Mobility scooters and related equipment No comments yet
Due to a rather surprising range of neurological disorders, not to mention the increasing effects of advancing age, I have become considerably less mobile than I was in my younger days. Where I used to be able to briskly walk for hours and 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 function that day. But I won’t complain: there’s nothing I truly lack in this life, and reduced mobility doesn’t really bother me.
Anyway, for the longer distances I presently employ a mobility scooter, which kind of makes me feel like a prince or even a king! Relaxedly sitting in a cusioned seat, pleasantly but never haughtly greeting the admiring passers-by, I buzz along at either walking pace or double speed. When I feel relaxed I “walk”, when I actually need to be somewhere at a certain time I rev up the little machine.
There are many people much worse off than me, when it comes to physical capabilities. I can, though with difficulty, still walk - many others can’t. Especially for those the electric scooter is a great help, enabling them to feel free again. There are 3-wheel mobility scooters and 4-wheel mobility scooters, and if you happen to be considering buying such a machine, I would recommend the 3-wheeled variety. They tend to be considerably more manoeuvrable on account of their smaller turning radius, which is a definite advantage in crowded or cramped places. I also would recommend to go for batteries with a lot of capacity: it’s not only unpleasant but also extremely embarassing to find yourself without of power when far away from home!
Apart from mobility scooters, there are many more contraptions and gadgets that make the life of the disabled much easier. Stairlifts, bed lifts, electrically powered wheelchairs, walkers… they all help to make life much more normal for the disabled.