The legal mandate to uphold the mobility freedoms of disabled persons have spawned an industry that offers mobility equipment catering to the various medical and physical needs of mobility-impaired persons.

Not that they have not been available in the past, but the modern technologies that have characterized 21st century lifestyle are increasingly making these equipment safer and more comfortable than at any other time in history.

The industry catering to such gears have diversified with mobility equipment dealers and companies offering various types to cater to the ambulatory needs of various disabled persons across all ages and in varying degrees of medical conditions that constrain their mobility.

Crutches

Crutches have always been there to assist ambulatory impaired patients to move around since the dawn of history. These days, there have been orthopedic advances that have enhanced the overall strength, usability and stability of crutches. You have underarm crutches with forearm harnesses and padded grips as well as platform crutches that have 4-5 floor contacts that improve stability.

The simplest is the walking cane and is still around more as a fashion accessory than a medical mobility aid, though they are still used in mild cases, often used by the blind and visually impaired among the disabled.

Wheelchairs

From conventional wheelchairs that are manually navigated or assisted by private nurses and caregivers, you now have a proliferation of electric-powered wheelchairs or EPWs that bring modern technologies and conveniences to the wheelchair-bound invalids.

manual wheelchairs are often the basic prescription for paraplegics who still have strong upper limbs to navigate manual wheelchairs and prefer the independence to do that without caregivers around.

But if they can afford it, motorized wheelchairs can provide the same mobility benefit with ease, comfort and convenience. They are also better as a mobility equipment for children who are often too weak to control manual wheelchairs.

Unlike most medical wheelchairs, there are EPWs that have ergonomic anatomically compensated seats than can be adjusted using micro motors controlling the tilt, recline, seat and leg support elevation. Navigational controls come with the joystick as standard but there other controls available fore quadriplegics and paralytics from the neck down. Chin and mouth control systems are available and can be customized for specific patient needs.

Scooters

Three and four-wheeled mobility scooters are on the rise as they have become more popular among handicaps and even among feeble elderly persons. Not only do they afford great mobility, reaching 4mps down the walkways, they also make the disabled look less of an invalid using one than on wheelchairs.