Manual Wheelchairs
Some people say that there are more disabled people now than ever. That’s simply not true. What has happened is that people with disabilities are being treated best than ever. That not only means that they survive more than they did in the past, but also that they are much freer to appear in public without being harassed or discriminated, as it was unfortunately the case in the past.
Awareness about disabled people has resulted in several technological developments aimed at making them feel better and allowing them to recuperate the ability to take care of themselves.
Perhaps manual wheelchairs are the most useful invention for disabled people who lost their ability to walk, or who can walk for only very small distances.
Although wheelchairs have been around for centuries, they weren’t used at first for disabled people. It was high officials or rulers that used them, in order to be more comfortable when moving around. These wheelchairs weren’t really manual wheelchairs as we know them, as they weren’t designed in a way that the user could use his or her arms to make the wheelchair move. Instead, one or more of the servants of the ruler pushed the wheelchair and took his or her master wherever he wanted. It wasn’t until the 18th century that manual wheelchairs as we know them started appearing.
Although motorized and electric wheelchairs have been developed, manual wheelchairs continue to be very common. There are some advantages that keep manual wheelchairs from being replaced fully by motorized and electric wheelchairs. One of them is price. While movement and freedom is priceless for disabled people, it isn’t for insurance companies, who usually refuse to pay for motorized wheelchairs. In some cases, they also refuse to pay for manual wheelchairs. Because the price difference between manual wheelchairs and motorized wheelchairs is so big, many people choose to buy manual wheelchairs when they decide to invest their money.
Another advantage of manual wheelchairs is their weight. They are much lighter than their motorized counterparts, and thus they are easier to load into cars and vans. They also tend to occupy less space, which is helpful when carrying it over stairs and other obstacles.
Finally, manual wheelchairs allow disabled people to exercise their arms. Because they tend to live a sedentary life, this is very good for getting them to do exercise while moving from place to place. If motivated enough, some disabled people can even participate in wheelchair sports.
So, as you can see, manual wheelchairs might not have the features that motorized wheelchairs have, but they are still a very useful and affordable option for improving the quality of life of disabled people.
