Page 16 - Mobility Management, May/June 2022

ATP Series
Tomorrow’s Wheelchairs
POWER CHAIRS: SIZE DOES MATTER
While chair size is a common topic in the ultralight space, it’s also a trending topic for power wheelchairs.
Brad Peterson, VP of Sales/U.S. for Amylior, said power chair size is very much on the minds of manufacturers.
“I was recently in Tennessee visiting providers and therapists,” Peterson said. “Many of them were happy to see a new narrow power base option. They see the benefit in having a narrower base, and they liked having something else to choose from.”
In addition to improved maneuverability from a more compact base, Peterson said appearance is also affected by chair size.
“I like the narrowness of it, I like the compactness,” he said of bases with smaller widths. “I like that we can fit a chair more to the person. Beyond fitting the power positioning system or the seating, we can also get them a smaller base, which I think helps with the overall aesthetic, can help with balance and feel, and can help a person’s overall sense of how they look in the chair.”
As an example of narrower options, Peterson said Amylior has two narrow Alltrack-based chairs: “We have a 21"-wide and a 24"-wide base. Both can achieve these widths with full-size 14" drive wheels and the same motors and suspension you will find in our standard M3.
“What I like about our 24" base is you get that 24" width, but with Group 24 batteries. That means someone whose seat width is 18" or narrower will have a chair where the widest part is the base and not the seat — 1.375" doesn’t sound like much of a difference, but it sure can be.
“Some of today’s chairs, including our 21"-wide, are so narrow that if [the seating is] over 15" or 16" wide, the widest point of the system is still going to be your arms or your joystick mount. So having options is great, even if it’s for getting on a ramp or
a lift for a van. Having choices is good, because everyone is different. I think smaller is better, as long as we don’t sacrifice overall function or performance.”
Power chair lengths are also getting shorter. “With the new [narrower] chair, we are getting calls for shorter lengths, especially for pediatrics,” Peterson acknowledged. “We want to make it narrower and shorter, so the overall wheelbase is smaller with smaller casters, smaller drive wheels, and smaller components. So, once again, it’s an aesthetics thing. It’s an image thing.
“Looking at how you make the chair so the seating is integral is important, because we talk about turning radius and length, but turning radius and length are most often dictated by other factors, such as the size of someone’s feet, their seat depth, or whether they have a vent/O2, backpack, etc.”
Peterson refers to those measurements as “a functional turning radius or length. So by designing a chair around a person,
you can shorten the footprint of the chair and still have it be functional without giving up anything.”
And he remains mindful of appearance, as well. “If we get too narrow with the base, so your arms are hanging out beyond the base, or the joystick mount is hanging out there, then you haven’t solved anything. Yes, the base is narrower, but as far as getting
16 MAY-JUNE2022|MOBILITYMANAGEMENT
We have to figure out, as an industry, how to ensure that quality is the number-one priority when we’re putting wheelchairs out for our clients — Christie Hamstra
through into spaces, you might still be stymied.
“Plus, if you’ve got an 18"-wide chair, normally that seat’s
going to be 22" or 23" wide at its widest point on top of a 21"-wide base. Think about a 27"-wide top on a 21"-wide base. That would look strange, but it may be functional for that particular individual. I’m sure there’s a reason someone may need a narrower base, independent of the size of the seat. We like to give them options and alternatives to choose from.”
THE IMPORTANCE OF SUSPENSION
Peterson also believes the perspective on suspension is evolving. “When I was in Tennessee, and I had a bunch of therapists who were new to mobility, I said, ‘Suspension’s a big deal.’ I think we’re finally looking at it more as ‘What does it mean to comfort and the overall stability of the user, in addition to performance?’ —
rather than the marketing of ‘What does it mean I can climb?’” Peterson explained how suspension impacts the activities
of Benjamin Leclair, a professional wakeboarder who joined
Amylior’s marketing team after sustaining a spinal cord injury. “He’s the first to tell you he likes his suspension because it
helps dissipate shock and vibration, so his tone doesn’t kick in as much or as frequently,” Peterson said. “It helps him with trunk control and fatigue. So even if you’re going over cobblestones,
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