The Declaration of Independence
The Wheelable 3 Shower and Toilet Wheelchair, developed in Israel, solves several of the problems travelers traveling wheelchair users often face.
Anyone who, as a wheelchair user, leaves the protective environment of one’s own four walls for days or even weeks at a time usually takes a loss of comfort. It is obvious that a mobility restriction is accompanied by special requirements for the (residential) environment. Of course, wheelchair users set up so that the trusted home allows maximum independence. Nothing stands in the way around, the bed has the right height to sit around, in the kitchen all equipment in Greifradius are accessible and in the bath a bath lift or barrier-free designed shower provides for unadulterated bathing fun. Theoretically, you do not have to do without this convenience even when traveling, Vacation rentals advertise being wheelchair accessible. The search masks of relevant Internet portals have a wheelchair symbol to limit the selection accordingly. Special tour operators offer wheelchair-accessible travel to every corner of the globe, from poolside loungers to safari for the more adventurous. All well and good – but as a very average paraplegic and active wheelchair user, who does not need a nursing bed or extra-wide doors, I want to spend “the best weeks of the year” in an ambience whose aesthetic appearance can be classified somewhere between nursing home and nursing home? Will I pay the extra charge that housing providers demand for the amortization of their special equipment investments? Will I accept
I personally answered the question for myself with a clear no. If I need a holiday apartment, I first explore the “normal” offer. Since internet portals usually put their offers well in the picture, that’s not so difficult. Of course, there are exclusion criteria in the form of stairs and steps, but on the one hand there are plenty of ground floor apartments and houses and on the other hand, in my experience landlords are usually very helpful when it comes to bridging smaller obstacles with improvised ramps.
Vulnerability bathroom
With normal floor plans, thanks to a sixty-centimeter-wide wheelchair, I get along really well, and many a double bed I have already brought to a comfortable height with a few solid bricks from the nearest hardware store. Treacherous, however, are bathrooms and toilets. Whoever needs a wheelchair without ifs and buts, and therefore has no walking or standing capacity, is forced to rely on regular gymnastic exercises when it comes to using the toilet. Understandably, the floor plan of a bathroom built for pedestrians often does not take this into account. It is helpful if you are fit enough to be able to switch from each side, but at the latest when space is cramped on all sides, the limits of what is possible are reached at some point. Above all,
Similarly problematic is the showering. Although in many countries a slope tiled floor is common instead of the shower tray commonly used in Germany, so that you can get in the ordinary bathrooms barrier-free under the shower, but whoever creates his wheelchair until then, needs a shower seat. A plastic chair is usually at hand, but sitting around gets a shaky and therefore dangerous matter.
A professional solution must be here
But then limit the search to explicitly suitable for wheelchairs accommodations? Before my last winter escape, which should lead me once again to the Canary Island of La Palma, I searched the Internet for a place to stay. I was a little late, even the normal offer was rare, the few accessible offers, which I already knew, all occupied. A holiday home was in the desired period still to have, I said. With another careful review of all the photos that were placed on the net, I realized: The brand new bathroom was very chic, but the toilet was jammed between shower cubicle and wall. No problem for a pedestrian, for me, however, virtually unattainable. Time to solve the problem in principle, In my search under the keyword “shower and toilet chair” I came across the net on a video clip, which made me curious. Further research led me to the Israeli company Seatara and to the information that their product Wheelable 3 in Germany is about rehabilitation in Heidelberg to relate. Some calls and a few days later there was a big carton in my apartment and again a few days later I started the air travel to La Palma with an extra piece of luggage.
The “second wheelchair” was transported free of charge as bulky goods – after prior registration with the airline .
