When you see someone using a wheelchair or scooter – do you ever see past their wheels to stop and think why they need help with their mobility?

I was one of those people who saw someone in a wheelchair and thought they had always used it and used it all the time.

When I started to use a wheelchair myself, I did so because I couldn’t walk far or stand for long. Using a wheelchair made life so much easier. It meant I could get out of the house and do things like everyone else. One day I was in a clothes shop and stood up to reach something I wanted to look at. As I stepped out of my wheelchair, there was a woman next to me whose face said it all. She thought I was a fraud, and how dare I use a wheelchair if I could stand up!

This made me think. People who use mobility aids do so for so many reasons.

• Getting older
• Sporting injury
• Accident
• Medical condition or disability

And mobility problems can be from birth, is a degenerative condition, or can become a problem at anytime in someone’s life.

No one wants help with doing everyday things. Sometimes though, using a simple aid can make a huge difference. Whether it is a bathing aid, kitchen aid or walking aid, if it helps you get more out of life, gives you more confidence and helps you to be safer – then it has to be a good thing.

I heard a woman commenting about a mobility scooter user. She was saying that they were just being lazy. They could walk “fine”. She didn’t stop and think about why they were using a mobility scooter. I don’t know what the reason was either, but just because you can walk it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t use mobility equipment. Without using a scooter that person may have had to stay in the house that day. No one should be prevented from getting the most out of their life by disability or age.

As a young person I was reluctant to use mobility aids and equipment. I was wrong and am so glad I changed my view. Sometimes disability is not visible, so people don’t offer to help you. I found that in this situation a walking stick not only helped me to get about, but it was also a sign to everyone else that I was unsteady on my feet. Before I used my walking stick I just looked drunk when I walked. When I used my stick I had so much more confidence as I no longer looked drunk, I looked like I had problems walking. Passers by were not judging me anymore. My disability was visible.

It’s bad enough that I need to use mobility aids – but why do they so often have to look so ugly?

I am young (I’m in my 30’s) and I need help in the house. I have done for 3 years, and about 2 years ago I decided it was high time to stop struggling and do something about it.

I had two choices.

I could get a carer to come in and do loads and loads of things for me. This was not practical – the cost would be huge and my dignity, self respect and independence would have gone out of the window.

I could get some mobility aids to help me do the things that I  needed to do, but had difficulty doing on my own.

Really, I had no choice. I had to get some mobility aids. However, when I looked through magazines and the internet for equipment I needed – I was depressed and shocked. I didn’t want to live with such ugly equipment around me. Just because I have a disability doesn’t mean I don’t have taste.

Everything seemed to be so basic, have absolutely no design qualities and often was made out of ugly grey plastic. OK, they probably did the job. You could argue that mobility aids don’t need to look good they heed to help people get more out of their lives. I wasn’t satisfied with that though. I wanted choice. So many choices had been taken away from me. I wanted control over how my house looked. I didn’t want my Fiancée living amongst such awful aids either. Just looking at some equipment made me feel very old and disabled. No one should be made to feel like that by a piece of plastic. It’s so unnecessary.

My advice is shop around for mobility aids. Sometimes you can be pleasantly surprised. Chrome seems to be cropping up more and more. Manufacturers seem to be taking more care in how items look, not just what they do. I read that 1 in 3 people in the UK are disabled or are close to somebody who has a disability. [Source: Office of National Statistics Census 2001] And that the 10 million disabled people who live in the UK have a combined annual spending power of over £80 billion. [Source: DWP 2004] No longer do we have to make do with aids that other people say we have to use. We have the power to say no, and that we want better.

Some people will just need 1 or 2 mobility aids to make a big difference in their life. Others need so much more. Sometimes social services will help, sometimes not. My advice is always shop around for what is best for you and what you are happy using.

It sounds so simple. It is basically a small piece of strong plastic about 3 inches high. It is wedge shape and goes down to nothing at one side. It is just under 3 feet wide, The same width as a door and it has made a huge difference in my life.

What am I talking about?

A threshold ramp.

Before I got one, getting out of the house was a huge hurdle. The lip on the door was only 3 inches high, but it could have been 1 inch or 17 inches – any lip stopped me from getting out of the door in my wheelchair. Even a matchstick on the floor feels like a tree stump when I roll over it. I had no chance with the door. I would come to a grinding halt. Well, that is not exactly true – I would come to a split second stop.

The threshold ramp solves my problems in getting out of the house.

• It is not too steep to be able to get up it on my own.
• It is extremely light and portable (made of fibreglass) so it can go in the car in case it is needed to help me when I am out.
• It is bright yellow – so I always know if it in position or not.
• It has raised bumps on it – so there is no slipping even if my wheels are wet or muddy.
• It is strong enough to feel secure going up and down it everyday.

