Transportability: Taking Mobility Along for the Ride
Seating and wheelchair manufacturers
aren’t just designing smarter products
with greater functionality. They’re also
emphasizing transportability: a smaller
size, a lighter weight, or a combination
of those traits. And they’re focusing on
convenience — devices that can be more
easily and quickly folded and stowed.
For example, take a look at Ki
Mobility’s Liberty FT manual wheelchair.
This wheelchair is designed for
foot propulsion, a mobility method often
preferred by patients who’ve had a stroke.
While many stroke patients are stuck with
heavier, less functional, harder-to-propel
wheelchairs, the Liberty FT uses newer
technology, including high-pressure metal
molding, which results in very strong but
lighter-weight parts. And despite its tilt-in-space function, the Liberty FT folds for
easier storage and has a transport weight
of less than 26 lbs. For an even more
compact chair, you can choose an optional
folding backrest for the Liberty FT.
To the folks at Altimate Medical,
transportability means the ability to easily
take a standing frame from place to place,
whether that means moving it from the
family room into a closet when company
comes over, or from the family room at
home to the family room at Grandma’s
house. Altimate Medical’s new Zing
Portable uses a tripod-style frame for
a smaller overall footprint and an easily
folded package that’s easy to carry, thanks
to its balanced weight. The Zing Portable
is specially designed for little ones ages
0-3 and weighing up to 36 lbs. Fully
confi gured, this new stander weighs about
20 lbs., making it easier than ever to maintain
a child’s standing routines even while
away from home.
It can be tempting to reach for a generic
umbrella-style stroller for outings, but
children who need postural support can
benefit when that support is maintained
at all times. Leggero’s Reach provides
postural support in a stylish, family-friendly design. Reach comes in three
sizes — 12", 14", and 16" seat widths —
and all sizes are foldable to fi t into the
family car. The lightweight aluminum cast
frame makes the Reach easy to lift, and
this wheelchair’s seat tilt and hip angle
(recline) are quick and easy to adjust on
the fly, for ideal positioning in a snap.
Resources
Alber: (888) 426-8581; alber-usa.com
Altimate Medical: (800) 342-8968;
altimatemedical.com
Amylior: (888) 453-0311; amylior.com
Braze Mobility: (877) 272-9326;
brazemobility.com
Cheelcare: (647) 800-2680; cheelcare.com
Ekso Bionics: eksobionics.com
ITEM Coalition: itemcoalition.org
Ki Mobility: (800) 981-1540; kimobility.com
Leggero: (844) 503-5437; leggero.us
LUCI: luci.com
Motion Concepts: (888) 433-6818;
motionconcepts.com
NCART: ncart.us
Parker Hannifin: indego.com
Permobil (SmartDrive): (800) 736-0925;
permobil.com
Sunrise Medical: (800) 333-4000;
sunrisemedical.com