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Designing the Perfect Wheelchair
Yesterday, the sun had apparently been hitting my chair just right because, when I got in it, it was so warm and cozy. For a chilly New England day, it felt really nice. That’s when I started thinking how cool it would be for wheelchairs to have heated seats just like in cars. Not only would it be cozy, it could even help with muscle tension, pain, etc.
This may already exist, I’m not exactly sure. But if it doesn’t, I say we do something about it. What’s one (or more!) amenity or luxury item you’d want on your idea of a perfect wheelchair?
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5 Replies
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Absolutely! Heated seats I reckon would be great!
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If you have heated seats, you also need a cooling option. My wish list is quite extensive but I’ll start with power adjustable footrest height. That way I could wear shoes with different sole thicknesses, or even a heel without worrying about pressure sores. Plus if I was positioned too far back or forward in my chair I could adjust the footrests accordingly. Side to side tilt would be beneficial too. It would help with not only reach but positioning as well. I’m not aware that these options exist anyway.
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Power adjustable footrest height is definitely available. I really wish I got it when I got my chair. I was told I can add it still if I want, but it’s not something insurance will cover for me. It also requires a different footplate (a single plate rather than split) which wouldn’t be as wide as the ones I have now so that might be worse.
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I have power adjustable footrest height on my new Permobil M3 that I got in December 2020. With split feet rest! 🙂 Although perhaps I’m not understanding that – they rise and lower together – it’s not independently adjustable between the left and right foot rest. I don’t remember asking for it, so maybe it was standard? I had to pay for the two items insurance would not cover: an elevator seat and anterior tilt.
Heated and cooling seats seem like good options, but heck, why not include the Shiatsu massage options for circulation and muscle/cramp relief? Haven’t really thought about this, but if come up with anything, I’ll come back and post.
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Lupa & Mike, how did I not know this was an option?!? I would definitely want the split though.
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