Part 3 of Paul’s Story…
In the 1980’s, the Everest & Jennings folding manual wheelchair was the standard issue for virtually every patient, male or female. The only variation was the seat width, which was available in 2-inch increments. As a result, many people ended up with a wheelchair that was either slightly too wide or uncomfortably narrow.
Everything else was identical. The seat depth, backrest height, canvas upholstery, armrests, footplates and centre of gravity were all fixed. There was no consideration of an individual’s body shape, lifestyle or mobility needs.
My wheelchair weighed around 50 pounds (approximately 23 kg), making it heavy, cumbersome and difficult to propel compared with the lightweight, adjustable wheelchairs available today.
For many years, this was the type of wheelchair I used. In fact, I received a replacement almost every year because the chrome-plated steel frame would eventually crack under everyday use. Although these wheelchairs were built to last, they were extremely heavy and not designed with long-term active users in mind.
It wasn’t until I received financial support through a grant that I was finally able to purchase a Quickie GP rigid-frame wheelchair in bright neon yellow – very much the fashionable colour at the time.
Read Part 4 of Paul’s Story here.
