Mobility scooters and related equipment

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 | local info

Due to a rather surprising array of neurological disorders, not to mention the increasing effects of advancing age, I have become sort of less mobile than I was in my younger days. Where I used to be able to effortlessly walk for many hours, I now move slowly at a tortoises pace, for a maximum of one hour, leaning on either a cane or a crutch - depending on how I happen to feel that day. Yet I refuse to complain: there’s nothing I truly lack in this life, and diminished mobility doesn’t usually bother me.

However, for the longer journeys I presently employ an electrical, which definitely makes me feel like a prince or even a sultan! Relaxedly sitting in a comfortable seat, pleasantly but never arrogantly greeting the admiring passers-by, I buzz along at either walking pace or double speed. When I feel social I “walk”, when I really need to be somewhere at a certain time I rev up the little machine.

There are lots of people much worse off than me, when it comes to mobility. I can, albeit with difficulty, still walk - many others can’t. Especially for those the electric scooter is a great help, enabling them to feel mobile again. There are 3-wheel mobility scooters and 4-wheel mobility scooters, and if you happen to be considering buying such a contraption, I certainly recommend the 3-wheeled version. They tend to be considerably more manoeuvrable on account of their tighter turning radius, which is a great advantage in crowded or cramped areas. I also would advice you to go for batteries with a lot of capacity: it’s not only unpleasant but also quite embarassing to find yourself without of juice when a long way from home!

Apart from mobility scooters, there are many more things and gadgets that make the life of the handicapped much easier. Stairlifts, bed lifts, electric wheelchairs, walkers… they all serve to make life much more pleasant for the disabled.

No comments yet.

Leave a comment