Mobility scooters and related equipment

Due to a quite picturesque range of neurological ailments, not to forget the increasing effects of advancing age, I have become considerably less mobile than I was in my younger days. Where I used to be able to effortlessly walk for many hours, I now move slowly at a snails pace, for a maximum of one hour, supporting myself with either a cane or a crutch - depending on how I happen to function that day. But I refuse to complain: there’s nothing I can truly say I lack in this life, and reduced mobility doesn’t usually bother me.

However, for the somewhat longer distances I nowadays employ an electrical, which definitely makes me feel like a prince or even a sultan! Relaxedly sitting in a comfortable seat, pleasantly but never arrogantly greeting the admiring passers-by, I zip along at either walking pace or double speed. When I feel social I “walk”, when I actually need to be somewhere in time I rev up the little machine.

There are lots of people much worse off than me, when it comes to physical capabilities. I can, albeit with difficulty, still walk - many others can’t. Especially for them the mobility scooter is a great support, enabling them to feel mobile again. There are 3-wheel mobility scooters and 4-wheel mobility scooters, and if you happen to be considering buying such a machine, I certainly recommend the 3-wheeled variety. They tend to be somewhat more manoeuvrable due to their smaller turning radius, which is a definite advantage in crowded or cramped places. I also would advice you to go for batteries with a large capacity: it’s not only unpleasant but also quite embarassing to find yourself out of juice when a long way from home!

Apart from mobility scooters, there are many more contraptions and inventions that make the life of the disabled much more pleasant. Stairlifts, bed lifts, electrically powered wheelchairs, rollators… they all help to make life much more normal for the handicapped.