Engine pull wheeled feet please

October 18, 2022 2:42 PM

I want to get a gift for someone whose partner uses a wheeled mobility device, so they can just grab onto their shoulder and be pulled along, rather than having to walk next to them. I don't want to get them something that is going to make their life worse, but I could easily see that happening because i don't know anything about this. Any pointers?

Keeping this intentionally broad because I'm interested in hearing about all potential solutions!
Some things I have thought about:

The sneakers with wheels in them - seems more like a cheap, breakable children's toy. Are there better ones? But these could be indoor/outdoor.

Skateboard - cheap, but is it maneuverable?

Unicycle hoverboard - expensive, but worth it? Expensive but not worth it?

Imagine they'll be using this at places like farmers markets, museums, touristy areas. Being able to use it indoors at hospitals/doctors offices would be nice if it's not obtrusive or disruptive.

What do you think?

posted by bleep to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (15 answers total)

Response by poster: Oh and in before anyone asks yes they want this too, they have less ability to research it than I do
posted by bleep at 2:53 PM on October 18, 2022 [1 favorite]

I'm sure you have but make sure the wheelchair user wants this too!

Maybe an elementary gym-style scooter board or two?
posted by rossination at 3:02 PM on October 18, 2022

I don't think I've ever seen this, and I think it's because pulling from the top of a human while having small wheels at the bottom is going to require the pull-ee to do a lot of work to stay upright. A waist-height railing, some sort of restraint, or something that pulls from nearer the wheels would improve the issue.
posted by sagc at 3:03 PM on October 18, 2022 [6 favorites]

Care E On

I think something like this would be the least intrusive. You wouldn't have to worry about carrying the device around when it wasn't in use, for example.
posted by lapis at 3:05 PM on October 18, 2022 [11 favorites]

"Mobility scooter passenger trailer" also looks like it might help with searching.
posted by lapis at 3:15 PM on October 18, 2022 [1 favorite]

I had an adult size set of Heelys, those sneakers with the wheels in heels, and the thing was that they're kinda tough to walk in (easier to run in, because all toes). So they'd kinda work for your application, but not super well. And anyone who could walk in them is gonna be mobile enough to use a skateboard, which is probably the easiest to carry option.

I'm also a huge fan of inline skates, but they take a while to put on and take off... When I was a kid I had a decent set of strap-on rollerskates with urethane wheels (back when urethane wheels were a big deal), which would be a step between Heelys or skates and a skateboard or the aforementioned scooter board (which I'd think would be harder than a skateboard because you'd have to use the mobility device for stability).

They're pricey (though it looks like they're cheap on eBay), and I don't see how the geometry would work well for traditional skating, but for your purposes the Cardiff Skate might work.

Or oooh, while searching for adult sized strap-on skates, I found Flaneurz which look like skates that clip into a cleated shoe, where the shoe actually looks pretty walkable.

But that Care E On that lapis linked to looks like the simplest solution.
posted by straw at 3:33 PM on October 18, 2022 [3 favorites]

This type of thing would be most useful, but alas it's only made for this specific wheelchair, and is for up to 62lbs.

I'm in agreement with sagc though. This is going to be inherently dangerous unless the wheels are decently sized (or it it's mounted to the device). If it's made with small wheels, the wheels are going to catch on every little crack in the sidewalk and the pull-ee will come crashing down.
posted by hydra77 at 3:36 PM on October 18, 2022 [4 favorites]

I don't think this is a great idea in general, because it's going to change the ergonomics of the scooter or power chair and increase the work on the motor, assuming it's electric, plus put the other person , but I guess you could look at hacking some of the ride-on stroller boards that are available.
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 5:53 PM on October 18, 2022 [2 favorites]

This standing trailer (3rd item on the page) may be close to what you describe but I agree with talking in detail first about ease of attachment, stress on the motor, and stability for your specific device. It says it goes up to 220 lbs.

Green Mobility has a tandem device but that might be cumbersome for tight places like museums or farmers' markets.

The shop where they purchased the device may have some suggestions also.
posted by beaning at 7:38 PM on October 18, 2022 [3 favorites]

I think braking is likely to be problematic in at least two ways. First, the powered scooter or whatever it is may not have brakes rated for the extra load of the partner's bodyweight. Second, the partner is going to experience forward momentum that could put them off-balance and risk slamming into the mobility device or falling over or whatever.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 10:11 PM on October 18, 2022 [1 favorite]

There is a reason this is not a widely accessible Thing
posted by chiquitita at 2:36 AM on October 19, 2022

The biggest hurdle in this journey is understanding that a mobility aid will be of some use, so that's a good start. The short answer is a powered mobility scooter or some form of wheelchair.

The long intentionally broad answer is that I used to work in the disability field so lets cover mobility 101:

To start with you need to assess the individual specific needs - do they:

• have limitations to mobility? Paralysis? Motor control?
• have a decreased safety or risk for falls?
• require assistance, like with stairs, or going down a ramp
• limited strength: is it simply that they are slow?
• limited endurance: do they get tired?

