If you are struggling to get around these day, then you may well have been considering a battery mobility scooter. These very modern solutions to an age old problem, are generally designed with a seat mounted over the rear wheels. They have a flat platform for your feet, bags etc, and handlebars up front. These turn one, or sometimes two wheels. Many designs also have a seat that swivels outward to make getting on and off easier.
They typically have controls mounted on the steering column. There is usually and forward and reverse direction controller, with a variable speed controller. These may be in the format of switches, paddles, or a lever. The vast majority of models available are battery powered, given the ever increasing efficiency and simplicity of the electric motor. In these green times, they are also very much less polluting than the petrol counterparts.
Battery mobility scooters are generally rear wheel drive and a charged via connection to an external power supply. When looking at their advantages and disadvantages, they really have to be contrasted against electric wheelchairs.
When looking at their place in the market, it should be recognized that their main competitor is the conventional wheelchair. That said, their main advantage is that they look very different to wheelchairs!
They are great for people that lack the arm and shoulder mobility and strength to use a conventional wheelchair. The swivelling seat arrangement is also a lot easier to use than the movable footrests on a wheelchair. In al, they are particularly suitable for people with systemic illnesses but who are not, yet, at the stage where they require the additional torso support a wheelchair offers.
The main disadvantage is closely linked to this last point. The do still need a reasonable amount of stamina and flexibility fro their users. They are also, physically, much larger than standard wheelchairs and suffer from all the hindrances that this entails.
They typically have controls mounted on the steering column. There is usually and forward and reverse direction controller, with a variable speed controller. These may be in the format of switches, paddles, or a lever. The vast majority of models available are battery powered, given the ever increasing efficiency and simplicity of the electric motor. In these green times, they are also very much less polluting than the petrol counterparts.
Battery mobility scooters are generally rear wheel drive and a charged via connection to an external power supply. When looking at their advantages and disadvantages, they really have to be contrasted against electric wheelchairs.
When looking at their place in the market, it should be recognized that their main competitor is the conventional wheelchair. That said, their main advantage is that they look very different to wheelchairs!
They are great for people that lack the arm and shoulder mobility and strength to use a conventional wheelchair. The swivelling seat arrangement is also a lot easier to use than the movable footrests on a wheelchair. In al, they are particularly suitable for people with systemic illnesses but who are not, yet, at the stage where they require the additional torso support a wheelchair offers.
The main disadvantage is closely linked to this last point. The do still need a reasonable amount of stamina and flexibility fro their users. They are also, physically, much larger than standard wheelchairs and suffer from all the hindrances that this entails.
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