Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeOpinionWheelchair come handy

Wheelchair come handy

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wheelchairA wheelchair is a chair with wheels, used when walking is difficult or impossible due to illness, injury, or disability. Wheelchairs come in a wide variety of formats to meet the specific needs of their users. They may include specialised seating adaptions, individualised controls, and may be specific to particular activities, as seen with sports wheelchairs and beach wheelchairs. The most widely recognised distinction is between powered wheelchairs, where propulsion is provided by batteries and electric motors, and manually propelled wheelchairs, where the propulsive force is provided either by the wheelchair user or by an attendant pushing from the rear.

There are a wide variety of types of wheelchair, differing by propulsion method, mechanisms of control, and the technology used. Some wheelchairs are designed for general everyday use, others for single activities, or to address specific access needs. Innovation within the wheelchair industry is relatively common, but many innovations ultimately fall by the wayside, either from over-specialisation, or from failing to come to market at an accessible price point.

Though the wheelchair is one of the most commonly used assisting devices for enhancing personal mobility, yet, thousands of Indians remain bed-ridden, rely on family members to carry them around or turn to unsafe and uncomfortable home-made alternatives. We believe that a wheelchair is a basic human right.

Inspired by a love for our country and its people, many foundations like Lion’s Club, Rotary Club and NGOs allows passionate Indians to uplift the lives of less fortunate people in our communities. Their mission is to provide wheelchairs to those who need them most to give them independence and be an invaluable member of their community.

Together with the support of corporates, schools and volunteer, they  provide wheelchairs to those in need through the total involvement initiative where plastic bottle tops and bread tags are recycled in exchange for wheelchairs. Generous donations maximise the impact and allow children to receive customised wheelchairs.

For frail or disabled seniors, wheelchair ramps are essential to maintaining their independence and ability to live at home. Seniors who use a wheelchair or electric scooter benefit from the ability to get more of their activities of daily living completed with less assistance. Wheelchair bound seniors with easy access to a handicap ramp is likely to interact more socially, access social services more, and generally age in place more easily. Ramps also serve an important function in emergencies and medical staffs need them to enter and exit the senior’s home. Housing societies in an around the metro cities provide ramp at the entrance of each building to facilitate easy access for the physically handicapped persons in a better way.

Apart from crutches and walkers, wheelchairs provide the handicapped person to move out with freedom and allow some of them to participate in wheelchair sporting events and succeed in life by winning cups and medals.  Some of them dare to participate in wheelchair tennis tournaments and win laurels for their country despite being handicapped.

Stephen Hawking, the great scientist, lived a full life despite being subjected to a wheelchair most of the time in his life. Stephen Hawking was a great genius of our times. He was an enigma confounded in a feeble frame worn out by motor neurone disease. Affected early in life, he defied all medical predictions to live up to the age of 76. Despite all odds, he lived a full life with all the potential he was endowed with.

It is quite imperative that the disabled persons need assistance to survive in their life. Even buses and railway compartments come handy for physically handicapped persons during a travel.  Even the toilets are user friendly for the handicapped persons to attend the nature’s call with a comfort. Why is there no free assistance be given to the person who needs a wheelchair? What is the purpose of having a wheelchair? If someone is travelling alone, how will they use wheelchair unless you provide them a motorised wheelchair?

If users are able to operate a smartphone, they will be relieved from the continuous use of traditional joystick to steer the wheelchair. With a simple touch on the map displayed on the mobile screen, the wheelchair takes them to the destination. They can have complete control over the wheelchair without anyone’s help. Wheelchairs come handy and bring out the best in the work ethics of the handicapped and physically challenged persons.  The wheelchair movement should take its final shape and help out a noble cause in the best way possible.


(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
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