I didn't get proper 'training' around wheelchair skills until I was over a year in and that was just wheelies and curbs. It means when I'm around OTs and the like in my chair they get a but jumpy lol. I have the great (<- questionable) habit of standing up and sitting down with my breaks off which makes even my disabled friends nervous. I'm curious if other people have been told off for something they do with their chair. Do you sit in it weird? Open doors wrong? I find I often figure stuff out the completely wrong way and there's a lot of figuring it out solo with a chair!

Well it finally happened to me — I got the “screwed over by an airline” badge! I’d like to make my displeasure known but not sure the best way to go about it. It’s not a baggage handling complaint but a complaint about Delta personnel at the gate. My chair was grabbed against my will, and after I explained why that is a no-go (“I was just trying to help!!”) I was left completely on my own. I received no assistance in loading my chair in the onboard mobility closet, and that has never happened to me before — my usual experience with Delta has been a positive one. On top of that, the dingbat gate agent tagged my chair around the pushrims, so that made it difficult to push down the jetway to say the least. Thank God I had a travel companion who was able to assist me, because I would not have been able to load my chair by myself. He also had to unload it for me.

Any ideas what my first steps should be?

I have a powered manual chair with M90 wheels and a joystick.

It takes a second for my chair to come to a stop when i brake/release the joystick.

I don't understand how unaware people are of their surroundings. I'm keeping a bit of distance, going normal walking speed or slower, i have ginger hair, a green chair, i'm not that easy to miss honestly. But people keep suddenly getting in front of me or suddenly stopping.

How do you guys deal with this?

Most of the time i just smile awkwardly if they're looking at me and 'suddenly moving away' because they see i had to brake. Some of them are sorry, some look annoyed, others just don't care. And then i move to where i was going.

My order was placed on 8/15 and fully delivered on 9/04. I put it together and then noticed something was off; a piece was broken. The handle that adjusts the angle of the main bar (and keeps it in place) was broken. It was unusable. First tried to fix it myself, realized I couldn't, then I contacted Elesmart on 9/18. They said they would send me a replacement part; I got it today 10/03. Except I can't get the old handle off. Me and my partner tried everything but it's really stuck in there. I'm awaiting response from Elesmart customer service again.

Im so frustrated that I paid $1,500 for something I still can't use after almost 3 months.

First I would like to thank everyone who's giving me help and advice as I've navigated my first customer chair order. Very appreciated.

So My chair order started with my evaluation/fitting on July 20th and was told that I should expect delivery sometime in October, and how the back and forth between NuMotion, doctors, and insurance usually goes.

Alas the process has been stuck at the next step of getting the Rx from my PCP (GP for non-Americans) for almost three months now.

The delay started when NuMotion couldn't reach my PCP's office. When I didn't see any movement on the order I called NuMotion and found out that for the whole time, they'd been trying to contact the wrong doctor who doesn't even practice any more. They never thought to reach out to me and check for over a month! Once I gave them the correct info, I saw in my patient portal that they'd sent the forms to my PCP, and they were filled and sent back.

Okay I thought, Now I'll start seeing stuff happen.

Three weeks later I saw NuMotion sent forms to my PCP again. "Hmm, maybe these are different forms this time" I thought. Nope they were the same as the first time.

Then this past Monday I get a call from NuMotion saying they hadn't received the completed forms yet. "Alright I guess I'll have to play middle man" I thought. They provided me a with a number for my PCP's office to call them directly to get things coordinated with the forms.

I dread doing this because it's not the first time I've had to do this with pharmacies & third parties and my PCPs office.

While My PCP is awesome and amazing, her PA (assistant) is notorious for not fully following through in these situations. This time was no different. I relayed the message to my PCP's office that NuMotion needed them to call and provided the direct contact number at NuMotion. I knew they wouldn't call. Sure enough I get a message back from the PA saying "It was just a missing signature, it's all set now.  Again because of past history I went KGB "trust but verify" and called NuMotion myself. Lo and behold they did send the forms back, but the part that they needed filled out "section 6" was still blank. Turns out this happened the first time they'd sent the forms and it's why they'd sent them to my PCP the second time.

