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Explaining Power Seat Functions: Power Tilt & Power Recline

This is the 4th blog in our series about power wheelchairs. Check out the
1st blog
,
2nd blog, and
3rd blog
. Check out our
Power Wheelchair Guide
for more information about power mobility.

As we continue working our way through power wheelchair topics our focus turns to the different power seat functions available on the market today.Simply put, power seat functions are the different positions a power wheelchair can achieve. These different positions can be important to perform functional tasks during the day (e.g., seat elevation for reaching items) and/or they can be important to prevent medical complications (e.g., posterior tilt and recline for skin protection). Today we're taking a closer look at power tilt and power recline.

Drive Wheel Placement and Indoor Maneuverability

This is the 3rd blog in our series about power wheelchairs. Check out the 1st blog & 2nd blog. Check out our Power Wheelchair Guide for more information about power mobility.

In our last blog about power wheelchairs and mobility, we discussed the benefits and considerations of drive wheel placement. This week we're continuing our look at drive wheel placement in regards to indoor maneuverability.
When instructing for indoor maneuvering, keep in mind:

wheelchairs pivot at the drive wheel
initiate the turn when the center of the drive wheel reaches the corner
for FWD, hug the wall the wheelchair will be turning towards
for RWD, stay further away from the wall the wheelchair will be turning towards
with a longer wheelbase and the further back the drive wheel is on the base of the WC, there may be additional pivoting needed to line up effectively

TiLite: How to find a Balanced Ride

As an occupational therapist working in seating clinics, it was important for me to prescribe equipment that met as many of my clients’ needs as possible. The more I focused on their needs, the more I understood that providing even the best ultra-lightweight manual wheelchair still meant there would be some tradeoffs. For me, this was a daunting task at times, but there was nothing better than hearing a client say that their new ultra-lightweight manual wheelchair “feels like it’s a part of me.”