It’s often a love-hate relationship when it comes to your chair—and that’s totally okay—but this Valentine’s Day we’re going to focus on the love. We asked our SCI BC Peers to share some of the things they cherish about their wheelchair…and from cool colours to FreeWheel attachments there was a whole lotta love. Here are the top 11!
1. Dancing
I have an Elevation chair, designed by local peer Jaime Borisoff and now produced by PDG Mobility. It gives me an extra 8” of reach by lifting the seat with a convenient little lever underneath, and gives me a lot more positioning options.
On my honeymoon I discovered a hidden benefit – it’s absolutely WICKED for dancing. The gas springs that raise the seat also add really great suspension, giving the seat the perfect amount of bounce for dancing to a beat in a way that I couldn’t with previous chairs. This chair is lacking in customization and not the prettiest model out there, but I love the unobtrusive functionality it gives me.
2. Reliable
My chair is reliable, suits my needs and doesn’t make me look like a dork. I’m thankful for that and I consider anything more to be a bonus, because there are many people who don’t have all of those three advantages.
“If Humphrey Bogart was a wheelchair user, his famous movie line might have been, “of all the wheelchairs, in all the world, this one rolls into my life.”
3. Lightweight
I have a TiLite ZR, it’s lightweight, stylish and looks great.
4. Everyday Mobility
Although I can’t say I have a love affair with my chair, I do love it’s modern manufacturing methods, design and materials that facilitate everyday mobility.
5. Never Having to “Stand” in Line
I love never having to “stand” in line, I get to bypass long airport lines, I can use it as an excuse for not attending certain functions, and finally, people hold doors open for me all the time and they usually have a smile on their face when they do it.
6. Push Handles and FreeWheel Attachment
If Humphrey Bogart was a wheelchair user, his famous movie line might have been, “of all the wheelchairs, in all the world, this one rolls into my life.” Like most relationships it’s love and hate. I have had several wheelchairs over the years and this one is the one I’m the most comfortable in—so maybe this as close to loving a wheelchair as I get.
For the first time I have push handles on this wheelchair. My wife likes that when she needs to give me a boost up a curb, and if it makes my wife happy, it’s a little closer to love. I have a FreeWheel attachment that I love—however, we always look for greener grass and I am jealous of people who have the motorized version.
7. Cupholders
I think I like my cup holders best for now, but soon to be my new power trike attachment that I’m building!
8. Comfort
I have a TiLite ZRA with office chair-type armrests. My chair is put together for comfort, and it certainly is that. I like it and I’m not really concerned how it looks to others. I recently got a FreeWheel and that is a pretty slick attachment that I use very often, great for booting around town.
9. Colour
I love the fact that both my chairs are my absolutely favourite colour—Royal Purple!
10. All-Terrain
I have a Basic Quickie 2 folding, black, 7” front casters. It’s great for a mix of terrains and all surfaces—from grass, and gravel to pavement.
11. It Gets Me Places
Need I say more?