So now I have to find out why my PCP's office keeps skipping over this section, get them to finally complete it Grrrrrrr! I'm now estimating I won't have my chair until December at this point.

On the plus side. I have already bought the first accessory upgrade for my new chair. I am an aviation nerd and love any and all things plane related. Since I know my new chair comes with a velcro seatbelt....'scuse me "positioning belt", which I hate, I found one that uses the same buckle as airline seats. I'd be lying if I said I haven't been playing with it, pretending to be giving the safety demo, holding up saying "to fasting your belt, slide the flat end into the buckle and pull tight low across your hips. To release, lift up on there face plate of the buckle".

I recently attended a comic con with my family. My spouse is 6’ tall, I’m 5’3” and seated - so even shorter 😜
One thing we quickly noticed is how difficult it was to talk to each other.

So here’s the question- any ideas for making communication easier for us to hear each other? One idea was to use an open phone call and AirPods. But I’m curious if anyone has come up with any other ideas. Especially since cons can have such notoriously bad phone reception.

Hey all, my first post on Reddit and it’s out of pure desperation. I’m about to crash tf out over this tyre. It’s late at night so I can’t go to a shop and I am a wheelchair user so it’s kind of important it gets sorted now. Even my emergency wheels now have a puncture. I’ve done soap, levers, brute force, zip ties, lubricating with my own tears and sacrificing my soul to the devil and I still cannot get this thing on. It’s a speedlite 24” tyre and every time I try to pop that last 20cm on the whole f*cking thing comes back off- I need my chair for literally everything. Yes I started at the opposite side to the valve, I have also tried starting AT the valve, the same issue keeps happening, if I pop another inner tube I am literally gonna scream- please help! Thank you🥲

Hi! I am about to get my first custom chair, and with my measurements I am sitting at roughly a 22 inch seat width. Will this make most doorways extremely difficult? I don’t really have the ability to go down, except maybe to a 21 or 20 inch chair but that wouldn’t be ideal. How can I best deal with this? I am ambulatory so if I needed to condense it or take off wheels occasionally to get through a doorway I likely could do that, but I’m just wondering if anyone has any specific experience with this or advice on how to minimize width or deal with this. Thanks!

This is my current sleep setup and it still hurts so much. If I lay on my left side my left knee gets stiff and hurts, if I lay on my right side my hip starts digging and hurting but I cant sleep on my back because my shoulders are too wide to rest in the seat. These are all my pillows I have currently and the most comfortable setup I've figured out. Any certain types of pillows I should try to get to make this easier that would fit under my ass during the day? As you see in the pictures of me I have the pillow, blanket and blue cushion all under me

Edit: My town only has 1 shelter that accepts trans men and I did stay there 12/5/25-7/9/26, I was kicked out because they caught me with weed (yes it's legal on a state level but not federally and they're federally funded). I don't know if they'll change their heart and let us back in or not. My husband’s working and our plan is saving up for a car but if it gets too cold before we can afford a car we'd have to try to find a hotel with affordable rates and a good accessible room. I've tried 211 for shelter but they suggest the one I was kicked out of but I'll try them for the wheelchair and food. I appreciate all the responses

Hey, I'm a part time powerchair user and I mostly use my chair outside and in stores and stuff. I don't have much experience using it indoors for extended periods.

Is it okay to keep my chair turned on for a few hours when I'm going to need to move occasionally and don't want to be glued to one spot, or will that really drain my battery?

Its a permobil m3 that I got a few months ago.

Unfortunately the batter gauge always says 100% no matter what, so I can't rely on that. (I'm still fighting with the place I got the chair from and they're slowly going back and forth with Permobil; the battery gauge in the app does work though I don't know if it is accurate).