If you are need to get somewhere that hasn’t installed a disabled access ramp; then your own portable threshold ramp can often be the way to get in! I have used my ramp to get into friends houses more easily.

I never realised quite how useful my ramp would be.

More on ramps…

Height

• Threshold ramps come in different heights depending on the height of the threshold lip and the width of the doorway.

Weight

• Threshold ramps are able to carry different weights.
• Some are suitable for manual wheelchairs, others electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters.

Folding threshold ramps.

• These go up one side of the door, over the threshold then down the other side. This is great for getting from one room to another where there is a door with a lip in the way. My conservatory is like this. Now I can get to all the rooms in my house, which gives me the freedom I want and need.

You can get ramps that help you to get into vehicles, with your wheelchair or scooter.

Ramps can be fixed and permanent, or lightweight and portable. Depending on the location and use.

Have a look at our article  Information on choosing a ramp for more about ramps.

A year ago my world turned upside down. My husband had a stroke and was hospitalized for months. Every day I visited him in hospital. He wasn’t the man I married. Even though I knew him so well, I couldn’t understand what he was saying. He couldn’t walk, eat by himself, or dress himself. It was so demoralising for him, I could see it in his face. I could barely watch him.

I never thought that he would make the recovery that he has. Intensive physiotherapy has helped so much. Everyday it looked like he was being tortured, but in reality the wonderful staff were helping him regain his life back.

Today, he has been home for a couple of months. He can walk a little. I can understand what he is trying to tell me. He still has huge problems, but he is so much better than I thought he could ever be.

I am glad it is getting warmer. I bought him a mobility scooter, which he loves. He tends to just go to the park, which is only about a mile away. He sits and watches the world go by. He says he prefers it to his electric wheelchair. He says he feels safer and more in control. He says he feels more like it is a vehicle that he is riding and not an extension of him, which is what the wheelchair made him feel like. I go with him sometimes, and can easily walk beside him. I would get on my bicycle and go with him but to be honest there is a hill on the way to the park. It’s easy in his scooter, but I don’t fancy cycling up it!

Things at home are not easy. He has a carer that comes in to help twice a day. She helps him get washed, dressed and up for the day. Our house now has more mobility aids than I care to count. All of them help him do the everyday things that he and I used to just take for granted. From beakers with lids to drink out of, and cutlery that is specially designed to help him not to drop and actually eat his food. We have a bath lift for the bath and he relies on the grab rail on our bed for help getting in and out. His tablet dispenser is simple but it helps him take his own medication instead of me always having to remember what pill to take when.

All in all life is totally and completely different to a year ago. Our priorities have changed. Now we live for every precious moment. My only worry now is that he doesn’t use his scooter to go to the pub to watch the World Cup!

This article is written by a carer and is a lesson for us all.

When you suffer from an illness or condition, be it Parkinsons, arthritis, MS, a stroke – to name but a few, or you are just getting older and less able, it is everyone around you that has to make adjustments in their life as well.

A partner’s role changes, so does that of a parent, sibling, or child. Sometimes the carer gets forgotten amongst all the things that are happening to their loved one. Your husband or wife may find they are doing more and more for you, likewise anyone else whom you live with. Children can be confused or frightened at what is happening to their mum or dad. Just as life has changed for you, everyone around you is making adjustments and changes too.

Remember disability does not just affect you but everybody around you that loves and cares for you.

Sometimes you can make things easier for your carer, and in turn help yourself too.

Think about how life has changed for your carer. They probably just do things without ever thinking about it. They love you so they just get on with it.
But are they?

• Taking you to more visits to the doctor, physio or hospital?
• Helping you more with your personal care
• Spending more time lifting and fetching things for you?

If they are, there is no need at all for you to feel guilty about this. They love you and would do anything to help you,  just as you would if the tables were turned. My husband needs much more help than he did 5 years ago, much of my time is spent helping him get the quality of life he deserves, and I don’t mind at all. He does as much for himself as he can, which helps him mentally, as it helps me physically.

There are things you can do to make their lives as easy as possible though.

There are some things that become impossible, or just too difficult or painful. Other things can be achieved with a little helping hand. Have a look at our mobility aids, they can take some pressure off your carer and help you keep as much of your independence as possible.

• If you can’t reach the floor, a grabber can mean you can get something you have dropped yourself.
• If you can’t get into the bath on your own, a bath seat might mean your carer is not lifting you as much,
  so placing less strain on their back.
• If you want to visit the doctor and not ask someone else to drive you, a mobility scooter might solve your problems.

