. A motorized stairlift is the perfect solution if you have an elder or a relative who is having difficulty in moving up and down the house. Moreover, if you have relatives who are temporarily disabled or completely paralyzed, stair lifts allow independent living for the disabled.

The parts of a stair lift consists of a seat, pan, arm and foot rests, seat belt, movement control, and a start and stop function for moving up and down the custom fitted railing. This is clearly beneficial to those who are suffering from lumbar pains since the lift’s soft start and stop function keys provides a smooth ride up and down the stairs.

Electric stair lifts are driven by normal home electricity supply or using the battery operated power pack. It is definitely more advantageous to use home electricity to run your stair lift but if you live in an area where power outage is common, opt for the battery operated power pack version. This eliminates the possibility of getting stuck in the middle of the stairs in case of power interruption. However, if you live in an area that seldom experiences power outage, opting for the electric version is more advisable.

The prices of chair lifts for stairs are dependent on the suppliers. The cost of owning one can reach as high as $7000 or more. Other factors that determine the price of the unit include its model or brand of stair lift and the shape and style of your stairs. Another factor that determines the price of a stair lift is whether or not the government will provide financial aid for purchase of the said product.

If you are on a budget, one of the ways to save on the cost of buying one is to find a second hand or a refurbished unit. Manufacturers can be great sources of these types of units along with classified advertisements and auction sites. However, make sure that the unit you choose will allow the user to stay at home with the freedom to move up and down the stairs without assistance from anybody.

The stair chair lift is one of the newer technologies that make independent living for the disabled possible. For the aged and disabled who are living in spacious homes, having one makes life a little less difficult.

If you are looking for more information on stair lift brands including bruno stair lifts make sure you check out our website.. Free reprint available from: Independent Living for the Disabled: Stair Lifts Make Moving Up and Down Very Easy.

categories: stair lift,disabled,mobility,mobility aids,independent living,elderly,wheelchair,aged care

Independent Living for the Disabled: Stair Lifts Make Moving Up and Down Very Easy is a post from: Wheelchairs Sales