Mobility Info - USA
Wheelchair Terminology
Manual Wheelchairs
These wheelchairs require human assistance to propel them, rather than a battery, power pack or electronic control. Most can be folded for ease of storage or transportation. Manual chairs can be self-propelled, attendant-propelled or of a wheelbase type.
Self-Propelled Wheelchairs
The wheelchair user propels this type of chair by rotating hand rims situated on the outer portion of the rear wheels. The diameter of the wheels is typically from 20 to 27 inches. Experienced users can tip their chair back in order to climb kerbs and other obstacles.
Self-propelled wheelchairs can be single arm driven. In this case, both hand rims are situated on the same side. They each have a different circumference and are linked to different wheels. They can be rotated together to move the wheelchair forwards or backwards, or independently to move left or right. These chairs are suitable for those whose disability means they only have the use of one arm or only have sufficient strength in one side.
Attendant-Propelled Wheelchairs
These chairs do not have hand rims on the wheels because they are pushed by a helper. Wheels are generally smaller than with the self-propelled chairs. Attendant-propelled chairs are commonly used in hospitals and airports because they are the ideal solution for temporary transfers and occasional use.
Wheelbase Chairs
Wheelbase chairs are commonly used by those who do not have a typical posture. A seat is cast from memory foam or plastic mesh to suit the occupant; the seat, when coated and framed, is attached to a wheeled platform. The chair is able to swivel, thus allowing the user to get in and out from any side.
Rigid Framed Wheelchairs
Rigid framed chairs cannot be folded conventionally but tend to be more manoeuvrable and lighter than foldable models. That said, the back wheels are often detachable and the backrest can be folded down on some models.
Lightweight Wheelchairs
As the name suggests, these wheelchairs are lighter than the norm. Often made from aluminium, they are easier to push and easier to transfer into a vehicle. They are more expensive than regular chairs but the extra cost is usually worth it for anyone with a long term disability or impairment.
Transit Wheelchairs
This is a basic type of attendant-propelled chair, often kept as a standby for temporary use in airports, shopping centres and the like. They usually have smaller rear wheels and are quite light and easy to store. However, turning and climbing kerbs are not this wheelchair’s strengths.
Wheelchair Castors
These are the small wheels at the front of the wheelchair. The smaller and narrower the castors, the more manoeuvrable the chair tends to be. They come in various widths (footprints) and circumferences. Smaller castors are less suitable for rough ground, where chairs with pneumatic tyres at the front perform better.
Bucket
This term describes the angle of the seat. The bucket is measured by finding the difference between the front seat floor height and the back seat floor height. For example, if the former is 21 inches and the latter is 19 inches, then the seat slopes downwards slightly and has a bucket of 2 inches.
Wheelchair Camber
The camber refers to the angle of the rear wheels in relation to the chair. Wheels that are perpendicular to the ground will have a camber of zero degrees, but in some chairs the wheels lean inwards as they go up, usually by between 1 and 5 degrees from the vertical. For some sports wheelchairs, however, the camber can be as much as 20 degrees. This is because a high camber allows faster turning while providing good lateral stability. An increase of one degree in the wheels camber adds half an inch to the wheelbase (the distance between the rear wheels where they meet the ground)
