A wheelchair is a wheeled mobility device in which the user sits. The device is propelled either manually (by turning the wheels by the hand) or via various automated systems.

Wheelchairs are used by people for whom walking is difficult or impossible due to illness fracture ,amputation,spinal cord injury, or disability. People with both sitting and walking disability often need to use a wheelbench.Imagine a mother who is a triple amputee. How will she move herself and her baby? Special wheelchairs can now be designed to help her.

For example a user with an amputated arm can use a special wheel which has dual handrims to allow both wheels to be controlled with one hand. A basic standard manual wheelchair incorporates a seat and back, two small front wheels and two large wheels, one on each side, and a foot rest.

Wheelchairs are often variations on this basic design, but there are many types of wheelchairs, and they are often highly customized for the individual user’s needs. The seat size , seat-to-floor height, seat angle relative to the horizontal plane, footrests/leg rests, front caster outriggers, adjustable backrests, controls, and many other features can be customized on, or added to, many basic models, while some users, often those with specialised needs, may have wheelchairs custom-built.

Transport wheelchairs are usually light, folding chairs with four small wheels designed to be pushed by a caregiver to provide mobility for patients outside the home or more common medical settings. Various optional accessories are available, such as anti-tip bars or wheels, safety belts for children adjustable backrests, tilt and/or recline features, extra support for limbs or neckor weakness ,paraplegia patient, mounts or carrying devices for crutches, walkers or oxygen tanks in patient who have problem obout lung disease, drink holders, and clothing protectors.

The electric wheelchair shown on the right is fitted with Mecanum wheels which give it complete freedom of movement.it can also improve the comfort for everyday users. It can be driven forwards, backwards, sideways, and diagonally, and also turned round on the spot or turned around while moving, all operated from a simple joystick.

Manual wheelchairs are those that require human power to move them. Many manual wheelchairs can be folded for storage or placement into a vehicle, although modern wheelchairs are just as likely to be rigid framed.

Electric-powered wheelchairss may be designed specifically for indoor use, outdoor use, or both. They are generally prescribed for persons who have difficulty using a manual chair due to arm, hand, shoulder or more general disabling conditions, and do not have the leg strength to propel a manual chair with their feet, a practice not generally .

They may also be issued to those with cardiovascular conditions. A person with full function of the arms and upper torso will generally be prescribed a manual chair, or find that their insurance will not cover an electric power wheelchair.

Other wheelchair variants A Standing wheelchair is one that supports the user in a nearly standing position. They can be used as both a wheelchair and a standing frame, allowing the user to sit or stand in the wheelchair as they wish. They often go from sitting to standing with a hydraulic pump or electric-powered assist. Sport wheelchairs Disabled athletes use streamlined sport wheelchairs for disabled sports that require speed and agility, such as basketball, rugby, tennis and racing.

A mobility scooter is a motorized assist device similar to an EPW, but with a steering ’tiller’ or bar instead of the joystick, and fewer medical support options. Mobility scooters are available without a prescription in some markets, and range from large, powerful models to lightweight folding ones intended for travel.A bariatric wheelchair is one designed to support larger weights; most standard chairs are designed to support no more than 250 lbs. on average.

Pediatric wheelchairs are another available subset of wheelchairs. Hemi wheelchairs have lower seats which are designed for easy foot propulsion. The decreased seat height also allows them to be used by children and shorter individuals. A knee scooter is a related device which may be substituted for a wheelchair when an injury has occurred to only one leg, below the knee. The patient rests the injured leg on the scooter, grasps the handlebars, and pushes with the uninjured leg.

A Power-Assisted wheelchair is a recent development that uses the frame & seating of a typical manual chair while replacing the standard rear wheels with wheels that have small battery-powered motors in the hubs. A floating rim design senses the pressure applied by the users push & activates the motors proportionately. This results in the convenience, small size & light-weight of a manual chair while providing motorised assistance for rough/uneven terrain & steep slopes that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to navigate, especially by those with limited upper-body function.

Beach wheelchairs. This wheelchair allow users to enter the water and provide a better mobility in the sand. There are lots of different models available. In many countries in Europe where the Accessible Tourism is well set, many beaches are wheelchair accessible and provide this kind of wheelchairs to clients free of charge.

Recent developments Recent technological advances are slowly improving wheelchair and EPW technology. Some wheelchairs, such as the iBOT, incorporate gyroscopic technology and other advances, enabling the chair to balance and run on only two of its four wheels on some surfaces, thus raising the user to a height comparable to a standing person.

Three-wheeled wheelchairs are wheelchairs with the least wheels and are found in EPW technology. A hand-cranked three-wheeled PET Vehicle is a mobility device especially suitable for outdoor use and is designed to be maintained with improvised resources.