Pros and Cons Technologies That Enable Mobility

Discuss needs underlying evaluation of the consumer for a mobility system

Mobility evaluation is the teaching of concepts, skills and techniques necessary for a person who is blind to travel safely, efficiently and confidently through any environment and under all environmental conditions and situations.  Mobility services may include: basic orientation concepts of body awareness and geometric shapes; use of reference systems to increase safety, independence and confidence; a primary travel system using residual vision, sighted guide, and long cane, prescribed low vision aids or a combination of the above. Where appropriate, the system may integrate the use of a guide dog and electronic vision enhancement systems; effective indoor travel techniques, including self-protective techniques, trailing and room or building familiarization; safe and effective negotiation of outdoor areas including street crossings at various traffic controlled intersections and the use of public transportation.
Describe the three categories of mobility systems on the basis of the need serve by each
Mobility aid is a device designed to assist walking or otherwise improve the mobility of people with a mobility impairment. There are various walking aids which can help people with impaired ability to walk and wheelchairs or mobility scooters for more severe disability or longer journeys which would otherwise be undertaken on foot. For people who are blind or visually impaired the white cane and guide dog have a long history of use. Other aids can help with mobility or transfer within a building or where there are changes of level. Traditionally the phrase "mobility aid" has applied mainly to low technology mechanical devices. The term also appears in government documents, for example dealing with tax concessions of various kinds. It refers to those devices whose use enables a freedom of movement similar to that of unassisted walking or standing up from a chair. Technical advances can be expected to increase the scope of these devices considerably, for example by use of sensors and audio or tactile feedback
Describe the two primary structures of wheelchairs

Wheelchair designs and enhancements are provided for use with conventional wheelchair design. The designs and enhancements include bariatric extension panels and security features making it suitable for use in high security areas such as prisons and psychiatric wards. A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, invented in the early 5th century. The device comes in variations where it is may be either manually propelled by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hander or electrically propelled by motors. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing. Wheelchairs are used by people for whom walking is difficult or impossible due to illness, injury, or disability. People who have difficulty sitting and walking often need to use a wheel bench.

Identify the major characteristics of manual wheelchairs
Wheelchairs have many features to make the equipment more functional for the end user, but there are variations on these features and reasons why each variation is important to each user. When prescribing a wheelchair there are many decisions which have to be made and an understanding of how each decision will affect other decisions is important. For instance, if you choose a low seat height, you can't choose large wheels as the wheels will affect the seat height. Another example would be, if you choose 70 degree footrests you may not be able to choose 8" casters. Often choosing the right wheelchair configuration for a wheelchair is a seemingly never ending series of compromises.
Generally, choosing the right cushioning and back support for comfort, posture and seating tolerance is the first step in prescribing a wheelchair. Once it's determined that the best configuration of seating products has been chosen, the configuration of the wheelchair can be decided. A few of the factors which need to be considered when choosing a configuration for a wheelchair are the user's environment, prognosis, abilities and activities. The wheelchair should be functional in the user's environment, adaptable to the user's prognosis, enhance their abilities and enable their participation in desired their activities.
Identifying the major types of power mobility systems and their characteristics

As with manual wheelchairs, power wheelchairs have progressed greatly over the past 20 years. The original power wheelchairs were simply manual wheelchairs that had motors and batteries integrated into their design. These power wheelchairs tended to be a little noisy and unreliable with little if any adjustability or options. In addition to the normal seating and comfort issues associated with manual wheelchairs there are decisions as to the level of electronics that may be needed. While many people can function just fine with the standard electronics and controls available on most power chairs there are those who will need more. There are several different types of drive controls on the market that people who can't use a conventional joystick such as head control, breath control and proximity switch control to name a few. In addition to control options some power wheelchairs offer power tilt/recline seats or elevating seats which require an above normal level of controls for them to function. There are also environmental controls that allow a wheelchair user to operate doors and locks in their home, turn on and off appliances, TVs, stereos etc. and computers. While environmental controls are aftermarket products which are not normally available from power wheelchair manufacturers as options, it is important that the wheelchair's electronics will support these products if it is expected they will be needed at some time in the future. Today's power wheelchairs come in a variety of configurations, a large amount of adjustability and many features to allow the power wheelchair meet the needs of the user. Because of the many variations and options available with power wheelchairs, choosing the right wheelchair will require a clear understanding of what the user's needs are and also an understanding of what the options are and how they benefit the user

Understand the influence of the relationship between the center of gravity of the user and the center of mass of the wheelchair on the function of the wheelchair

·         Step 1Find out how much the object weighs. If there is any added weight to the object make sure to calculate it. For example, if you want to find the center of gravity for a car with two people in it, weigh the car alone, weigh each person separately and then add all of their weights together.

·          Step 2 Measure the length of each object from one end to the other. If we use the example from Step 1, you measure the car first. Next, measure the people from their backs to their chests. This is because the car is flat on the ground. If the car rested on its back bumper, you would measure the entire length of the people. Find half of each length and write it down.

·         Step 3 Start the math. Multiply each distance by the weight of that object. Multiply the length of the car by its weight and so on.

·          Step 4 Add the answers of the multiplication together to get the total measurement. Add the weights together.

·          Step 5 Divide the total from Step 4 by the total weight to calculate the center of gravity for the object.

Describe the implementation phase for personal mobility systems
A disability is a condition or function judged to be significantly impaired relative to the usual standard of an individual or group. The term is used to refer to individual functioning, including physical impairment, sensory impairment, cognitive impairment, intellectual impairment mental illness, and various types of chronic disease. Disability is conceptualized as being a multidimensional experience for the person involved. There may be effects on organs or body parts and there may be effects on a person's participation in areas of life. Correspondingly, three dimensions of disability are recognized in ICF: body structure and function (and impairment thereof), activity (and activity restrictions) and participation (and participation restrictions). The classification also recognizes the role of physical and social environmental factors in affecting disability outcomes. Types of disabilities include various physical and mental impairments that can hamper or reduce a person's ability to carry out his day to day activities. These impairments can be termed as disability of the person to do his or her day to day activities. These impairments can be termed as disability of the person to do his day to day activities as previously.

"Disability" can be broken down into a number of broad sub-categories, which include the following:

a) Mobility and Physical Impairments This category of disability includes people with varying types of physical disabilities including: Upper limb(s) disability Lower limb(s) disability Manual dexterity Disability in co-ordination with different organs of the body Disability in mobility can be either an in-born or acquired with age problem. It could also be the effect of a disease. People who have a broken bone also fall into this category of disability