The Merlexi Craft Liberty series of wheelchairs are crafted from a reinforced polypropylene frame that makes them light and easy to move—29 pounds when in use and 19 pounds with the wheels and arm rests removed for portage. They even make an “MRI” variant that is usable around magnetic resonance imaging machines that includes no metal at all.
Prices are around a thousand dollars.
For a few years during my childhood my parents and I worked in a live-in group home for mentally retarded and/or ill people. (There is probably a better term than “retarded” in use these days, but as I no longer work in health care and am not very comfortable with some of the other ever-changing terms used to describe those being cared for—”clients,” “consumers,” “beds”—I’m just going with “retarded”.) Hauling around wheelchairs was a major hassle—especially if you were sitting in one. I retain to this day a fascination with the tools that exist to assist the handicapped (another loaded term, I know). Sending me tips about this sort of equipment is definitely welcome. (Has anyone come up with a better version of those back-of-the-van chair lifts yet?)
Company Page [Merlexi.com] (Thanks, Matt!)
This company is new- Wheelbox (http://www.wheelbox.co.uk/index.php) they provide on demand wheelchairs; sort of like the trolleys at the airports. the idea is that the elderly and those unable to walk long distances (or at all) could arrive at places that normally require alot of walking (airports, malls, parks, etc) without having to bring their own wheelchair with them. (note: this is my dad’s brainchild, but a cool idea nonetheless.
meredith (satiredun at gmail dot com)
“People with special needs.” Any phrase that places the emphasis on the human being, rather than the disability.
Joel, as much as I tend to cringe at overly “politically correct” terminology (really, most of the time it’s about polite euphamisms), “retarded” just isn’t cool.
As someone who has worked with the physically infirmed or people with cognitive disabilities, you get to see first hand how hurtful the notion of being retarded is. That said, i’ve never really come across any terminology that doesn’t have the potential to offend. “People with special needs” hits the spot, with reference to specific illnesses being the way to go when you get down to a case-by-case discussion of individuals (with special needs).