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Wheelchair Fencing: An Adaptive Sport, A Paralympic Sport

By admin on February 5, 2017

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One of the original sports in the Paralympic Games, wheelchair fencing involves both physical and mental skill. As a combative sport, wheelchair fencing athletes use swords to attempt to score points through series of hits on their opponent.

History of Wheelchair Fencing

Wheelchair fencing was introduced as one of the original Paralympic sports at the 1960 Paralympic Games in Rome. The sport first made an international debut in 1953 when Sir Ludwig Guttman introduced wheelchair fencing to the 1953 Stoke International Games.

In 1988, a new classification was used to allow athletes with varying disabilities greater opportunities to compete against one another. Today, there are only two classifications within the wheelchair fencing sport, and athletes are placed into divisions based on the amount of trunk movement and hand control they possess. Athletes with cerebral palsy, spinal injuries, amputations and other disabilities compete in the sport.

Rules of Wheelchair Fencing

In able-bodied fencing, athletes have 14 meters on which to move around. In the Paralympic version of sport, the athlete’s wheelchairs are fixed in a metal frame so the chairs do not move. The distance between the wheelchairs is determined by the athlete with the shorter arm.

In Paralympic competition, each bout in the first round is won by the athlete with the best of nine hits, according to the London Paralympic Games website. In the elimination rounds, the bouts are won by the athlete with the best of 15 hits.

Disciplines of Wheelchair Fencing

There are three disciplines of wheelchair fencing — epee, foil and sabre. Both men and women compete in the epee and foil disciplines, while sabre is a men-only discipline. Team events also are contested.

The three disciplines each use a different kind of sword. The epee sword is the heaviest of the three and is triangular, while the foil and sabre swords are square.

In epee wheelchair fencing, the target is anywhere above the waist of the opposing player. In foil and sabre wheelchair fencing, the target is the torso of the opposing player. In Paralympic competition, each sword, regardless of discipline, has a rounded end. The swords are usually electronic, allowing points to be counted electronically.

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Preparing For a Flight With an Electric Wheelchair

By admin on February 5, 2017

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Flying can often be the easiest way to travel long distances. If you use an electric wheelchair, however, the thought of flying can be terrifying. There are thousands of stories out there about the airlines’ mistreatment of wheelchairs and sometimes even disabled passengers. Try not to think too much about these stories, put your common sense to work and enjoy your flight!

Protecting Your Wheelchair

I have always put a basic sign featuring a stop sign with instructions for the baggage handlers not to lift the chair by the armrests on my wheelchair before I turn it over to the airline. After having the airline break my chair last time I flew, I decided to step up my efforts before my trip a few weeks ago. I made several copies of a very detailed sign and had my attendant tape it in several places on my wheelchair before we boarded the plane. My sign was, of course, specific to my wheelchair but yours should say anything you feel the baggage handlers need to know about your chair. At the bottom of the list of instructions, I added, “This wheelchair is the equivalent of my legs. Without it, I can’t leave the airport so please be careful.”

After you are on the aisle chair, have your attendant take a picture of your chair from every angle and make sure that it is done in sight of the baggage handlers and any airline personnel. If your wheelchair does happen to get damaged in transit, you will have undeniable proof that it wasn’t in that condition before takeoff.

Speak Up For What You Want

If you are seated in the middle or rear of the plane, ask the gate agent if it would be possible to move closer to the front of the cabin. There is always the possibility that you will be told no, but it nevers hurts to ask.

A problem that I ran into on my recent flight was the aisle chair. The airline personnel insisted that my attendant was not allowed to help me transfer to or from the aisle chair, yet they were not trained. By the end of the trip, my attendant and I had to insist that she be allowed to transfer me since she was familiar with what to do. Do not let them tell you what you should do or how you should be doing it.

Always Know Your Rights

Take some time to familiarize yourself with your rights as a traveler with a disability before your flight. The Americans with Disabilities Act does not cover air travel. Treatment of travelers with disabilities is covered by the Air Carrier Access Act. The ACAA was passed in 1986 and prohibits any major airline from discriminating against passengers based on disability. It also requires carriers to accommodate the (reasonable) requests of passengers with disabilities. It is a good idea to download this and carry a copy with you when you travel.

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Choosing A New Wheelchair

By admin on February 5, 2017

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There are a few things to consider when you’re thinking about getting a new wheelchair. Consult with a physical therapist, a rehabilitation specialist to assist you with these steps or call your local CIL for a referral to someone who can help.

