How Do I Build Up Seat Height on a Manual Wheelchair?

The height of the seat on a manual wheelchair affects the way a wheelchair user sits in the chair and performs tasks such as reaching. Building up the seat height can help wheelchair users improve their posture. Manual wheelchairs have a fixed seat base height, so the main consideration to be made when building up seat height is the cushion that is placed on the chair.

Instructions

• 1

  Add layers under the cushion. A simple way to build up the seat's height is to add layers to the cushion. This can be through adding towels to the seat, or a firmer layer under the seat such as a sheet of wood. This ensures that the wheelchair user can sit higher in the wheelchair.

• 2

  Change the cushion thickness. Changing one cushion for a thicker one is another way to build up the height of the seat. Cushions are available in a variety of thicknesses, and a thicker one would allow the user to sit higher in the chair.

• 3

  Change the cushion material. Wheelchair cushions come in a wide range of materials, which can have a bearing how high the user sits in the chair. For example, a hard-foam base with a gel-topped cushion allows the user to sit higher than if using a cheaper sponge cushion, which compresses more easily. Consider air-filled cushions, which come in different thicknesses and allow you to adjust the height of a manual wheelchair.