Mobility

[davidpaul]

Gosh I find the mobility industry frustrating, how is it they seem to think everyone's a dumass apart from the manufactures and dealers

[Burgerman]

And especially so when it seems that its actually the opposite in many cases.

[steves1977uk]

I just ignore most and do my own mods to my chairs as they have to be right for me to use them.

Steve

[davidpaul]

It's almost funny the slowest vehicles are the most heavily restricted, could you imagine if car and bike manufactures were the same way, 21years we've had to deal with so called experts or technicians.
I've yet to meet a so called technician who can set up a rehab seat symmetrically, we even had one who fitted two different motors on the chair so with the joystick in the straight ahead position it would completely turn around in the width of our drive, worst bit was they didn't even notice.

The last experience was only a few weeks ago, my sons chair kept braking down, wouldn't drive at all, my son has to have the seat tilted back a little to help him maintain posture (you wouldn't believe how many wheelchair specialist can't see why he needs to do that) anyway it was an intermittent fault, so it would work then it wouldn't, the chair broke down in collage so the engineer was sent to fix it, on arrival he said the chair is tilted too much that's why it won't work and then left with out looking at the chair.

After a rather cross phone call they came out again and took the chair away, where they discovered a fault with one of the motors, they did then replace both

We only have to deal with them as it's an NHS supplied chair

sorry I'm ranting

[Burgerman]

I ran across this NHS incompetance years ago.

And had a rather major falling out with the WCS that you have to deal with (I refused on the grounds that they were incompetant idiots) and then built my own. Initially at my expense 20 years back. At least modified the olde F55S into a BM2. And then for a laugh had a real go at the local area NHS bosses, and the local authority, and the health secratary in gov a mr lansley at the time. Many moths and heated meetings later after I showed the big bosses quite how incapable and ignorant the WCS really were (while they were present) they started me on a new pilot scheme of 1.

Initially. They assessed my needs, (I assessed myself in detail in writing and the WCS turned up and just had no choice but to agree) and they put that figure in the bank every 3 years for me.

It has allowed me to build BM2 chairs, BM3 chair, rebuild a BM2, Buy a new salsa with all the best options inc 6mph, lights, etc, and an UNUSED Q700R from a dealer on eBay, with warranty, for 1/3rd the new price etc etc.

I decide what to buy, build, repair, re-build, and wher and when to do so.
That flexibility is key. I now have a bunch of excellent chairs, modded, etc inc lithium and used. And a few yers back they opened this up to all. But most people are not as persuasive as I am and they really dont like doing this powerchair budget thing as it was intended. But they will IF YOU MAKE THEM.