The more you do the more in control of your illness or disability you become.

I have had MS for 8 years now. Looking back I was very scared when I first got diagnosed. I didn’t really know what would happen to me in the future, I felt like I couldn’t plan anything and started living day to day. Life changed forever.

My eyes saw double. My legs would stumble and I looked like I was drunk wherever I went. My hands didn’t do what I told them to do. I felt like I couldn’t cope with one more thing going wrong with my body.

Then I looked around me. Things could be a lot worse. I still had my friends and family. I saw people with MS that were in wheelchairs and using scooters. I saw this as a bad thing then. It was a sign that they had lost their mobility. I didn’t see that they were actually doing the best thing for them, and by using wheelchairs and scooters they were reversing what the MS was doing to them. They were mobile again.

My MS got slowly worse and my mobility really began to suffer. I was still one of the lucky ones; I just had to readjust to what my body was telling me. I needed to slow down and take stock of my life. I let go of preconceptions that I had about disability. I found that just by using simple mobility equipment helped me do the things that I used to take for granted.

Journeys to the shops were no longer a chore by using my mobility scooter.  My walking was made easier by using a walking stick.  Thanks to my bathboard I no longer dreaded getting in and out of the bath.

I use a wheelchair most of the time, but can walk a little and standing up is really good exercise for my legs and back. So I bought a standard walking frame. I thought this would help assist me walking and standing as both of these are very difficult to do without help.

My frame is:

• lightweight and weighsunder 3kg
• made from aluminium tubing
• Very rigid and strong

I have outlined below what I think are my walking frame’s good and bad points:

Good Points

Height adjustable

It is great that the frame’s height is adjustable. Having it at just the right height for me is so important. I don’t have to stoop, or stand in an unnatural position – I just changed the height of each leg in turn.

I am 5′ 10″ and use don’t use the frame on it’s maximum height. I think the frame would be suitable for people much shorter or taller than me. It’s height dimensions are 88-99 cms or 32-39 inches

No wheels
Some walking frames have wheels on 2 of the legs. I personally don’t like this. It probably makes it easier to push along, but they make me feel wobbly.

Sturdy
I like the sturdy and strong feel of my frame. Once standing up using it, I feel very safe and secure. It is quite wide (56cms/22.5inches) which I think helps it be very sturdy.

Hand grips
The hand grips are comfortable and in the right place. They are made of rubber, so do not get really cold to touch.

Rubber supports (ferrules) on the feet
These make it secure when using it on a laminate, tiled or vinyl floors.

Folds up
It folds up easily and I store it down the side of the wardrobe.

User weight
When I look at the specifications of the frame, it can be used by people up to 180 kg or 28 stone.

Bad Point

I have found only one bad point to do with my walking frame. It is difficult to walk with it as you have to lift the frame up and move it before each step. It makes you walk in a very stop/start manner. For me, it’s not a natural walking aid, due to having no wheels.

Overall
For me it is a really good frame for standing up with but not for walking with. I have tried and used many different kinds of mobilty equipment and I must say that my walking frame is one that I use everyday.

Transfer boards make it easier to get from one surface to another. The two items need to be of very similar height. Boards are generally used to get between two of the following:

• bed
• wheelchair
• chair
• toilet
• commode

The type of transfer board that is right for you will depend on your ability and what you need the board to help you with. Some can be used independently and with some you would need assistance, but all of them require some upper body strength.

How do they work?

• You sit on one end of the board, with the other end resting on the item you want to transfer to. You then slide across. Some have sliders, hand holes or are curved.

Slider transfer boards

• These boards have a disc that can slide from one end to the other. You sit on the disc and slide across. They make transferring frictionless. They are ideal if you have little strength to push yourself along the board.

Boards with hand holes

• Some transfer boards have hand holes cut into them. They are designed to give you an easier grip when using the board and for getting it into position.

Curved transfer boards

• These are also known as ‘banana boards’ due to their curved shape.
• Their shape means you can alter the angle which can help when transferring into a car or in a space limited place like a bathroom.

Commode transfer boards

• Commode transfer boards have a shape cut out of them at one end. This means you do not have to remove the board when you have used one to transfer to the toilet or commode.

Discs and turners

• Transfer discs are really useful for the car or when sitting on a chair. They mean you can swivel around with little effort. They help people with arthritis, or if you have leg or back problems.
• Generally, turners are a larger mobility aid. When seated you place your feet on the disc at the bottom. Then you stand up, holding on to the handles of the turner. Your carer can then turn you around safely, until you are in position to then sit down safely on the other surface.

Transfer boards often have non slip pads on the bottom to give you extra stability and peace of mind. They also wipe clean easily.