Many people out there consider disability equipment as a representation of their freedom and independence. Whether this has something to do with their ability to get out of a wheelchair independently, without assistance or help from anyone. Or if it is about accomplishing a task within the home, having the right mobility aid at your disposal can be empowering and enabling.
However, there are instances that the word disability equipment would stir in negative connotations. Like for instance, most of us would have a mental picture of Forrest Gump and his metal leg braces.
When we center our attention on the disability, it creates an impression of aging, being too dependent on others, or stigma. It invokes the impression to some that if you are using or in need for this type of equipment, you are not just a person suffering from an infirmity but you are also broken as a person. Or that there is something really wrong with you.
Now, as for the term equipment. Whenever most of us hear this word out, the first thing that would come to mind of many of us would be images of mechanical instruments.
Manufacturers for this types of instruments saw to it that they continuously develop their product, and have actually done so the past few decades. Hence, their product offering narrowed the possibility of them ending up in hospitalization.
These products nowadays are a representation of control, freedom and independence, the very things which these devices actually provide. As a matter of fact, the new spectrum of equipment that are available today in the market are now more centered upon the individual’s “ability”, and the many different ways in which life barriers could be alleviated while at the same time maximizing personal abilities.
Wheelchair Seating: Is This Important?
So, are we going to encourage the use of a word that focuses on the dis – the negative – for pieces of equipment that, needless to say, has a positive influence on the user? If we take these devices into account that we classify under mobility aids, we’d see that their power to enable and empower the user/owner will go against or refute this term.
The fact that they are fast becoming a more common place may signify that these users may see themselves as not having any infirmity at all. Let us cite the mobility scooters or bathing aids as examples. The user profile and the image of these products are changing in much the same way their manufacturers would present them.
Mobility aids
From walking frames to wheelchairs, mobility aids have been of substantial help to people with infirmity, providing them support they require in moving around their surroundings, freely and independently.
Advancements in designs and technology have also allowed the creation of a comprehensive array of aids, with greater focus on customization or personalization to the user or the individual.
Therefore, it is safe to say that we actually have an ever increasing options in as far as customizing your device to your own needs is concerned. You can also make them adaptable to your needs and pick out a design that you deem is more suitable to your current lifestyle. This may include different weights and shapes of wheelchair frames, or varying drive systems for use in powered wheelchairs.
Daily Living Aids
Available for use anywhere inside the home, there is an awful lot of aids that can help improve independence and safety of daily ordinary activities. Even if an individual happens to have a complex array of needs, there is a good availability of mobility beds that come with features that allow maximum comfort and ability.
We also have an assortment of hoists that can help in providing the most convenient and comfortable way of moving a person. From household aids to bathroom equipment, they help in making way for greater control and access over the surrounding home environment. This provides people a way and freedom to accomplish their tasks on their own, as and when they want to.
It is important that we have control and independence over our own environment, and this is indeed another way by which these disability equipment for people with infirmity can be empowering and enabling as opposed to just something that we associate with lack of ability.