Wheelchairs
For years, temporarily and permanently disabled people
have been using wheelchairs. Although the technology has evolved, there
are still many using the original, simply constructed chair with wheels.
These manual or self-propelled chairs are propelled by the people who
are sitting in the chairs. These chairs usually have large rear wheels
that are around two feet in diameter. They look somewhat similar to
the wheels one would find on a bike.
When the wheelchair is moved, it is done so by the person in the chair
pushing on rims attached to the sides of the wheels. While the rim is
a bit smaller, it is close to the same size as the wheels.
Users of wheelchairs are able to move in one direction or the other
by simply moving the one wheel while not moving the other. For example,
when you turn just the right wheel, you will turn to the left. Likewise,
when you turn the left wheel on wheelchairs, you will begin to turn
right.