Specialty Wheelchairs

Due to  the diverse needs of wheelchair users, wheelchairs have been designed to accommodate many lifestyles and user needs.

• For people who have difficulty walking but can use their legs, there are hemi chairs, which are lower to the floor than standard chairs, allowing the person to propel the chair using leg strength.
• For people who have paralysis or upper extremity amputation on one side, there are chairs with specially modified wheel/axle drives to allow it to be propelled with one hand.
• For obese people, there are oversized chairs and chairs with a high weight capacity.
• For people who enjoy outdoor activities, rugged, specially equipped chairs are available.
• For people who want to participate in marathons and other racing events, aerodynamic three-wheeled racing chairs are available. 

These and other specialized chair designs generally are manufactured by independent wheelchair manufacturers who are trying to meet the needs of specific target markets.

Source: ABLEDATA Fact Sheet on Manual Wheelchairs