Reflection on ‘testing wheelchair’-lecture

The lecture when all of us, or at least everyone who wanted, got the chance to try out a manual wheelchair and an electric one was a very interesting and informative experience. It’s actually a lot more work than one might think to only use your arms as a means to propel yourself forward, especially if the surface you were on was uphill or on uneven ground like grass or gravel. So it’s quite understandable that people who use wheelchairs regularly get really strong arms, not necessarily big arms but always strong persevering arms.

Another thing that I think we all noted was how a person somehow seemed to be impaired in some way as soon as he or she sat down in the wheelchair. This phenomena was especially prominent with the electric wheelchair. I believe it has something to do with the fact that one looks a bit passive while driving around in that wheelchair.

But one thing is for sure, no one looked passive while driving the ATV (All Terrain Vehicle). So what is it that makes people look passive in a four-wheel electric wheel chair but extremely active and kind of cool when driving a big motorized ATV? Is it the sound of the ATV? Is it the size? Of course it has more horse power, and probably a bit too much for it to be used indoors like an electric wheelchair. It would be great if the electric wheelchairs were designed in a way to avoid the person looking a passive in it, but without us having ATV’s driving around indoors in high speeds.

Wheelchair day, reflection

I have never experienced being carried by a wheelchair before. This day was going to be something special. First off was a regular wheelchair indoors. It was not hard to maneuver and it was kind of nice and comfortable. But my posture was terrible and I felt something strange inside, when I passed people in the corridor most people were looking down on me and I felt even worse.  The electric wheelchair was fun, what made it more fun must have been the speed, the faster you go the more fun it is. Still, my posture were different and I had to really try to look cool in it.

Polacksbacken is poorly adapted to regular and electric wheelchairs, it was really exhausting. The biggest struggle was trying to get into the building because of the placement of the button and the time the door was open.

If I compare the wheelchairs with the four-wheeler we tried out in the end I would say I felt a lot “cooler” on the four-wheeler than in a wheelchair. It is not very adapted for impaired, but it could be. If you transfer the foot break to the hand the function of the feet is not necessary. One problem is the support for the back and legs. Something that could press you against a backrest but not something that is big as a chair. One thing that I notices as well was the height, an option to lower the four-wheeler to get up on it would ease the struggle.