Mobility scooters and related equipment
Due to a rather surprising array of neurological ailments, not to mention the increasing effects of advancing age, I have become considerably less mobile than I used to be. 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, supporting myself with 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 my life, and diminished mobility doesn’t really bother me.
Anyway, for the longer journeys I nowadays employ a mobility scooter, which kind of makes me feel like a prince or even a king! Relaxedly sitting in a comfortable seat, pleasantly but never arrogantly saluting the admiring passers-by, I zip along at either walking pace or double speed. When I feel social I “walk”, when I really need to be somewhere in time I rev up the little machine.
There are lots of people much worse off than me, when it comes to physical capabilities. I can, albeit with difficulty, still walk – but a lot of others can’t. Especially for them the mobility scooter is a great support, enabling them to be free 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 variety. These tend to be somewhat more manoeuvrable on account of their tighter turning radius, which is a definite advantage in crowded or cramped spots. I also would advice you to go for batteries with a large capacity: it’s not only unpleasant but also extremely embarassing to find yourself out of juice when far away from home!
Apart from electrical scooters, there are many more things and inventions that make the life of the handicapped much more pleasant. Stairlifts, bed lifts, electric wheelchairs, walkers… they all serve to make life much more pleasant for the handicapped.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 at 3:54 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.