Wheelbench Information for Sitting Disabilities

Author: Ian C. Langtree - View Credentials
Published: 29 Jan 2009 - Updated: 25 Jun 2017

Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Overview - Related Content

Synopsis

Outline of a wheelbench device designed for persons with reduced ability to sit or sitting disability.

Overview

People with both sitting and mobility problems often have to use a wheelbench, a wheeled mobility device in which the user lies down. A wheelbench somewhat resembles a hospital gurney or wheelchair.

A Sitting disability is a condition in which a person may not be able to sit, usually due to pain, but can also happen to persons sitting in wheel chairs. It is also known as "reduced ability to sit", "sitting problems" or "inability to sit".

Sitting disability has generally been an unrecognized disability.

The term "sitting disability" is not a well known expression although it is a term used to describe notable symptoms for people with severe back pain.

People with both sitting and mobility problems often have to use a wheelbench, a wheeled mobility device in which the user lies down, which is usually too large to fit into an elevator.

A wheelbench somewhat resembles a hospital gurney or wheelchair.

The main difference is that the gurney is primarily made to move patients around in a hospital and is less comfortable for long distances or outdoors.

A wheelbench has much bigger wheels than a wheelchair.

The user pushes the wheels with their hands in the same manner as propelling a wheelchair or the wheelbench can be moved by a second person pulling or pushing it by the handles.

A wheelbench is constructed in a similar way to a wheelchair, except that it has a stretcher on the top instead of a seat. Most wheelbenches are collapsible.

Accommodations for people who have a sitting disability are being enforced as Western nations integrate Universal design into their societies.

Author Credentials: Ian C. Langtree is a writer, editor, and the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, which he established in 2004 as one of the longest-running independent resources for disability news and information. Over more than two decades, he has written and edited thousands of articles on disability rights, health, accessibility, and assistive technology. Drawing on a global perspective shaped by extensive travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed advocate of the Social Model of Disability, the framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that focuses on removing societal barriers rather than on individual impairments. His writing is grounded in that framework and in a lasting commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.