Abstract
This paper aims to look at the history of wheelchair development, examine the difficulties and complications of wheelchair bound patients and report some of the legislations which intend to secure equal opportunities and equal rights for people with disabilities.
Keywords: wheelchair, disabilities, mobility
Introduction
Wheelchairs are used by people for whom walking is difficult or impossible, due to illness, injury, or disability. Obviously it allows them to move around and improves their quality of life, but it has also negative effects. Some suffer chronic pain due to over exertion; it contributes to depression, and causes a great deal of embarrassment and social anxiety. Some patients prefer to remain at home rather than go outside. Getting in and out of the wheelchair is difficult, and they sometimes need assistance going to the toilet. Wheelchair bound patients have also extra expenses;the home has to be adapted to the wheelchair, zero-step entries and door widths adequate for wheelchairs to pass through, and sometimes, especially the elderly, have to hire a live-in caregiver.
The wheelchair development
The exact time
…show more content…
Though this helped many millions of people to gain their mobility, there was still the matter of those who had upper body disabilities, or other cardiovascular issues, who were unable to use self-powered wheelchairs. This was solved by the 1950 's, with the creation of the first motorized wheelchair [3]. The use of an electric powered indoor/outdoor chair (EPIOC) in severely disabled, non-ambulatory patients has greatly improved patient 's quality of life