Wheelchair Accessories

Every wheelchair has its own unique attributes. For instance, a power wheelchair is good for users with limited upper body strength. On the other hand, a standard manual wheelchair is affordable, easy to transport, and still sturdy enough to do the job. No matter which wheelchair you use, there are a variety of wheelchair accessories that can enhance your experience.

Wheelchair accessories include everything from bags, cusions and backs to carriers, ramps and adaptive clothing. You'll also find cup holders, oygen attachments, tray and arm accessories, tire and wheel accessories, and goot and leg rest accessories. Here's a short list of some of the most common wheelchair accessories:

Seat Cushions

Some consider it a luxury, but they generally haven't spent much time sitting in a wheelchair. A good seat cushion is an essential accessory for providing comfort and minimizing the potential for pressure sores. It can also reduce improper posture, which would otherwise lead to back and muscle pains. As with any accessory, make sure the seat cushion properly fits the wheelchair, is comfortable, and alieviates problems without creating new ones.

There are three different types of wheelchair cushions that are available on the market. The first is the foam cushion, which is less expensive, but not advisable for everyday use. A foam cushion gradually develops loses its cushion, which can lead to muscle problems and discomfort. Next is the air floatation cushion, which can be a bit expensive but provides excellent comfort to the user. Air floatation cushions are available in either single or double chambers. Finally, there's the gel cushion. Generally, the gel cusion is considered the best available cushion because it distributes the pressure evenly. It's also a bit heavier than the foam and the air floatation cushions.

Wheelchair Ramps

Wheelchair users often find it difficult to enter public establishments that aren't properly designed with the disabled in mind. Wheelchair ramps are more advanced today than ever before, providing portability, strength, and durability. Not only are wheelchair ramps used to access otherwise unaccessbile buildings, they're also used for easy access to vans for transportation.

Here are the four main considerations when purchasing a wheelchair ramp: the rise (the vertical measurement from the starting point to desired height), the ramp length, the weight capacity, and the ramp width.

Tire & Wheel Accessories

A manual wheelchair rim cover helps protect the user against injury with its foam-padded surface. Rim covers are often used as an alternative to wearing gloves. Wheelchair tire covers help prevent you from tracking wheelchair tire dirt into the house. These are light weight, easy to roll up, and great for travel, home or office.

Back Support Aids

There are several different styles of wheelchair back supports, each with a slightly different purpose and function. For instance, the Comfort Back is a back support designed to work with the existing back of manual wheelchairs to provide a more comfortable sitting experience. The Comfort Back eliminates "hammock effect" of sling style chair. On a slightly different note, the moldable Acta-Back allows the center section of the back to be contoured precisely to any spinal curvature. The Acta-Back can be molded as often as needed. This is just a sampling of the wheelchair back support accessories that are available.

Unique Use Accessories

You can also find a number of wheelchair accessories that are rather unique and specific to their use. For instance, there's the fishing pole holder, which keeps a good grip on the pole while it makes the reel available for one-handed operation. Plus, the pole can be removed from the holder for additional mobility. Then there's the umbrella, which provides protection from the sun and the rain.