Money

The first of these is, as it is with everything, money. Find out what your insurance and/or Medicare will and will not cover. You may have you heart set on a certain type of chair that you know will work out wonderfully for you just to find out, when you try to order this particular piece of equipment, that it is not going to be covered. Chances are, however, if you have private insurance, that whatever type of mobility device that you and your physical therapist agree upon will be covered. To avoid any disappointment, be sure to find out what is covered before taking the next step.

Lifestyle

Assess your lifestyle and consider what your new mobility device will be put through on a daily basis. Are you the outdoor type who loves to hike, camp and is up for any adventure that comes your way? If so, then you will need a sturdier wheelchair with tires that are more suited to rugged terrain. Or are you the stay at home with a good book type who rarely puts your wheelchair through anything more strenuous that a trip around the mall or your office? If this sounds more like you, a chair that is more lightweight with more maneuverability better suited for the great indoors would be ideal for you.

Type

The last thing you need to decide on is what type of mobility device you want. This entails one big decision, followed by myriad smaller ones. The biggest and easiest decision to make is power chair versus manual chair. The person you are working with will be able to help you determine if power or manual is right for you.

The decisions that follow can sometimes be overwhelming. You must decide which brand of chair you want. Quickie,Permobil and iBot are just a few of the brands available. Then you must determine whether the features you want or need, such as tilt and elevating leg rests are available of the brand you want. The last decision you need to make about your new chair is the color (if that is an option with the chair you chose). The color of the chair may seem like a trivial decision to some people, but it is very important to others. Your wheelchair is very much a part of you and choosing the color and the features lets it reflect your personality as much as possible.

Choosing a new wheelchair or scooter should be an enjoyable process, not a chore. So relax and try to have fun with it. The end result will make the entire process worthwhile.

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Essential Guide to Transport Wheelchairs

By admin on January 31, 2017

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Wheelchairs can be heavy devices to push around so in response to this, transport wheelchairs were devised to allow for portability and accessibility through all those tight spaces in daily life.

Otherwise known as a ‘transfer chair, transport wheelchairs are designed for someone else to push you around when you’re travelling from one place to another. Not everyone is capable of ‘self-propelling’ or moving themselves around in a wheelchair due to physical weakness or mental incapacity. As such, most of these wheelchairs weigh less than 15 lbs, making sure that your attendant or an orderly has an easier time pushing either your loved one or yourself around at the mall, hospital or any other locale next time you’re out. As a result of their effective and practical designs, transport chairs are sometimes more expensive than your regular wheelchair alternative. But this pales in comparison to the latest electric wheelchair designs and the expensive maintenance and repair bills that will inevitably follow their use.

You can identify an effective transport wheelchair by the following characteristics;

 

Smaller Wheels

On average, transport wheelchairs sport 8-10 inch front wheels and 12 – 15 inch rear wheels. Obviously, while the wheels themselves are smaller, the rationale is that your attendant is pushing those wheels for you whereas a self-propelled wheelchair (averaging 23 – 25 inches) would require your own arm strength to move yourself over the same distance. The wheels themselves are usually comprised of rubber or plastic and are generally considered puncture proof – the last thing you’d want is a flat or blown wheel when you’re being pushed around town.

 

Storability

My favourite aspect of a transport wheelchair is how they are all manufactured with a foldable design. Often, the transport wheelchair can be folded in half after adjusting or removing the leg rests. In this configuration, you can easily place it in the boot or against the wall when the wheelchair is not in use. While most other wheelchairs incorporate a foldable design, the transport wheelchair further benefits from its often lightweight manufacture.

 

Weight

Transport wheelchairs are categorised as lightweight and the chairs themselves usually weigh under 20 lbs. However, due to their supportive care nature, the patient weight that these convenient chairs can support ranges from 250 – 350 lbs. Even the heaviest of users can sit comfortably and feel assured that their wheelchair won’t buckle over so easily.

 

Price

While there have been reports that lightweight transport wheelchairs can be more expensive, there is little difference between these wheelchairs and the self-propelled ranges that are also readily available.

The price gap however obviously grows considerably larger when we take in to account the use of electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters.

Transport wheelchairs are ultimately for users who are clever (or fortunate) enough to have someone else do the dirty work of pushing for them. It’s either that or you may require temporarily at a hospital or other health facility before eventually leaving the premises. The smaller wheels and portable designs allow for manoeuvring through tight spaces and added control over all types of terrain.

Click the link to see for yourself how much a transport wheelchair can cost.

 

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