Have You Ever Had to Spend an Extended Period of Time in a Wheelchair?

Whether it is a temporary condition after an injury or a lifelong situation following a childhood illness or injury, there are many people who can find themselves in need of a wheelchair. And while there are many times that people with active lifestyles can find a wheelchair very limiting, there are many wheelchair alterations that can help.

From wheelchair seat covers to wheelchairs that fold for easy transitions and transportation, the wheelchair alterations that can make patients even more likely to get back to the life that they used to live.

Wheelchair Hand Rims Come in a Number of Different Options

People with disabilities reported earning as much as 70% less every year than those without disabilities. Finding the right kind of wheelchair adaptations can help people find the options that they need to live a more close to normal life. Wheelchair locks and other safety features provide a way to make sure that there the people in the chair are as safe as possible. For instance, wheelchair footrests need to be able easily move to the side when it is time to transition out of the chair, but be stable when the chair is in use.

Consider some of these facts and figures about the many ways that disabilities affect many people and the adaptations that can make these disabilities more manageable:

• Estimates indicate that 20% of the world’s poorest people have some type of disability.
• Interestingly enough, the U.S. civilian population from 2010 to 2016 showed an increase from 11.9% to 12.8% in people with disabilities.
• Unfortunately, about 38.9% of people 18 years and older with disabilities in 2016 were obese.
• Approximately 3.6 million of people in the U.S. over the age of 15 use a wheelchair.
• In addition to the millions of people who use a wheelchair, 11.6 million people use canes, walkers, or crutches.
• Fortunately, 98% of public transportation buses in the U.S. are appropriately equipped to accommodate people in wheelchairs. This, however, is not the case in other parts of the world.

If you or a loved one is in need of a wheelchair for a short or long amount of time, it is important that you consider all of the options that are available. Finding a wheelchair that closely meets the needs that you or your loved one has will make the experience more productive, and less frustrating.