Child, Youth or Growing Wheelchairs

Children and teens need chairs that can accommodate their changing needs as they grow. In addition, it is important that wheelchairs for children or teens are adaptable to classroom environments and "friendly looking" to help the user fit more readily into social situations. Wheelchairs for children and youths usually offer a more streamlined appearance and/or brighter upholstery or frame colors.

Because of the high cost of replacing a chair as well as limitations often placed by insurance providers on how frequently chairs may be replaced, purchasing a new chair each year for a growing child can be prohibitively expensive. Growth chairs or chairs with growth kits allow an existing chair to be adjusted to accommodate a growing child. Some wheelchairs for children are designed with features that allow them to be converted to accommodate growth such as variable seat width and depth, adjustable axle and seat heights, and height adjustable footrests. Adjustments or adaptations to account for growth may include installing replaceable components or designing the chair with features that can be converted from a smaller size to a larger size.

Source: ABLEDATA Fact Sheet on Manual Wheelchairs