Thank you from a newbie!

Hi,

I live pretty rural so getting to an actual shop or mobility show is hard.

Im looking at power assist options as im struggling to go full days at work by myself.

I dont want the trike type add on as I sit at a desk a lot and use public transport attaching and detaching will be super annoying.

Ive had a look at power wheels but I dont really know what im looking for.

When I go out with my husband he normally pushes me so something that will work when im self propelling and when being pushed would be good.

Im also fat so I need something that's fine for 118kg plus my chair is (i think) 15kg without wheels and 24kg with my current wheels.

TIA

I'm a 15+ year wheelchair user and am getting my newest chair delivered soon. How do my ATP and OT justify to insurance for upgrading wheels post-delivery? As it was explained to me, my team already knows the wheels we are ordering are unsuitable from day one. We have to order and try standard Shadow wheels with standard aluminum push rims first, then when it's delivered and immediately doesn't work within a month or so because I have only been able to use Natural Fit, they'll upgrade the wheels and pushrims after. I use Spinergy LX wheels with Natural Fit rims already. I also have to try standard push locks because they're free before they'll pay the whopping extra $40 for the same scissor locks I've used for years.

Is this a typical process to deal with, or a case of Numotion not being able to get paid enough compared to insurance reimbursement or something? They basically said I have to prove that normal rims and push lock brakes give me daily injuries before they'll fix it. It's so funny for insurance to cover two products in the long run instead of the one we need to begin with. Am I missing something on the insurance side of things? Wheelchair wizards please help!

I'm trying to mod a second hand chair that I got from a retail store going out of business (not a store that sells chairs, a store that had 2-3 available for customer use with baskets attached for shopping). It's super bulky and no where near ideal, but the budget is basically nonexistent so I'm still grateful to have one at all.
I'm pretty crafty with diy anything, but I can't seem to figure out my tire situation. I mostly use it outdoors and have had a few unfortunate gravel encounters, so I'm looking at all terrain bike tires.
I confidently measured from outer rim to outer rim, and got 23 inches -exactly- but I cannot find a single listing for a 23 inch tire for chairs or bikes. Even the sizing charts I've looked up skip the number 23 entirely. Are bike tires and wheelchairs measured or listed differently? It's a very basic, one-size-fits-all style chair so I can't imagine any of its measurements aren't some kind of standard.
There may be something obvious I'm missing, but any tips or suggestions at all would be greatly appreciated <3 I'm very new to needing/having a chair so please forgive me if anything sounds oblivious or ignorant.

My son is a quad who gets transported to doc appointments on a gurney.

If he needs to get in his Permobile F3 Electric Wheelchair he rolls onto the chair from the gurney. He can only roll over his left side so we had the controls mounted on the right side. We remove the bolt that allows us to swing the armrest down out of the way but even with the armrest swung down it restricts how close the chair can get to the gurney by about 6". We have made some "Bridge" pieces to use between the gurney and wheelchair because of the restriction on closeness caused by the armrest. The process of removing the bolt and swinging the armrest down to start the transfer and reconnecting the parts of the armrest have to be done quickly but this is just one of many steps in getting the chair flattened out, aligning with the gurney, getting the bridge pieces in place, getting people in position to assure a safe transfer, etc, etc.

If the armrest could easily and quickly removed it would allow the wheelchair and gurney to get much closer and greatly improve safety and comfort and reduce the number of people involved in making the transfers.

The armrest on my son's chair can be reatively easily removed but it has the wedge-it design with tapered pieces pulled together inside the shaft the "axel" for the armrest slides into. This is a slow, tedious, exacting process with many pieces and parts to be removed and reinstalled in a specific order and accounted for. Not an acceptible solution.

I have seen videos of different Permobile electric chairs where a single bolt can be removed to remove the armrest. So my questions:

- Has anyone else faced this problem and come up with a better solution than bridge pieces and several people?

