What Are The Categories of Wheelchairs | Know Different Categories of Wheelchairs

Wheelchairs have been used for a long time and it is divided into different categories of wheelchairs. All wheelchairs in this world come in these categories.

A wheelchair was basically divided into two-man categories, manual and electric wheelchairs but now it has been divided into more categories.

Getting to know the wheelchair categories is very important because it will not only help you to know the types of wheelchairs but also help you to get required and needed wheelchairs for yourself.

In this article, you will find some of the basic categories of wheelchairs. These wheelchair classifications are defined by their function and features. So, keep browsing the article to know everything about wheelchair categories.

Categories of Wheelchairs.

wheelchairs are divided into different categories which are then further divided into different types. The basic category of wheelchairs includes manual wheelchairs and power wheelchairs. All wheelchair comes in these two categories. There are also a few other categories that reach these categories.

Manual wheelchair:

The manual wheelchair is the main and oldest type of wheelchair out there. These Manual wheelchairs are powered by users’ hands. The use of a wheelchair is very easy and it can be propelled by the user himself but sometimes you can have a wheelchair caregiver.

In addition, a wheelchair caregiver is suitable and recommended for those people who don’t propel themselves like stroke patients.

The manual wheelchair is further divided into different types which can be used for different purposes. There are different types of manual wheelchairs, for example, lightweight wheelchairs are normally recommended for children. Some of them are heavy-weight wheelchairs made especially for heavyweight persons.

The manual wheelchair is the best option for people who want to operate their wheelchairs by themselves independently. But it also has some downsides like you can’t climb up and down the stairs on your own etc.

The manual wheelchair keeps your health on track because of your body movement. Just like they say that the longer you keep your body in movement the longer your body stays healthy.

Electric Wheelchair:

An Electric Wheelchair is also known as a Powered Wheelchair because it can be powered by batteries. In this category, you will find types of electric wheelchairs and their sizes. Some are for kids while some are recommended for elders.

A power wheelchair is basically made and recommended for those who can use means to propel their own wheelchair by themselves and they also don’t need to have a caregiver to push their wheelchair. All they need is to move the joystick around and the wheelchair will move accordingly.

The electric wheelchair can provide you with the basic wheelchair independence of mobility that you need and want. The electric wheelchair is available for different purposes and has different varieties to choose from.

Positioning Wheelchairs:

Positioning Wheelchairs are actually a combination of both manual and electric wheelchairs. The reason it’s called a positioning wheelchair is that it can change its position according to the users’ needs and requirements.

The positioning of the wheelchair starts from reclining to full standing. Some of the wheelchairs in this category are best for reclining and tiling because of their unique position mechanism.

The wheelchairs in this category have a different variety of positioning and that’s why this category is present in this list.

The positioning wheelchair is also recommended by a lot of physicians because it helps the patient to move their body in different positions like adjusting, reclining, and even moving with ease.

It’s also helped the user to improve better blood circulation and avoid conditions like pressure sores, ulcers, and some other wounds. Some of the position wheelchairs let the user stand which makes them unique from other wheelchairs.

Sports Wheelchairs:

Disability doesn’t stop you from living a happy life and also it doesn’t come in your way of playing sports. People with different mobility issues can play different sports with different types of wheelchairs.

They normally use a Manual wheelchair in most sports but they design it for that specific sport and you can’t use it in other sports. Like tennis has its own wheelchair and you can’t use it in racing.

Every sport has its own unique wheelchair which is designed and made from them. There are only a few sports that use electric wheelchairs like soccer and hockey. The sports wheelchair can also be used other than for sports.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Conclusion:

The categories of wheelchairs are basically divided into two which are manual and power wheelchairs. Manual wheelchairs are the oldest and first type of wheelchair while the power wheelchair is the modern wheelchair that is powered by batteries.

There are also other categories in wheelchairs but all of the wheelchairs lead back to those two wheelchairs.

If you have any sort of query in your mind that you want to ask please ask it in the comment section and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

In the end, I just want to say that please keep planet Earth clean because it is our only chance of survival.