catapult wheelchair by tom robbins

Oh and for all those who question whether this fits the definition of a wheelchair…. Oxford English Dict. defines wheelchair as “a chair fitted with wheels for use as a means of transport by a person who is unable to walk as a result of illness, injury, or disability.”

This is a chair correct? It is outfitted with wheels correct? It’s used for the purpose of a transporting a person unable to walk correct? Nothing in the definition says ANYTHING about use of legs beyond the inability to walk. Inability to walk does not require that one be paralyzed.

Not ALL wheelchair users are paralyzed. For years, I used a wheelchair intermittently because multiple chronic illnesses made walking long distances or standing for long periods extremely difficult for me. Not only that, but the toll that attempting to walk long distances or stand for a long period would cause me to be unable to get out of bed in the days following the activity. My quality of life had decreased until my doctor suggested I get a wheelchair for those times. Using a wheelchair for those times allowed me to enjoy doing things with my family again. Fast forwarding a few years, I was unable to walk at all, in part due to a fall I had while getting into a vehicle left me unable to stand and support my own weight. I actually had two falls in a 24 hr period, the first while getting into a vehicle and the second with my husband behind me, helping to support me. I fell hard enough and quickly enough that even his quick reaction only slowed my fall. I was unable to stand let alone walk, from Dec. 2008 through Mar. 2011. I spent months in a hospital with multiple infections, some life-threatening, then was transferred to a nursing home after the doctors at the hospital had given me the prognosis that I’d never walk again. Needless to say, once I was able to begin physical therapy, I stood after 83 days in which I had only had 36hrs of PT. I continued to have PT and in Apr 2011, on my 46th day of PT, I was able to walk for the first time since Dec. 2008. It was only something like 15 ft which is nothing to most people, but was enough to cause the staff and residents in the PT room to cheer. Even as I got stronger and steadier, I still have to be cautious about where and how much I walk. Doing too much standing or walking will send me to bed quickly. Walking on uneven ground is a fall risk. So at times, rather than taking unnecessary risks, I still use my wheelchair quite often. The last thing I need is another fall.

But sadly to most people, when they see a wheelchair they assume the user is paralyzed, has a mental impairment, can’t think or speak for themselves, etc. Before assuming something about wheelchair users, why not treat each person as an individual rather than lumping them all together? Just because there are some pretty stupid people out there that use the internet, I don’t assume all internet users are stupid. Just because some people who drink alcohol are alcoholic, I don’t assume EVERYONE who drinks alcohol is an alcoholic. So why assume that because some people who use a wheelchair are paralyzed, that all wheelchair users are paralyzed?

That said, I am glad to read that there is an option for hand control of this wheelchair. My only issue with either the version shown here or the hand control version (if it also has the front wheel?) is that it takes up a good deal more space than a regular manual wheelchair. It wouldn’t be practical to use indoors. Using even a compact wheelchair in some public spaces is a hassle because of space. I’ve had store aisles where I could not wheel myself down the aisle because even with an 18 in wheelchair, it was too narrow an aisle for me to place my hands on the push rims of the chair and not get them scratched up or just not fit period. Even being pushed, we couldn’t get my wheelchair through an aisle…despite the laws in the US that require at least a 36 in clearance in an aisle. Aside from that, it is a great idea. And even if it is not appropriate for indoor use, that doesn’t make it a bad idea. Different types of wheelchairs for different environments are excellent to have so that users have a choice in what works best for them in a certain situation.

i always wonder why dudes like terbreugghen bother posting their bad vibes lessons in “i-know-better-than-all-of-you-bunch-of-morons” BEFORE even reading what is it about?
u are the joke.

obviously several of you didn’t read the paragraph that went along with the article. Theres a version that is also steered only with the arms, hence a wheelchair.

Surely this is some kind of bike and not a ‘wheelchair’?

Yes, my immediate thought too. A wheelchair is usually used by people who cannot use their legs. The prototype is steered by legs. Ludicrous. Furthermore, current wheel chairs are both propelled and steered with arm movements. This design takes the steering function away from the arms, making steering by arm movement impossible. Is this a joke?

how can you steer and give direction if your legs are paralize?

I’m not sure I understand how does it work.