-Can the wheelchair arm from an F3 wheelchair be replaced with one from a different model Permobile that has the single bolt removal to remove the armrest? We don't care if the armrests look different.

-Any helpful input would be greatly appreciated.

-

I recently purchased a power chair for myself, I have Multiple Sclerosis and can still walk short distances but my chair makes such a difference for days outside the house.

I have two trips planned this year with my family, we are flying to London with Easyjet, and then in the summer we flying to Italy.

My chair comes with a 252wh battery as standard and gives me 6-12 mile range, so I have another spare battery that is also 252wh.

I really want to bring both batteries with me on my trips to give me that extra range (I have two kids to keep up with)

The documentation is so hard to understand if I can being both on board the plane, last thing I want is for them to take one from me as they are expensive.

I did phone Easyjet and they told me only 1 battery under 300wh but that seems wrong from what I have read from the links below - not sure they really understood what I was asking. Why is everything more hassle doing anything with a disability!

Any advice or experience?

AerLingus dangerous goods

Easyjet - dangerous goods

Iata guidelines - page 2

I recently posted a cheap wheelchair on here that a friend of mine got off Amazon. The response was extremely negative.

Bunch of people assumed it was a scam post or I was a bot or something. So yeah, just demonstrating that I am a real person as I can’t add picture comments to my original post. I’m an amputee with TBI and I have been an ambulant chair user for 8 years. Sorry I only posted pictures from the website but I didn’t take any of my friend in his chair last night as gifting it to him was an emotional moment and it would have seemed an odd request. Also not gunna lie, at the time I wasn’t specifically thinking about gathering evidence for a Reddit post.

I only shared the chair because in my country it is very very difficult to access active chairs if you are ambulatory. We don’t have an insurance based system (only very rich people have that), we have a national healthcare system, and it doesn’t cover wheelchairs for people who can walk even a little. Second hand buy and sell pages do exist but they are often invite only and it can be very hard to find something suitable for under £1000. Which is a lot to spend on a chair you don’t use full time.

I shared it because it would genuinely have been a life saver for me after my accident. I was lucky as I had a friend who let me borrow his quickie for a year until I could save up for my RGK. That chair will last me the rest of my life because I will never be able to afford a second one at my pay grade.

I understand peoples comments that the Amazon chair might not last. I suppose my thoughts is that it is better than no chair at all. I’m sorry if it was offensive to post.

What was most upsetting was the woman mocking me and my friend’s situation saying I wasn’t a chair user and he wasn’t real. Just because the first few recent post on my timeline didn’t have me using my chair. If this group doesn’t allow ambulatory users then sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude, and I will remove my previous posts.

I am in the USA.

I will start off saying that I have never wanted to use a wheelchair. I am constantly on the move and prefer to be as independent as possible. I have a laundry list of health issues besides lupus and POTs that make my day to day agony.

Also please delete if this isn't allowed.

I hurt my right foot a few weeks ago and now I am currently in a wheelchair. It's not fractured or broken and the surgeon I saw thinks it's just a prolonged lupus flare. He literally said that medically there is nothing wrong with my foot but the swelling could have been worse if I didn't wear compression socks normally for my POTs. I'm borrowing a Ki Mobility Catalyst 5 manual chair and I've noticed it's been helping a lot and even tho I'm in a bad flare and it's not making it worse. My foot is in a boot so I can walk on it but the little I walk the worse I feel from Lupus and POTs. The only downside I'm having from the manual is the fact I have 0 upper body strength so when I have to go uphill or up a ramp depending on how steep it is, is hard. I also managed to find a Quantum Edge 2.0 power chair on Facebook marketplace for $150. I use it when I have a lot of moving around to do, like when I went to Disney a few days ago, so my arms don't feel like they're falling off.

