Safely travel over low-level obstacles in your wheelchair with our advanced skills guide. Understand when to tackle obstacles and when to ask for help.
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Moving safely over low-level obstacles like cables, thresholds, and paving stones is an essential skill. Even small things can pose problems for you and your wheelchair if you don’t have a plan to deal with them.
This guide covers how to move over low-level obstacles in both manual wheelchairs and powerchairs. By the end, you’ll learn how to approach small obstacles safely, control your balance, and use the correct technique to stay steady and secure.
When moving around, you’ll find small obstacles everywhere. Things like a raised tile, doorway strip, or electrical cable might seem minor, but they can impact your balance or even stop your wheelchair suddenly.
Learning how to approach and tackle uneven surfaces and obstacles correctly will keep you safe and prevent damage to your chair. You begin to develop a sense for obstacles, and with practice, you’ll find it easier to identify them and tackle them.
When using your wheelchair, you must stay vigilant and look out for anything that might upset your balance. Once you’ve spotted an obstacle, you need to make a plan on how to tackle it.
Build up your skills by lifting your castors over small obstacles before progressing to larger ones. Keeping control of your chair and timing are the most important things, and that comes from precise and controlled movements.
The principles of moving over an object are the same for powerchairs and manual wheelchairs. You need to plan before moving, and be controlled and confident. Follow these steps:
You’ll need to use your judgment about what height of obstacle you can safely manage in your chair. You can check your manual to confirm the maximum obstacle height your chair can safely manage. Never take any chances with your own safety.
Like all the skills featured in our basic and advanced guides, by practicing them regularly, you’ll become more confident and capable of managing on your own.
Independence comes from confidence, and that comes with control. Take things slowly, plan and prepare before moving over any obstacles that could upset your balance.
Here’s a quick reminder of what we’ve covered in this guide:
Safely go up and down kerbs in a wheelchair. We’ll help you build essential skills that enable you to be more independent in your wheelchair.
Understand how to control your wheelchair on different terrain, including how to travel grass, gravel and uneven surfaces. Stay safe and stable with our expert
