Wheelchair Assembly And Rider Training

Depending on the donor’s requirements, chairs may come fully assembled in the shipping box or the chairs may require a few minutes of assembly using basic tools.  Tool kits for assembly are available and can be shipped along with the wheelchairs from the factory.  Simple assembly instructions on paper and video are also provided with each order.  Shipping chairs with the wheels off allows more chairs to be packed into the shipping container so that more individuals can be served.  Other than attachment of the rear wheels, the following adjustments are required for each chair: seatback height, seat depth, footrest position, rear wheel axle position, and brake position.  The RoughRider^® has several features, including tension adjustable backrest and adjustable back angle, which allow skilled therapists to achieve custom positioning for riders.

Each Whirlwind chair comes with a 60-page RoughRider^® User Manual which gives instructions on assembly, adjustment, and use.  These instructions are for the wheelchair provider and for the wheelchair rider.  It is important to invest time with each wheelchair rider to help him or her understand all the features and adjustments on the wheelchair.  The life of the chair can be extended significantly by giving the user some training in basic maintenance such as how to repair a flat tire and how to grease moving parts.

Training wheelchair users to learn to use their chairs is necessary so theyLisa, a therapist from New Zealand, assists Patrice as she learns to maneuver around muddy holes in Haiti, 2010 can get the most mobility benefit.  Learning to ride the chair with the rear wheels in the most forward position that the rider can handle comfortably will make the chair much easier to push. Basic skills like braking using the hand rims, zigzagging through obstacles, and hand rim pushing techniques for hill climbing are critical.  Wheelchair users who gain more advanced skills like descending curbs and crossing over tree roots will have much more confidence and mobility.  For the rider’s safety, learning some skills requires the help of an encouraging partner who is ready to catch the rider if he or she tips over.  Riders may have significant obstacles in their daily use environment such as stairs at the entrance to their home which will require special skills.  Many of these skills are explained in the RoughRider^® User Manual.

Learning to push a wheelchair up a ramp is tough! Patrice and Lisa celebrate after a lot of effort and a big success.Helping a wheelchair rider to modify the home environment is important.  Typically, homes are set up for the convenience of walking people.  For riders this can mean challenges like objects being out of reach or doorways too narrow to pass through.  A wheelchair access problem often seems insurmountable to a new rider, but with some creativity and advice from experienced wheelchair riders or rehabilitation professionals, many barriers can be removed.  Often it is only a matter of figuring out how to rearrange furniture, but it can also include repositioning of light switches and even using ropes and pulleys to help the user open or close a door.  These and other simple, low-cost “tricks” can be key to a newly disabled person’s rehabilitation.  

Onsite training of professionals and paraprofessionals is key to establishing and maintaining a sustainable infrastructure for wheelchair services. Knowledgeable people are required for good wheelchair services like assessment, fitting, rider training, and repair.  Passing on this critical knowledge requires a commitment to capacity building so that local people can solve their own problems in the long run.  This is especially important for donors who would like to ensure that riders will be able to get their chairs serviced and maintained in good condition for years of active use.  This capacity building approach is a core value for Whirlwind.  We are available to consult with you on capacity building, provision training, and all other aspects of wheelchair provision.  With each order, we budget a generous amount of time to help donors solve problems related to each project.  We also offer on-site training, more extensive consulting, and services related to establishing local wheelchair production for additional fees.  The Whirlwind team has decades of experience.  We look forward to discussing a project with you.  Please do not hesitate to contact us for more information.

For more information on Whirlwind's products please visit our Large Volume Orders page or Request a Price Quote.