In this scenario it sounds like the need is to provide limited assistance to supplement, aid or power someone's mobility. Generally, the broad solutions to mobility are ones you are familiar with, wheelchair, crutches, scooters, trikes, a grabber arm. Beyond that there is not a single broad solution as the requirements simply vary too much.

The second step is to assess resources:

• in the US you can start by contacting you local Americans with Disability Act (ADA) center at 1-800-949-4232. they will be able to start you on the process of navigating this process. In some jurisdictions resources are very very limited.
• medical diagnosis: a physician can determine medical need, and then you check if they qualify for equipment, and in the US a "Letter of Medical Necessity" is issued to coerce your insurance into funding a proper device. This provides a custom solution to fit the individuals specific needs, and it can be a 3-4 month process so it's best to not dally.
• Budget. Durable Medical Equipment (DME) and Complex Rehabilitation Technology (CRT) are expensive.

In this case it's a supplemental device, and it's common to have different solutions for different situations or environments. Resources are assumed to be limited, and that means we are likely going with an improvised or repurposed CRT. In ADA speak this is an OPDMD, and are very common but there are many big limitations, especially around user safety. Generally speaking the most inexpensive and available DME is a wheelchair, and for CRT it's a mobility scooter.

Third it's the device.

• Fit to purpose: Can the user eat or go to the bathroom with the device? Does it need to collapse? Be carried? Does the device need to go in a trunk for transportation, or a plane? Complexity adds weight and cost.
• environment: all assistive equipment will break, and some environments speed that process. Equipment that must operate outside has to be durable to water and sun exposure. Even a tidy sidewalk is going to introduce dust, debris, and damaging encounters with the equipment. Durability adds weight and cost
• power source: gas powered can't go inside most buildings. Battery powered requires recharging, is heavy and often is a technical challenge. Manual power imposes obvious limitations, and can also limit independence.
• integration: can the person actually use the device in its intended fashion? Can the device be modified, and is there support to make changes?

A supplemental CRT/OPDMD that I can generically suggest is the outdoor mobility scooter. The outdoor is critical and should be considered the minimum viable, even at the cost of other features. They come in a variety of configurations and it really makes a difference to try them out. This is one business that should be in every major airport. A manual push unit really puts the assistant to work - most built environments outside have slopes. But the range of powered battery units is a major cost factor. In my experience 4 wheeled units are more stable, and easier to support as they are often lighter and easier to maintain. 3 wheeled are easier for the operator to maneuver and steer. Get one with a replaceable seat or at least washable cover. Unless it's a used for very short trips don't bother relying on any onboard storage, unlike that shopping scooter yours won't be plugged back in after only 30 minutes of use. That extra weight can really limit range.

I would expect an inexpensive battery powered unit used every few weeks to last 2 years, 3 tops, before requiring major servicing. All mobility devices require annual maintenance, just like a bike or car. At the other end of this is the properly maintained manual wheelchair, which can last several decades. The duty cycle of a powered mobility device that is an actual DME is also much greater that your average scooter, which is one of the reasons for their much higher cost. This is necessary because the anticipated use for a DME is near constant. Of course the goal is have the device used as often as needed, but the more it is used the quicker it will wear out, and that should be anticipated and planned for. A cheap device today might cost more in the long term.

In the US everyone has the right to access defined pedestrian routes in public spaces. Beyond their legal rights, a disabled person's assistive technology should not be evaluated by how obtrusive or disruptive it is for anyone else.
posted by zenon at 8:33 AM on October 19, 2022 [1 favorite]

Adults I've seen do this kind of arrangement either used rollerskates or a skateboard, likely because the passenger was adequately skilled at using rollerskates or a skateboard. Maybe once I saw someone sitting in a Radio Flyer, and I think I've seen a video of someone using their powered mobility device to tow an unpowered wheelchair on a rope.

Some mixed pairs of non independent wheeled-mobility and walking children have slightly better options. There are several strollers, mostly at the medium to high ends, designed with decks for an older child to stand on. Some have that available as addons much like what you're thinking of.

I suspect, though, that replacing the existing mobility equipment with something designed for this option is not on the table.

If the non-seated participant has the capability to operate rollerskates -- something a growing number of folks are doing these days! -- that's a pretty straightforward option with lots of products on the market and affords nearly unlimited maneuverability.
posted by majick at 10:47 AM on October 19, 2022 [1 favorite]

For additional research terms, perhaps try bicycle rickshaw|pedicab attachment|trailer.

The hitch system helps deal with the braking issue.
posted by porpoise at 11:38 AM on October 19, 2022 [1 favorite]

Oh! I'd meant to mention, too, one additional potential consideration for rollerskates: the unpowered participant can detach trivially and perform their own braking maneuvers, as well as having the option to launch ahead as a vanguard for assistance tasks or just because it's like having a fighter jet on the deck of the capital ship.
posted by majick at 1:22 PM on October 20, 2022 [1 favorite]