A
mobility scooter is a mobility aid equivalent to a
wheelchairA wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
but configured like a motorscooter. It is often referred to as a power-operated vehicle/scooter or electric scooter as well.
Description
A mobility scooter has a seat over three, four or now five wheels, a flat area or foot plates for the feet, and handlebars in front to turn one, two or three steerable wheels. The seat may swivel to allow access when the front is blocked by the handlebars. Mobility scooters are usually
batteryAn electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
powered. A battery or two is stored on board the scooter and is charged via an onboard or separate
battery chargerA battery charger is a device used to put energy into a secondary cell or rechargeable battery by forcing an electric current through it.The charge current depends upon the technology and capacity of the battery being charged...
unit from standard
electric powerElectric power is the rate at which electric energy is transferred by an electric circuit. The SI unit of power is the watt.-Circuits:Electric power, like mechanical power, is represented by the letter P in electrical equations...
.
GasolineGasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
-powered scooters may also available in some countries, though they are rapidly being replaced by electric models.
The tiller, with forward/reverse directions and speed controls, is the steering column centrally located at the front of the scooter. Forward/reverse direction can be controlled by thumb paddles, finger controls, or a switch. There are two types of mobility scooters: front-wheel drive (FD) or rear-wheel drive (RD). The FD is usually a smaller device and is best used indoors. Rider weight capacity is generally upwards to 250 pounds maximum. The RD is used both indoors and outdoors with rider weight capacity of 350 pounds. A heavy duty rear-drive can carry up to 500 pounds, varying by manufacturer.
Allan R. ThiemeEntrepreneur Allan R Thieme invented the first Power operated vehicle/scooter, the Amigo in 1968....
invented the first mobility scooter in 1968, in
Bridgeport, MichiganBridgeport is an unincorporated community in Bridgeport Charter Township, Saginaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also a census-designated place for statistical purposes. The population was 7,849 at the 2000 census. Bridgeport is also the name of a post office with ZIP code 48722...
. Thieme was personally motivated to create this product to help a family member diagnosed with
multiple sclerosisMultiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
. This first mobility scooter, a front-wheel drive model, was conceived and built at his home. The Amigo, as it was brand-named, initiated the entire “scooter” industry. Today,
Amigo Mobility International IncAmigo Mobility International Inc, founded by Allan R. Thieme in 1968, changed the mobility industry by inventing the first power operated vehicle/scooter . Located in Bridgeport, Mich., the company manufactures multiple lines of products for healthcare, commercial, transportation services and...
headquarters are located in Bridgeport, Mich.
Advantages
Assistive and small sit-down motor scooters provide important advantages to people with mobility problems throughout the world. A scooter is useful for persons without the
staminaEndurance is the ability for a human or animal to exert itself and remain active for a long period of time, as well as its ability to resist, withstand, recover from, and have immunity to trauma, wounds, or fatigue. In humans, it is usually used in aerobic or anaerobic exercise...
or
armIn human anatomy, the arm is the part of the upper limb between the shoulder and the elbow joints. In other animals, the term arm can also be used for analogous structures, such as one of the paired forelimbs of a four-legged animal or the arms of cephalopods...
/
shoulderThe human shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle , the scapula , and the humerus as well as associated muscles, ligaments and tendons. The articulations between the bones of the shoulder make up the shoulder joints. The major joint of the shoulder is the glenohumeral joint, which...
flexibility necessary to use a manual wheelchair. Also, swiveling the seat of an electric scooter is generally easier than moving the foot supports on most conventional wheelchairs. A mobility scooter is very helpful for persons with systemic or whole-body disabling conditions (coronary or
lungThe lung is the essential respiration organ in many air-breathing animals, including most tetrapods, a few fish and a few snails. In mammals and the more complex life forms, the two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of the heart...
issues, some forms of arthritis,
obesityObesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...
, etc.) who are still able to stand and walk a few steps, sit upright without
torsoTrunk or torso is an anatomical term for the central part of the many animal bodies from which extend the neck and limbs. The trunk includes the thorax and abdomen.-Major organs:...
support, and control the steering tiller.
