When I am out of the house I use a wheelchair most of the time. This has just been my personal preference. Recently I have been thinking that a scooter might be easier and better for me though.

These are the things I have been looking at:

My situation:

• I can stand a little.
• I can’t walk far without assistance.
• I like to get out and about everyday.
• I am very independent (some would say stubborn) and like as little help as possible.
• Using my wheelchair tires me out, so I can’t always go where I want to go, or need to go.

What I am looking for:

• Something light and small that can be put in the car. I can’t drive anymore but friends and family can, and I want to go where they go.
• Something I can use in all weathers.
• Something that can move about easily. I like going to the shops and wheeling around town.
• Something that goes further than 10 miles in a day. I don’t go this far in my wheelchair, but if I am going to use a mobility scooter I want to get the maximum use out of it.
• Something that looks good. I don’t want something old fashioned. I like to think I am a young man. Mobility scooters might not be trendy, but I don’t want to look silly using one either.

My conclusions:

I am going to have to use 2 scooters in order to fit my needs.

Scooter No1

• A 4 wheel scooter that can travel 8mph. These can go on the road as well as the pavement. Some more heavy duty ones can also go off-road. Generally they can travel further distances than other scooters. They are quite large and can’t be folded up to transport them, but I will be able to go as far as I want to and go everywhere I need to go. I’ll use it for travelling into town, driving around and visiting friends and family.

Scooter No2

• A really  portable, travel, lightweight mobility scooter. This will be one of the many 3 wheel mobility scooters which can be packed into the car. I can use it on holiday and when I away from home. I can use it for shorter journeys and when I go to the supermarket, or shopping.

In all honesty I will probably just use/buy the bigger heavyduty mobility scooter and use my wheelchair at other times. This will solve many problems. I will be able to choose which ‘vehicle’ is the best for each journey. Sometimes it will be the scooter other times the wheelchair. I am happy with this situation, and am glad that I researched into mobility scooters and am going to take the plunge. I am hoping it will make a big difference to me.

Author: Jason