S
A
F
E
T Y T I
P
S
WHEELIE
DOORWAYS
E
X
TENDING
,
REACHING
OR
LEANING
NAVIGATING IN
C
LINE
S
This
is a dangerous
maneuver
and
we
do not
recommend
its use without assistance.
The
safest
way
to operate the chair is on
Level
floors that are free of obstacles.
Whenever
possible use
a
ramp
to enter or exit a facility.
Keeping
your hands on the push
rims will allow
you to maintain max-
imum balance.
Do
not try to force
yourself
over an obstruction by
propulsion
and
never
use the sides
of a
doorway
to pull
yourself
through a passageway.
It
is best to avoid
reaching
or
Leaning forward when
operating your wheelchair.
If
circumstances
arise
that
make Leaning forward unavoidable
you should:
1.
Position
the casters in the
forward
position.
2.
Maneuver
your chair as close to the desired object as possible.
3.
Secure
yourself with one hand by
holding
on to the arm rest or rear wheel.
4.
Do
not
Lock
the rear wheels.
5.
It
is best to
avoid
applying
pressure
on the footrest.
When
traveling up or down a hill, it is
recommended
that
you
:
1.
Maintain
a straight
course
.
2.
Never
turn on a hill due to
t
he
danger
of toppling.
3.
Avoid
stopping, it can
potentially
cause you to
Lose
control of the chair.
4.
Maintain
a slow and
controlled
speed,
by
applying steady
pressure
on
t
he
push rims.
5.
Do
not use
t
h
e
brakes
to slow
down
or stop the
wheelchair,
this could cause
it
to seize up, causing you to
Lose
control.
6.
Whenever possible,
utilize
help from
an assistant while
navigating
inclines
.
It
is important to note that
hills
and slopes can be
hazardous,
even with
t
h
e use of
anti
-
tippers
.
B
AN
KED
S
l
O
PE
DECliN
I
NG
S
lOPE
INCliNI
N
G
Sl
OP
E
CURBS
STAIRS
E
S
CAL
ATOR
S
STREETS
When
negotiating
curbs
it is suggested
that
:
1.
Whenever possible
get
help
from an assistant (if you have assistance
make
sure that your
chair is equipped with push handles).
2.
Avoid
hard impacts
when descending
a curb.
A hard
impact
could adversely
affect
t
h
e chair.
3. If being assisted, the chair should be
L
owered,
by
gently rolling the rear wheels
down
t
h
e
curb,
from a
backward
position.
4.
Never
try to scale or descend curbs that exceed a normal
hei
gh
t
.
When
going up or down a staircase you
s
h
ould:
1.
Always
use two or
more
assistants.
2.
One
assistant should be positioned at the
rear
of the chair and one assistant should
b
e
positioned at the front of the
chair
.
3.
Always
secure the chair by
holding
non-detachable positions on
t
h
e
frame.
4.
When
ascending a staircase, position the chair backward.
5
.
When
descending a staircase, position the chair
forward,
tilt
the chair
back
and
roll
down
one
step
at a
time
.
6.
The
assistant to the
rear
is
always
in control.
7.
The
cha
i
r
must have push handles when negotiating
stairs.
Never
use an escalator for
tra
n
sport, use an
elevator
.
Always
use
e
x
t
reme
caution when
crossing
streets.
Reflective
tape on the chair or your clothing
w
i
ll
make
you
more
visible to drivers.
Check Local
L
a
ws
regarding wheelchair
use as they
vary from
state to
state
.
1
O W
NER
'S
M
A NU A
l
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