A major selling point of mobility scooters for many users is that they do not look like a wheelchair,
disabilityA disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
still being seen by many as a negative or somehow shameful. Mobility scooters are in general more affordable than powered wheelchairs, leading to them being procured as a cheaper alternative.
Limitations
While a mobility scooter eliminates much of the manual
strengthPhysical strength is the ability of a person or animal to exert force on physical objects using muscles. Increasing physical strength is the goal of strength training.-Overview:...
problems of an unpowered wheelchair, its tiller steering mechanism still requires upright
postureHuman positions refers to the different positions that the human body can take.There are several synonyms that refer to the human position, often used interchangeably, but having specific flavors....
, shoulder and hand strength, and some upper-body mobility and strength. The arm-rest mounted controller typical of powerchair designs may be more suitable for many users. Scooters also have fewer options for body support, such as head or leg rests. They are rarely designed for ease of
patientA patient is any recipient of healthcare services. The patient is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, veterinarian, or other health care provider....
transfer from seat to bed.
Other drawbacks include longer length, which limits their
turning radiusThe turning radius or turning circle of a vehicle is the size of the smallest circular turn that the vehicle is capable of making. The term turning radius is actually a misnomer, since the size of a circle is actually its diameter, not its radius. The less ambiguous term turning circle is preferred...
and ability to use some lifts or wheelchair-designed access technologies such as kneeling bus lifts. Some mobility scooter have low ground clearance which can make it difficult to navigate certain obstacles, such as travelling in cities without proper
curb cutA curb cut , curb ramp, dropped kerb , pram ramp, or kerb ramp is a solid ramp graded down from the top surface of a sidewalk to the surface of an adjoining street. It is designed for pedestrian uses and commonly found in urban areas where pedestrian activity is expected...
s. Navigating in restricted spaces, whether in the home or in public spaces and buildings can also be a problem.
These limitations may prevent some disabled individuals from using scooters. In addition, scooter limitations may vary depending on model and manufacturer. A limitation of one make/model does not necessarily carry over to all. Individual needs may affect the suitability of a particular model.
Currently in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
,
MedicareMedicare is a social insurance program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over; to those who are under 65 and are permanently physically disabled or who have a congenital physical disability; or to those who meet other...
will not approve a power wheelchair for persons who do not need to use the chair "inside their own home", even if their medical needs restrict the use of a mobility scooter. For example, a person with severe
arthritisArthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints....
of both shoulders and
handA hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered extremity located at the end of an arm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs...
s may not be the best candidate for a scooter, but because they can walk a few steps in their own home, such persons are not seen as approved candidates for a power wheelchair either. Various disability rights groups are campaigning for Medicare to change this policy. For those who do qualify for Medicare, they can reimburse up to 80% of the total value of the scooter.
Similar restrictions on
NHSThe National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
powerchair provision exist in the UK, with manual wheelchairs prescribed for users with any ability to walk. This has led to many users who might be better served by a powerchair privately procuring a mobility scooter as a cheaper substitute.
Legal issues
In the UK mobility scooters are classified by The Use of Invalid Carriages on Highways Regulations 1988 as either Class II or Class III Invalid Carriages for legal purposes. A Class II scooter must be limited to 4 mph for use on a footway only, while a Class III scooter must be limited to 8 mph for road/highway use and have an additional 4 mph limiter for footway use. As of March 2010 a government consultation is underway to determine how the law should adapt to increasing scooter use, whether higher road speeds should be allowed and on a replacement for the archaic term 'invalid carriage'. Due to concerns over safety issues and problems with bringing prosecutions against irresponsible users under existing laws, the consultation will also consider whether to make third party insurance mandatory, consider the introduction of compulsory training for users and discuss how to bring scooter users under wider road traffic legislations.
Disability Bracknell told the Committee about four deaths resulting from mobility scooter accidents in one year in Bracknell alone, but there is little evidence to suggest that fatalities on this scale are replicated nationwide.
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