This is where our knowledge of anatomy and physiology comes in! Getting the right-sized wheelchair means taking very accurate measurements. Sometimes, we can get sufficient information from your current wheelchair and by taking measurements of you seated on your sofa or a kitchen chair. However, for the most accurate information, we prefer to see you seated on a flat surface so we can see how you sit (and sometimes lie) without support. We can then add support to your seated position to mimic the support in your new wheelchair. We carry mobile therapy tables with us for this purpose. This can be a very time-consuming part of the assessment process, but it is also a very important part – it’s where your comfort in your new wheelchair can be won or lost! It is also important to identify deviations of your joints or spine that can be corrected. Your therapist is an expert at assessing range of motion of your joints and will be able to recommend adaptations to your wheelchair to assist in preventing any problems from getting worse.

If you wish, we can take photographs of you that will assist us in determining if the wheelchair is doing the job that we intend it to do. It will also allow you to keep a record of any changes in your body position.