Evaluation of a new wheelchair prototype using the Wheelchair Skills Training Program~R in paraplegics persons

摘要

Introduction.-A new lever-propelled wheelchair prototype has been designed, which may avoid complications and discomfort related to the hand-rim conventional propulsion. Objective and method. - In the present investigation, this new prototype was evaluated objectively by the "Wheelchair Skills Training Program~R". This test, proposed by the research team in the Dalhousie University, is a complete system which can be used in evaluation and training of manual wheelchair users and their caregivers.Results. - The results of the evaluation suggest that the prototype wheelchair is superior on a number of factors including such related to security and alteration in the propulsion technique. Nevertheless, some skills of our prototype were performed with failure. These individual skills are the "Gets over 15cm pot-hole", "Rolls backward", "Gets from ground into wheelchair".