Sometimes I forget non-wheelchair users don’t realize how much wheelchairs actually are. Like sure, you can go buy a problematic one for a few hundred dollars, if you only need it to last a few weeks. But to get a wheelchair, not an electric one, just a manual wheelchair that actually fits your measurements and has certain features like anti-tippers, seatbelts, tread on the wheels, etc. costs several thousand dollars. Several thousand. For a manual chair. An electric wheelchair will cost you at least twice that amount. And wheelchairs break down. Both manual and electric. And most insurances don’t cover the costs to fix them. In fact, most insurances, even the best ones, only pay for a new wheelchair every five years. And most wheelchairs, even the best ones, are so poorly designed (not the fault of the companies, so much as the actual design of the wheelchair needs a serious upgrade) that they end up falling apart within two or three years. Really cool modern racing/basketball wheelchairs? Tens of thousands. Those wheelchairs that allow you to stand? Twenty thousand. At least. And then abled people keep coming up with wheelchair attachments that should pretty much just be labeled scams, and are selling them for way more than they’re worth. (You can attach a front wheel, handle-bars, and pedals to your chair for $2,000.)
Yeah, I felt like I was getting away with something when I got my chair for like $4K, tbh, and we had to crowdfund that bc my insurance wouldn’t pay for any of it. And I would probably choose a different one if I could afford it but finding the combo of light, electric, foldable, and with a decent seat and adjustable leg rests is like hahaha no.
This needs fixing. Also the design issue.
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Thoughtfulfangirling 