Wheelchair Functionality & The Effects On Mobility

In a world not designed for the differently-abled, daily-life mobility in a wheelchair can present a huge challenge.

Since you don’t have any control over the environment outside of your home, it is important to make your home as wheelchair friendly as possible. To do this, many things may need to change from a standard home. For example:

  • Wheelchairs need extra space for turning
    • The ADA requires a 60-inch diameter of clear floor space for circular turning 
  • Knee space is needed below sinks, counters, and workspaces to allow access
    • The ADA requires a 17 inch minimum of clear space (but that minimum may be redetermined based on the required reach to operable parts)
  • Clear floor space is needed at any accessible element
    • i.e. Dressers, electrical outlets, cabinets, appliances, etc.

Here is the ADA website for more information, measurements, and visuals.

If you are new to life on wheels or new to caring for someone in a wheelchair, this to-do list can feel incredibly daunting. Making all the needed alterations to an existing home can be extremely costly, but not all of it has to be difficult. For doorways, sometimes just installing a swing-clear hinge can give you the extra couple inches you may need. Check out our hinge here.

Another easy way to save you thousands of dollars in renovation costs is to choose your wheelchair wisely. At FLUX we have designed our wheelchairs for peak maneuverability. Our Daily Living wheelchairs, are both narrow and lightweight, created with you navigating the real world in mind. Our FLUX Slim-Line  has all 5-star reviews for its 21.5” width that allows you to enter narrow doorways without banging up your knuckles!  With the same 5-star mobility, the FLUX Dart also offers flip-up armrests for easy transfers and extremely porous fabric that stays cool and dry.

Here are the two biggest reasons why FLUX wheelchairs allow for better mobility than the average wheelchair:

  1. All FLUX chairs have a width ranging from 21.5 to 22.5 inches ( A standard wheelchair has a width of 23 to 26 inches)
  1. With footplates, the FLUX chairs only require a 42-inch diameter space to turn around.

Without footplates, the necessary turning space is only 35 inches. (The ADA requires 60 inches for the average chair.)

When you leave your house, you are at the mercy of your surroundings. By having a narrower chair with a small turning radius, you can worry less about whether or not you will be able to maneuver in new places.  It’s important to understand that the functionality of your wheelchair directly affects how well you can move in the world, and not every chair is created equally. The right choice can make all the difference when it comes to living a normal life. 

So what do you want your new normal to look like?

Do you want to travel? Then a folding, ultra-lightweight wheelchair would make perfect sense. 

Spend a ton of time outside? Then you need to consider wheels designed for the outdoors.

No matter what your life looks like now, FLUX has options that allow you to take charge of your mobility.