TiLite
®
OM000007 - Rev. B
10
D. BENDING/LEANING/REACHING
WARNING
When you bend, reach or lean from your chair you will affect the center of balance of your chair.
Therefore, bending, reaching or leaning may cause you to fall or tip over. In order to avoid falling
or tipping over, you must determine your particular safety limitations given the configuration of
your chair and your body weight and type. To do this, practice bending, reaching and leaning
activities (and various combinations of such activities) under the supervision of your health care
advisor. Do this BEFORE attempting active use of your chair. The following will help you avoid
falling or tipping over when bending, reaching or leaning from your chair:
1. NEVER bend, reach or lean in a way that requires you to move forward in your seat.
2. ALWAYS keep your buttocks in contact with the backrest and the seat cushion when bending,
reaching or leaning.
3. NEVER shift your weight in the same direction you are bending, reaching or leaning.
4. NEVER reach or lean to the rear unless your chair has anti-tippers locked in place.
5. NEVER reach with both hands. By keeping one hand free, you may be able to catch yourself to
prevent a fall if the chair starts to tip.
6. NEVER reach or lean over the top of the seat back. If you do so you may damage the seat back
tubes, which could cause you to fall.
7. ALWAYS move your chair as close as possible to the object you are trying to reach.
8. NEVER shift your weight to the footrests.
9. NEVER try to pick up an object from the floor by reaching down between your knees. You are less
likely to tip over if you reach to the side of your chair when picking up an object on the floor.
10. DO NOT lock the rear wheels when bending, reaching or leaning backward. Locking the rear
wheels creates a tip point and makes falling or tipping over more likely.
11. When bending or leaning, ALWAYS grasp one rear wheel with one hand. This will help to prevent a
fall if the chair starts to tip over.
12. ALWAYS rotate the front casters until they are trailing forward. This will make the chair more stable.
NOTE: To get your front casters to trail forward, first move your chair forward past the object you
want to reach and, second, back up alongside the object. By moving backward, your front casters
will rotate and trail forward.
If you ignore these Warnings, you may fall, tip over or lose control of the wheelchair and seriously
injure yourself or others or damage the wheelchair.
E. MOVING BACKWARD
WARNING
When you propel backward, you will tend to shift your weight backward, making a tip-over more
likely. In addition, you may be unable to see an obstruction that could block one of your wheels
and cause a tip-over. Therefore, use extreme caution when propelling backward. If you must
propel backward:
1. ALWAYS propel slowly with smooth, short strokes.
2. MAKE frequent stops to check for obstructions in your path.
3. If your chair has anti-tippers, ALWAYS make sure to lock them in place.
If you ignore these Warnings, you may fall, tip over or lose control of the wheelchair and seriously
injure yourself or others or damage the wheelchair.
F. WHEELIES
WARNING
Balancing in your chair on just the rear wheels with the front casters in the air is known as doing
a “wheelie.” DOING A WHEELIE IS DANGEROUS. A fall or tip-over is very likely. However, if you
can do a “wheelie” safely, you may be able to overcome curbs and obstacles that would
otherwise impede you.
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