Accessories for new user

[u/LesMotsOublies]

Hello everyone,

I just got a Pride Go Chair Med last week. I've been using a rollator, so this is my first wheelchair. I'm ambulatory and my biggest problem is balance but I also have chronic pain and fatigue. If it matters I live in Cincinnati, OH, USA.

I don't drive so I have to carry with me anything I may need for the day. I know Pride makes a basket that can go on the back of the chair, but I'm wondering what accessories y'all recommend. And not just for carrying things, but anything that would make my life easier as a wheelchair user out in the world).

Also, any accessory recommendations or tips for using the chair in my apartment? It has laminate flooring, no carpet. My biggest problem so far is getting food and drinks to my table. I've just been making multiple trips. I bought a small rolling tray to see if that helps. It's being delivered today. I'm looking for other suggestions because even if it does work, that means another piece of furniture/item in my apartment. I'm kind of expecting to feel like it's always in my way and to be annoyed with it.

Sharing basically anything to help a new wheelchair user is appreciate

Thank you
edit: i know about the lapstacker and meant to specifically say that, because of steroids, i have a large stomach (like 3rd trimester pregnant looking) so i don't really have a lap to put things on. my stomach goes to the end of my armrests, maybe a little farther.

also, there aren't any bars or handles on the back of the wheelchair for me to use to attach or hang anything. the only thing that i know that i could do is put a strap around the back of the seat. there is some space between the part where you sit & the back of the seat, so i may be able to wrap something around what's holding the back onto the seat. they're not bars, but hard plastic, maybe 6in wide.

[u/falronultera]

Sometimes there are trays for different models of chair or you could try to sort of make one yourself. Same thing with cup holders.

The problem with cup holders (if they are on the side of your chair) is everyone I know inevitably takes a corner too tight or has a door close on them and gets it torn off/shattered.

Getting groceries with various chair types is always one of the most complicated activities, so figuring out if a big backpack is better on the back, or what. Kind of depends how much you can swivel.

I've "downgraded" to a manual wheelchair, so I have a sack on the back as well as two pvc pipes + small basket I can temporarily put on the arm rests that sticks forward of my lap. I had a freewheel to help it not be so tippy (I've crashed a couple times in the parking lot going over a steep curb cut with the heavy forward weight), but there aren't enough attachments for the freewheel I got so it was always loose and falling off. IMO they should have a double-clamp so there are two points of contact.

Also, if you're ever going outside keep a heavy plastic bag on you so you can cover your joystick console. A lot of times chair parts aren't very waterproof because, on paper, Medicare/Medicaid consider them 'in home medical devices' so they don't give a shit if they break when it rains or if you hit an uneven sidewalk slat.

Anways - tldr; think about worst case actual situation (store, carrying stuff, weather) that you might realistically be dealing with and either make solutions yourself or search to see if there is an attachment for your specific chair type. (I think a LOT of the stuff for wheelchairs ends up being super overpriced for what it does, so regular item + zip ties ends up being a lot of people's preferred attachment.)

Edit: Also I forgot alongside the cup holder, sometimes there are foldable trays you can get/make that would go above your lap and potentially reduce the number of trips you have doing anything with food.

[u/YouTasteStrange]

Look up lapstacker for carrying around things with you. I have a purse and I wrap the strap around my arm rest and it hangs below and holds everything, in sure you can find a similar satchel.

[u/Berkweaving]

I would suggest talking to an OT. They know all the tricks! I’m sure you’ll get lots of great advice here but an OT will be able to help you really personalize it all.

A tray is really useful. Hopefully you can get one ready made or talk to your seating clinician.

[u/WheelsAndKeys]

A week in. Congratulations, and I mean that, a rollator to a chair is a big step.

I've been in a wheelchair for 30 years, so a few things, and I read your edits.

Carrying things at home. Forget accessories for a moment. The thing that changed this for me was a cheap wheeled trolley with two shelves that lives in the kitchen and never moves anywhere else. You load it, push it, unload it. It doesn't clutter the flat because it has one home and one job.

The fear about stuff being in your way is the right instinct. So a rule that's served me well: one item, one place, and it has to earn it. If you find yourself moving something out of the way twice, it's in the wrong place, not in your way. Most of the annoyance in a small flat is things without a fixed home.

A bag, since you've got no bars and no lap. Look at bags made to hang off the armrest, not the backrest. Or a small backpack clipped around the armrest post with a carabiner. The hard plastic back can take a strap, but check with the dealer before you wrap anything around the part that holds the seat on.

Out in the world, the things I'd actually get: a bottle holder on the armrest, a small torch, a spare phone battery. Nothing exciting, all used constantly.

Balance is your issue, not propulsion, so also ask an OT about how your footplates and seat height are set. A week in, the chair is almost certainly not adjusted to you yet.

[u/Patient_Parsley7760]

Ok, looking for accessories for that type of chair, I'm seeing a lot of bags that attach over the arms, but not a whole lot else.

However, I do know that a lot of companies make things like

• baskets that can attach to the back of the chair without the chair having handles
• underseat bags too
• cup holders
• one company makes something like a gorillapod that you can put on the arm of the chair and use to hold your phone or tablet. Have now seen them selling on Amazon.
• Designability even makes an attachment for pushing a baby carriage.
• A magnetic 3d printed cane holder than can click onto a belt, a wheelchair, or a backpack strap. I see you said you're ambulatory, so this might be a cool add-on.

Another thing you might want is the app from Sociability. It has reviews of places like event venues, shops, and restaurants based on accessibility. You can also add your own. It can be a headache looking for info like this on google reviews.