How to Go Down Stairs in a Wheel Chair

Navigating down a flight of stairs while confined to a wheel chair can be a difficult and dangerous task to accomplish if you're not properly assisted. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, wheelchair users have died when their wheelchairs have accidentally fallen down a flight of stairs or dropped off the side of a ramp. Prevent injuring yourself or others by locating a pair of assistants to help you navigate your wheelchair down stairs successfully.

Instructions

• 1

  Ask two separate individuals for assistance. Make sure both helpers are healthy and fit, as each individual will be responsible for partially carrying your wheelchair down the flight of stairs.

• 2

  Direct one helper to the back of your wheelchair. Ask the individual to grip the handlebars tightly and securely.

• 3

  Direct the other individual to the front of your wheelchair. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the individual in front of the wheel chair should be facing the wheelchair while standing one to three steps down, depending on the height of the other helper behind the wheelchair. Ask the individual to secure a tight grip to the bottom frame of your wheelchair.

• 4

  Ask both helpers to gently lift or tilt the wheelchair slightly backwards until a balance between both individuals is achieved.

• 5

  Direct both individuals to begin the descent slowly down the stairs. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the person facing the wheelchair should be pushing into the wheelchair while descending the stairs backward and the individual behind the wheelchair should be descending the stairs frontward while allowing the back wheels of the wheel chair to lower gradually to the next step.

• 6

  Thank both helpers as soon as you land safely on ground level.