Rolling Traveler

Before I begin today’s topic, I would like to direct your attention to this post by Mark E. Smith at the Powerchair Diaries. It’s a thought-provoking post about why we should be cautious in recommending our wheelchair to someone else. I would also like to remind you of what I told you in the first of the posts in this series: your precise medical condition is the determining factor in your choice of wheelchair, and you shouldn’t take on a chair that you can’t handle.

 So far in this series, I’ve talked about the tires on the main wheels of your chair (air-filled for more comfort, solid for easier maintenance) and the types of casters that are available (small for maneuverability, large for comfort on rough surfaces). Today, I’d like to talk a little about wheel camber. Camber refers to the angle between the plane of the main wheels and the frame of the wheelchair. In a standard wheelchair, the camber is 0°: the wheels are parallel to each other, perpendicular to the ground. In some models, particularly those for sports, there is a positive camber: the tops of the wheels are closer together, the bottoms are farther apart, and the wheels are at an angle to the ground. Go here for some images of wheelchairs with and without camber - unforunately, I was unable to find a non-copyright image to include directly.

 The wheel camber affects the maneuverability and stability of the wheelchair. Wheelchairs with 0° camber are less maneuverable than those with even 5° camber. It is harder to turn in place in a wheelchair with 0° camber, and such chairs need a wider space to turn in. Wheelchairs with camber of a few degrees and are less likely to fall sideways even if the user leans to the side. However, wheelchairs with camber of 5° and up were found to be more likely to fall backwards than wheelchairs with 0° camber. This means that if you have poor balance, you should think very carefully before choosing a wheelchair with wheel camber: falling backwards is more common than falling to the side.

 A slight camber on the wheels of a chair not only makes the chair more maneuverable, it also makes it slightly easier to propel. I find that my wrists and forearms get tired more rapidly when I am in my 0° camber wheelchair than when I use my 4° camber chair. Chairs with positive wheel camber are also reported to put less strain on the shoulders. I have never noticed any difference in myself, but my shoulders are generally a problem.

 There are two large problems with camber on chairs for everyday use. First, even 5° camber adds inches of width to the wheelchair. This can make getting through doorways and into elevators more difficult, and can also be a problem on public transport, where berths may be just a couple of inches too narrow. This width is difficult to judge, as it is at the base of the wheelchair, so you may not realize the extent to which your wheels are sticking out. Second, depending on the frame, it may not be possible to lay the wheelchair flat with the wheels attached, making it harder to fit into the trunk of a car or the hold of an airplane. This means that the wheels may have to be removed more often. I don’t like cab drivers and airport baggage handlers to separate the wheels from my chair, as I’ve had problems with axle damage and loss.

 Unless you are playing a sport, you do not need a wheelchair with a high wheel camber, but, assuming there is no medical objection, you may choose to have a slight camber for the added speed and maneuverability. Just be aware that camber means your chair is wider, and this can be a real disadvantage when you are traveling. I have seen elevator doors in the UK, Germany and Poland that were only just wide enough for my 0° camber wheelchair, and there are older buildings right across northern Europe with non-standard door widths and narrow corridors that can be a problem.

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