TOP TIPS FOR PIMPING YOUR WHEELCHAIR
We all know that Disability equipment isn't always the most aesthetic or personal, so it is nice to add some unique touches to your Wheelchair. It is part of your outfit so why not make it look good?
I have made some very simple and cheap changes to my chair, that looks exactly how I want it to!
1: RIM COVERS
These are great accessories for your wheelchair. Not only to jazz it up with some colour, but they also make it a lot easier to grip and control your wheelchair.
There are a range you can get some have more grip than others, but mine was simple ones from Amazon and so far they have great grip and don't slide off of the original rims.
Before!
2: SPRAY PAINT
A simple option for adding some colour or patterns or, if you're like me, making it all black. However, spray paint will wear and chip very easily! As you can see in the photo above, I originally spray painted my rims but they chipped within days. I have also spray painted my footplate, which has not chipped as much but still has noticeable wear.
Spray Paint isn't the greatest or most permanent personalisation but it is a very quick and easy way to add something a bit different.
Always be careful when spray painting - do it outside on top of an old sheet or piece of cardboard, wear old clothes and ensure you get the correct paint for the material.
After!
FOOTPLATE:
On a side note - this footplate is also personalized. The footplate that came with the chair was too small and didn't hold my feed back to prevent them from kicking out. So my Dad adapted this piece of metal to make a footplate with a lip that I can tuck my toes behind.
3: SPOKE COVERS
One of the main things that came with my wheelchair and I felt made it look quite medical were the reflectors and silver spokes.
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I easily snapped off the reflectors and then, after a failed attempt at spray painting, found some spoke covers for really cheap on Amazon. They did an array of colours so you could easily make a rainbow effect around the wheel if you wanted to.
I simply slit down the slight crack in the cover and wrapped it around the spoke, then cut it to the appropriate length. It is very very fiddly I would recommend you have someone to help, but once done they appear really smart and don't move or come off.
I hope this gave you a few ideas on things you can do to jazz up your wheelchair, of course there are lots more things you can do such as: lights, stickers, and bags, but these are just a few very simple and cheap options I have used.
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D​​on’t let your wheels hold you back.