Sports Chatter

Mobility scooters and related equipment

Due to a quite surprising array of neurological disorders, not to forget the increasing effects of advancing age, I have become considerably less mobile than I was in my younger days. Where I used to be able to briskly walk for hours and hours, I now move slowly at a tortoises pace, for no more than one hour, leaning on either a cane or a crutch - depending on how I happen to feel that day. But I refuse to complain: there’s nothing I can truly say I lack in this life, and diminished mobility doesn’t unduly bother me.

Anyway, for the somewhat longer distances I presently use an electrical, which definitely makes me feel like a prince or even a sultan! Relaxedly sitting in a cusioned seat, nicely but never haughtly saluting the admiring passers-by, I zip along at either walking pace or double speed. When I feel social I “walk”, when I really need to be somewhere at a certain time I rev up the little machine.

There are lots of people much worse off than me, when it comes to mobility. I can, albeit with difficulty, still walk - but a lot of others can’t. Especially for them the electric scooter is a great help, enabling them to feel mobile again. There are 3-wheel mobility scooters and 4-wheel mobility scooters, and if you’re seriously considering buying such a machine, I certainly recommend the 3-wheeled version. These tend to be considerably more manoeuvrable due to their smaller turning radius, which is a definite advantage in crowded or narrow spots. I also would recommend to go for batteries with a large capacity: it’s not only unpleasant but also quite embarassing to find yourself without of juice when far away from home!

Apart from mobility scooters, there are many more contraptions and gadgets that make the life of the disabled much more pleasant. Stairlifts, bed lifts, electric wheelchairs, walkers… they all help to make life much more normal for the handicapped.