Well-thought-out, well-made and functional
Of course, I had already tested the furniture at home for its suitability. On site, my decision proved to be absolutely correct. The Wheelable 3 is at first glance a very unspectacular, plastic foldable shower chair with either a padded seat for showering or a likewise padded toilet seat for use as a mobile commode chair. For the latter, a bowl which can be latched under the toilet seat is available. At second glance, it reveals a well thought-out design and scores points for its excellent workmanship. No question – in the technical development of this product were professionals at work who knew what was important. In fact, the Israeli company Seatara is a member of a group of companies specializing in the manufacture of high-quality plastic components, and the development of Wheelable has received the expertise of many stakeholders. The result is convincing. Both the folding mechanism of the wheelchair itself and individual components such as the fold-down armrests function smoothly and precisely, nothing clatters or wobbles, everything snaps in neatly. The parking brake locks the vehicle reliably, so that a transfer from the bed or your own wheelchair is certainly possible. Because the Wheelable is just 50 centimeters wide and very manoeuvrable, it allows maneuvering in cramped conditions, where normal wheelchairs reach their limits – such as in bathrooms and toilets. The folding mechanism is designed so that under the seat between the wheels no struts are required. You can therefore go with the wheelable on most toilets and save sitting around. If you need more room to move around than a toilet that is completely enclosed by walls, you can place the wheelchair anywhere you like. Bathrooms not designed for wheelchair users will lose their horror. Because the Wheelable is just 50 centimeters wide and very manoeuvrable, it allows maneuvering in cramped conditions, where normal wheelchairs reach their limits – such as in bathrooms and toilets. The folding mechanism is designed so that under the seat between the wheels no struts are required. You can therefore go with the wheelable on most toilets and save sitting around. If you need more room to move around than a toilet that is completely enclosed by walls, you can place the wheelchair anywhere you like. Bathrooms not designed for wheelchair users will lose their horror. Because the Wheelable is just 50 centimeters wide and very manoeuvrable, it allows maneuvering in cramped conditions, where normal wheelchairs reach their limits – such as in bathrooms and toilets. The folding mechanism is designed so that under the seat between the wheels no struts are required. You can therefore go with the wheelable on most toilets and save sitting around. If you need more room to move around than a toilet that is completely enclosed by walls, you can place the wheelchair anywhere you like. Bathrooms not designed for wheelchair users will lose their horror. The folding mechanism is designed so that under the seat between the wheels no struts are required. You can therefore go with the wheelable on most toilets and save sitting around. If you need more room to move around than a toilet that is completely enclosed by walls, you can place the wheelchair anywhere you like. Bathrooms not designed for wheelchair users will lose their horror. The folding mechanism is designed so that under the seat between the wheels no struts are required. You can therefore go with the wheelable on most toilets and save sitting around. If you need more room to move around than a toilet that is completely enclosed by walls, you can place the wheelchair anywhere you like. Bathrooms not designed for wheelchair users will lose their horror.
Likewise, Wheelable is in the shower. Thanks to the material used, it is waterproof and quick-drying . Where on wobbly plastic chairs or under-sized folding seats you usually do not have enough hands to hold on and also need to somehow promote your own wheelchair to dry, you sit in the wheelchair safely and can enjoy the water unhindered.
Helpful in many situations
The Wheelable 3 is a comfortable solution to the problem, not only on vacation, but also during overnight visits to not perfectly wheelchair-friendly friends, on camping holidays and wherever compromises are usually made that are unsatisfactory. In its latest version, it is also sauna-compatible according to the manufacturer, which opens up further application possibilities. In my case, he has enabled the stress-free use of a holiday home and saved my vacation. For future trips, I’ll plan it right away and therefore have a much larger selection of accommodations. Since it is only 23 cm wide and only 12 kg heavy, it is not only suitable for airline luggage, it also easily finds a place in the trunk.
With a purchase price of just under € 1,000, the Wheelable 3 may not be a bargain, but the well thought-out design, good workmanship, impeccable functionality, and above all the practical benefits it offers, are worth the money, in my opinion. If you want to have it completely comfortable, you can order a tailor-made transport case with wheels for a rather hefty price of 299 euros.
Werner Pohl
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