Wheelchairs - main index page
A basic wheelchair can serve as a means to get around a home, shop or locality, whilst a sports wheelchair can open up a world of activity and even competition to almost anyone, irrespective of a physical disability.
Wheelchairs come in two basic versions, manually powered and motorised. In both instances it may be possible to get a wheelchair through the NHS if you are resident in the UK. You will find more information about this by using the wheelchair links below.
- Wheelchair main page (this page)
- Manual wheelchair
- Motorized wheelchair
- NHS (UK National Health Service) wheelchairs
- Sports wheelchairs
- Wheelchairs for activity based sports, e.g. tennis.
- Track racing wheelchairs
- Wheelchairs for stationary sports. e.g. archery
- Basketball wheelchairs
- Tennis wheelchairs
- Wheelchairs for extreme sports
Wheelchairs versus mobility scooters
There are a number of significant differences between wheelchairs and mobility scooters and these go beyond the basic appearance of each option. In most instances a person's suitability for one or the other of these mobility devices is very different. This means that, in the majority of cases, an individual's mobility needs will be satisfied by either one or the other rather than both.
The biggest difference between a wheelchair and a mobility scooter is in the design objectives and subsequent characteristics of each machine. Read on to find out more.
Wheelchair functionality
As its name suggests, a wheelchair is first and foremost a chair that has been adapted by the addition of wheels to enable it to move around. It can be pushed by a carer, propelled by its seated passenger, or powered by an electric motor. However, it remains a machine designed around a strong sturdy body supporting seat to which localised mobility has been added.
This means that the seat has a good high backrest and the flexibility to have additional supports or aids attached to it.
Importantly the seat in a wheelchair is a supportive one that can hold its passenger's body in an upright seated posture, even if their own physicality would prevent them from doing so without assistance. This means that the level of support offered by a motorised wheelchair is much greater than that offered by a mobility scooter.
Wheelchairs have limited speed and mobility, but high levels of comfort and seated support. They can move around in small enclosed spaces as well as providing static seating like a regular chair.
An electric wheelchair is restricted by its travelling capability. It is generally assumed that someone who uses a wheelchair will have their wheelchair transported to the destination to which they are travelling rather than use it as a direct mode of transport. However, unlike a mobility scooter it is not necessary to alight from a wheelchair when you arrive at a destination or if you are in a home.
In summary a wheelchair is a mobility device best suited to someone who has lost the use of their lower limbs and who will spend most of their day seated or moving around in the wheelchair. If this person is able bodied in their upper body and arms, then there are many highly mobile and stylish wheelchairs from which they can select. Some of these chairs are designed and constructed for sporting activities and their flexibility and manoeuvrability is very impressive. See the index above for further details of sports wheelchairs.
Mobility scooter functionality
A mobility scooter takes a very different approach to a wheelchair. In this case mobility (rather than a seat) is the primary design feature in the form of a 3, 4 or 5 wheeled scooter to which seating has been added. (See Mobility Scooters for further details.) All of these scooters use an electric motor.
The ride, handling and overall mobility of the scooter are seen as paramount to its function and the seating usually assumes that the passenger can support their body and move their upper (and probably) their lower limbs.
The other defining difference between a wheelchair and a mobility scooter is that a scooter is intended to travel from one destination to another, most usually outside of a building. This means that the scooter works as a substitute for the legs, or possibly public transport, in travelling distances of hundreds of yards (metres) or even a few miles.
In other words a mobility scooter is a replacement for longer “on-foot” journeys, e.g. to shops, to see friends, recreational areas etc. But its use also assumes that its passenger has a moderate degree of mobility when a destination is reached. Furthermore the seating, seated posture and ability to balance during travel, all mean that this mobility option is usually selected by someone who can still move around independently without the assistance of a wheeled appliance, e.g. a wheelchair.
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