Due to a quite picturesque range of neurological disorders, not to forget the devastating effects of advancing age, I have become sort of less mobile than I used to be. Where I used to be able to effortlessly walk for hours and hours, I now move slowly at a tortoises pace, for a maximum of one hour, supporting myself with either a cane or a crutch – depending on how I happen to function that day. Yet I refuse to complain: there’s nothing I can truly say I lack in my life, and reduced mobility doesn’t really bother me.
However, for the somewhat longer distances I nowadays use an electrical, which definitely makes me feel like a prince or even a king! Relaxedly sitting in a cusioned seat, pleasantly but never haughtly saluting the admiring passers-by, I zip along at either walking pace or double speed. When I feel relaxed I “walk”, when I actually need to be somewhere at a certain time I rev up the little machine.
There are lots of people much worse off than me, when it comes to mobility. I can, albeit with difficulty, still walk – many others can’t. Especially for them the electric scooter is a great support, enabling them to be free again. There are 3-wheel mobility scooters and 4-wheel mobility scooters, and if you’re seriously considering buying such a contraption, I certainly recommend the 3-wheeled version. These are somewhat more manoeuvrable on account of their tighter turning radius, which is a definite advantage in crowded or narrow places. I also would advice you to go for batteries with a lot of capacity: it’s not only unpleasant but also quite embarassing to find yourself without of juice when a long way from home!
Apart from mobility scooters, there are many more things and gadgets that make the life of the handicapped much easier. Stairlifts, bed lifts, electric wheelchairs, walkers… they all help to make life much more normal for the handicapped.