by Katherine Reed

I’ve been doing this wheelchair thing for a few years now. So I thought I’d share a few tips and tricks I’ve picked up along the way that might be useful for the newcomers among us.

1. Fabric choice 

I’d suggest considering your lifestyle when selecting fabric for upholstery. My last chair I went for that nice breathable fabric, instead of plain nylon. It was a HUGE mistake for me. I live on a farm and spend a lot of time in the vegetable garden over summer. That means plants, grasses and lots of seed heads. This fabric loves seed heads. I have had to spend way too many hours, picking them out, one by one, with a pair of tweezers. 

2. Footplates

I would never get a footplate with a hole in it again. I still don’t know why they would design them like that, but I’ve got my feet stuck in it many times. If I have shoes on, it’s annoying, but otherwise not a huge problem. However I’ve also had a bare foot slip into it as I transfer into bed three separate times now. Each time this has happened, I have needed help to get my foot unjammed and there has been skin breakage and bruising, which of course is not good for anyone, but especially someone with a SCI! 

3. Storage

I like to have as much storage space as possible within my chair, so I always have an under-chair basket (if for no other reason than to make sure I can always have a water bottle within reach).
I also get my cushion covers with a built-in pouch for my everyday items, like a pen, pawpaw, phone, keys, catheter etc. Then I have a second one that Velcros to the seat upholstery, which isn’t as easy to access while I’m in my chair. This has my emergency bathroom supplies in it though- a spare catheter, gloves and lube.

4. Frame guards

I find my legs get very cold over winter from my chair frame. Rather than forking out hundreds of dollars for the ‘proper’ frame guards (which I find to be very short lived anyway), I get bar tape, for push bikes. At $20-$40, a pack does both sides of my chair. I think my last lot lasted about five months. Plus, there are so many colours to choose from! I have also been known to stick those kids craft foam sheets (see image) to the inside of my sideguards for extra insulation over the colder months.

5. Upholstery repairs

For upholstery repairs, I use a local foam supply shop, rather than a NDIS business. It saves me at least half the cost and since I’m self-managed, I can still claim it under consumables. 

6. Reinforced sideguards

I also use a heavy-duty steel reinforced edging strip, known as pinchweld, along the top of my very thin and flimsy carbon sideguards. This protects my skin from bad transfers (because let’s face it, we all mess them up sometimes), but it also protects both my sideguards and my door frame, when I’m loading my chair into the car. 

7. Tyres

I will always run Marathon Plus tyres, as they have a reinforced rubber wall, and I’ve never had a puncture with them. I also use tubes with Presta or French valves, as they have much better air pressure retention, (although I do carry a valve adaptor in my wallet, in case I ever need air from a ‘normal’ pump). Another option is to go tubeless, using a ‘goo’ to seal up the tyres. This can be done at your local bike shop and again, is much cheaper than using a medical supply company. If you’re on NDIS and self-managed, you can claim through consumables. 

8. Frame design

When considering wheelchair frame design, I will always have a tapered front, down to my footplate. This has nothing to do with me needing to feel ladylike, but rather that I find that keeping my legs tucked nice and close together really helps with my balance, and with stability and balancing things on my lap.

9. Shirt and jumpers beware

This isn’t a tip, just something to be aware of: I go through a lot of shirts and jumpers. I’m unsure if it’s the design of my chair, this breathable upholstery or both, but I literally wear through my clothes along the top of my chair, way before their lifespan would otherwise be up. 

10. Cupholder

While I don’t personally have a cup holder on my chair (probably because I’m one of those strange people who don’t drink coffee), I do know people who swear by them! 

---

An Occupational Therapy Perspective

by Kim Trusler, AQA Senior OT

Collaboration between occupational therapy (OT) and lived experience are key components in the journey of wheelchair scripting to ensure it is best suited to the person and their needs. This co-design approach aims to achieve a balance between stability and manoeuvrability to promote function in essential and meaningful activities of daily living. It bridges the gap between clinical knowledge and real-life experience to support our community to live well.