subject: A Comparison of Electric Wheel Chairs and a Mobility Scooters [print this page] A Comparison of Electric Wheel Chairs and a Mobility Scooters
Two recent innovations that have done wonders for the elderly, the paraplegic, those suffering from multiple sclerosis or other walking disabilities, are the electric wheel chair and the electric mobility scooter. These battery operated vehicles have given such people independence and freedom of movement that they could not have dreamed of just a few decades ago.
At the same time, each of these two machines have their advantages and disadvantages. If you are trying to decide whether to get an electric wheelchair or mobility scooter, you should think about the following:
Amount of Use How much time each day are you going to spend in the vehicle? Mobility scooters are great for getting you from place to place, however they don't have the amount of comfort and support that electric wheel chairs do. Thus, if you're planning to spend a significant amount of time each day in the vehicle, then an electric wheel chair may be right for you.
Style Despite the many advantages of electric wheelchairs, when it comes to design, mobility scooters take the cake. Mobility scooters come in a wide variety of styles, colors and designs to suit almost everyone. Also, they are marketed as a product that aids in mobility, rather than a product for the disabled.
Safety Mobility scooters, although bulky, do offer a safety advantage over electric wheelchairs. With their padded seats, to firm and stable wheels, to traffic accessories, mobility scooters offer great safety advantages both inside the home and out on the road.
Accessibility to Work Areas Accessibility to desks is much easier with an electric wheel chair as compared with the mobility scooter. Mobility scooters have a handlebar located at the front which will prevent you from getting close enough to your desk to do your work.
Indoor and Outdoor Due to their smaller turn radius and ability to navigate narrow hallways, electric wheelchairs have a clear advantage for indoor use. However, mobility scooters can be hardier as compared with electric wheelchairs, especially the 4 wheeled mobility scooters; therefore if most of your use will be for the outdoors then the mobility scooter might be the right choice.
Portability if you are going to be travelling a lot and will be needing to take your vehicle everywhere you travel, then you require something which can easy be folded and stowed. An electric wheelchair fits the bill here as well.
Sense of Independence Finally, mobility scooters have a psychological advantage over electric wheelchairs because they do not make the user feel handicapped at all, rather independent. Even on the carts on the golf course don't look that much different from mobility scooters, therefore people who use them don't get the feeling of being disabled.