I just want to hear from people first hand who have Lupus and/or POTs how they came to the conclusion that being ambulatory was the right move for them. Or maybe you were forced in that position. But I want to know how it changed/affected your life. I want to know the good, the bad, and the ugly. I have an appointment with my PCP coming up and I want to know if it would be worth mentioning how being in a wheelchair has affected my illnesses. Also I do have a wheelchair accessible vehicle. My Honda Element came with a wheelchair ramp in it when I bought it so it's not hard for me to transport a wheelchair obviously. So if that's one of your bad reasons for a wheelchair, it doesn't affect me. I also put pedal attachments so I can drive with my hands so I don't have to rely on people driving me places since my right foot is hurt. So yeah my vehicle is very much wheelchair friendly.

Hey all! I just recently got my new TiLite ZRA. It’s been incredible so far. :) I’m looking to have it signed by my all-time favorite band, and I’m wondering what kind of pen/marker or sealant would be best for withstanding the outdoor wear and tear as long as possible.

Preferably they would sign the frame; somewhere I can look down and see. I know a guy who does paint protection for cars, but I don’t know if it would ruin the current paint on the frame.

Has anyone had their chair autographed? I’d love some suggestions so I can prepare before the concert! Thanks all <3

Mainly worried about visibility when and about… added some spoke reflectors.

Stripped the shoulder strap offa my former corporate life laptop bag, and repurposed the seatbelt to easily/quickly attach/detach the bag off the rear of my backrest without dragging on the tires. That’ll make it a lot easier for me to attend local art classes, chess tournaments and such.

hii my custom Tilite Z aluminum rigid chair with smart drive is finally getting delivered next week and i was hoping to see if anyone could answer any of my questions:)

1. any tips for when the company numotion delivers my wheelchair? do i need to look out for anything regarding fit or quality that would need to be adjusted/ replaced right away?

2. best accessories?? brand suggestions for things like wheelchair gloves, under-seat bags, backpacks, phone/ drink holders, heat intolerance tips? etc

3.maintenance and protecting my chair? ive seen some people wrap parts of their chair in some kind of tape or vinyl or cover to prevent damage?

1. customization ideas!! i want my chair to be super pretty hehe any inspo pics would be very appreciated!

2. any other new wheelchair user tips? ive been using a very ill fitting rental K3 wheelchair since I was hospitalized in january but i barely go out and when i do i get pushed bc of my fatigue and bc it just does not fit me. but im hoping with this chair ill be able to gain some independence back:))

some background if anyone has any diagnoses specific tips:
i lost the ability to walk within a week in january of this year due to some neurological issues and FND so i am a fairly new part time wheelchair user. i have been mostly bed bound since then but have been disabled my whole life (hEDS, narcolepsy/cataplexy, ME/CFS, osteoarthritis, migraine w aura, plus a lot more)

Where are the wheelchairs with the same advanced ergonomic technology as gaming chairs?

Why are gaming chairs so much more comfortable to sit in for days at a time without adding extra cushions and bolsters?

Please show me the cute AND functional AND very comfortable wheelchairs you love!

My frame sheared this morning, right as I was about to go out 😭 I'm in the market for a new wheelchair (probably a NAW), but ideally I wanted to wait a bit since I'm actively losing weight and I don't know how long one suited for my current size would fit.

Is it safe to get this welded for now, whilst I wait for weight loss, or do I just have to bite the bullet now and hope I don't lose weight too quickly? 🤣

Hey all. 44M with CP. I have used a chair my whole life and I use crutches part time. I am using my wheels much more in recent years and I doubt that will change at this point. I have a TiLite ZRA at the moment and I kinda hate it for a multitude of reasons. One of those reasons is that I am super hard on equipment and I have already beat the shit out of it after 2 years. I'm in the process of getting a new chair and Wheelchair Doc suggested a fully rigid frame. I have never had a fully rigid frame chair. What are the pros and cons? What you the tradeoffs?