Wheelchairs Have Come a Long Way
Nov 12th, 2007 by emgra
In common with most products, wheelchairs have seen significant developments since the first models were made nearly a century ago. Of course these first wheelchairs were very basic and as you can imagine, extremely heavy with limited features.
The modern day wheelchair has come a long way from those early days and there is now a wheelchair model to suit just about every need you can think of. The two basic types are manual and power wheelchairs, but there are many other types offering various degrees of maneuverability, comfort etc.
The most common types of manual wheelchairs are the transport, travel, lightweight, ultra lightweight, standard weight, sport, reclining back and heavy duty wheelchairs. The prices of these types can differ greatly, especially as they can be fitted with many optional extra features.
Power wheelchairs are significantly more expensive than the manual ones, due to there more complex components and the use of battery or gas powered motors to propel them. These wheelchairs are typically steered by using a joystick (similar to those used on computer games ) mounted on one of the arms.
All terrain wheel chairs offer safe and stable rides on most types of uneven surfaces. Popular types of electric wheelchairs include powerbase, heavy duty and transportable models. Although the power wheelchairs are still very expensive they are becoming more popular due to the added independence and convenience they offer to the disabled.
