Increased Mobility With Electric Wheelchairs

Gone are the days when the only kind of wheelchair available to people who needed them was one which had to be moved manually. If the wheel chair occupants did not have the use of their hands, they had no other option than to depend on someone to take them from one place to the other. The entire purpose of a wheel chair, which is to give you added mobility, was practically lost. But, with the invention of electric wheelchairs, all this has thankfully changed!

Electric Wheel Chairs Explained

An electric wheelchair is a motorized chair that does not have to be moved with your hands or by someone pushing it from behind. It runs on electric current with the help of batteries, which give the occupant the convenience of being independently mobile.

Electric wheel chairs usually have either one of two mechanisms which facilitate their movement. These are gears or belts, and some electric wheelchairs may even have a combination of both these parts. One that runs on belts does not make too much noise and is practically noiseless. An electric wheelchair that makes use of gears, although not too noisy, makes considerably more noise than a wheelchair with belts. However, as far as maintaining the chair and caring for it goes, one with gears scores over one with a belt drive.

Choosing An Electric Wheelchair

An electric wheel chair is not always preferable to a manual one. Although it does give you increased mobility while expending lesser energy, there are certain restrictions.

Because of the power systems installed in the wheelchair, it tends to be much bigger and heavier than a manual one. So, if you have to deal with steps and ramps in the course of your daily routine, it could get very difficult lifting the electric wheelchair onto and off the steps. In such a situation, you would be better off buying a manual wheel chair than an electric one. However, having said that, it must be said that an electric wheelchair can give you the ability to be mobile without depending on anyone, which is something that may not always be possible with a manual wheelchair.

If you do decide to go in for an electric one, it would be best to consult with your doctor or physician to determine whether or not it will be suited to your disabilities, while making the most of your abilities.

Types Of Electric Wheelchairs

They are typically classified according to their wheel drives. Thus you have three kinds, which are:

• Front wheel drive wheel chairs
• Wheel chairs with mid wheel drive
• Rear wheel drive wheel chairs

A front wheel drive chair is not as fast as a rear wheel drive one but has much better turning capacities. A rear wheel drive wheel chair is for those who want a high top speed from the chair, but turning at such high speeds might be cause for concern. A mid wheel drive electric wheelchair is great if you do not want a very fast chair but instead one which allows for tight turning.

Thus, with an electric wheel chair, you can get back your mobility to quite an extent.