What are the risks of motorized wheelchairs?
Motorized wheelchairs are useful in giving freedom to those with paralysis or other movement-inhibiting disabilities, especially those with weak upper-body strength or upper-body paralysis. The motorized wheelchair can be life-changing for its users, but they do not come without certain risks.Standard Joystick ControlMost power wheelchairs for those with normal use of their arms and hands are driven with a joystick. These standard controls can be risky for those with impaired use of their hands, slow reflexes or impaired judgment, according to the National Institute for Rehabilitation Engineering.Mouth ControlsMouth joysticks and puff-and-sip controls are used by those who do not have the use of their hands to control a joystick. These controls are considered high-risk outside of the home because they do not allow for quick-response steering or braking.Wheel ConfigurationAnytime a motorized wheelchair is going to be used for outside purposes, it should have powered large wheels in the
