How to Assess a Safe Indoor Speed for Driving a Power Wheelchair

According to The National Institutes of Health, "On average, an estimated 36,000 wheelchair-related injuries serious enough to prompt a visit to an emergency department occur annually in the United States." Knowing how to assess a safe indoor speed for your power wheelchair is crucial for preventing injuries. Obstacles like rugs, carpeting and doorway thresholds can affect your ability to safely navigate through your home or office. Learning to how to choose a proper speed takes practice and a little patience.

Instructions

• 1

  Your power wheelchair joystick has a speed control knob. Depending on the model of your chair, it will be either on top of the controller box or on the side. For indoor use, start with your speed control set left of center. If you think of the knob as a clock face, turn the knob to ten o'clock. This will limit how fast your chair can move.

  Power wheelchair joysticks are sensitive to pressure. If you push the joystick as far forward as possible, your chair will move faster. A gentle touch is enough to get the chair to start rolling.

• 2

  To gauge your speed indoors at home, have a friend walk beside you. If you are moving faster than your friend, lessen the pressure on the speed control knob until you match your friend's pace.

• 3

  Finding a proper indoor speed when you are in a crowd is similar to driving on a crowded highway --- you want to be fast enough to keep up with traffic, but not so fast that you risk running into anyone. Using the speed control knob, turn the dial to the center. Remember that your speed is controlled both by the knob on the joystick box and by pressure on the joystick itself.