By Nancy Altshuler
Did you know that it is possible to steer and propel a wheelchair with just one arm? Some children have the ability to push a wheelchair with one arm, but not the other. Wheelchairs can be set up with a double hoop on one side to allow full mobility only using one arm. A central shaft incorporated into the frame drives the wheels. By utilizing the outer and inner wheel, a child can maneuver the wheelchair in even the tightest of spaces.
Presently, four students at P.G. Chambers School are using this assistive technology and it is giving them newfound independence! The more ways that a child learns to move on their own the more determined and confident they are to strive for greater independence. These students spend time throughout the school day in their wheelchairs, gait trainers, standers, and playing on the floor.
Just look at their faces light up and listen to them express themselves as they learn to move and move to learn!
Click here to watch Annie and click here to watch Maria move in their wheelchairs!