Wheelchairs have come a long way in the past couple of decades as technology has made advances in how people who must use wheelchairs get around. It wasn’t very long ago that the only choice available was a non-motorized version that either the person sitting in the chair had to move along with their hands or someone had to push them.

Today, the most advanced wheelchair is called the IBOT and it sells for more than $26,000 and requires a prescription. It climbs stairs and elevates the person riding in the chair to heights where groceries and other items are accessible. Since most insurance policies don’t pay for this wheelchair, most people purchase the less expensive models.

There are still impressive wheelchairs that don’t cost anywhere near the IBOT’s price tag. There are motorized wheelchairs and scooters designed to fit around tight corners in the home and those made for independence in shopping centers and such.

Some wheelchairs have to be fitted with special devices for people who are paralyzed or are quadriplegics. These include a special straw that the person can blow into and this powers the wheelchair. Some wheelchairs have to be equipped with a high back and a brace with which to hold the person’s head up or lend support to the neck.

Most wheelchairs can be folded up and either stored in the home or easily transported in a vehicle when going out. There are some that do not break down; these are the heavier power chairs however most of them break down somewhat.

Because of all the advances in technology and innovative designers people who need to use wheelchairs are able to do things and go places that were previously off-limits.

How My Wheelchair Helped Me: When I looked at other people in wheelchairs I always thought how hard that must be, but I learned that being in wheelchairs is just like having different feet. My wheelchair helped me get around when I was too sick to walk for myself and without wheelchairs I would have been bedridden for two years of my life.

I have a condition called nephrotic syndrome, a kidney disease that causes the body to swell up because it doesn’t process proteins correctly. So, often my legs get so swollen I need wheelchairs to move around freely. Other times, I get so skinny and weak from my medical treatments that I can’t walk. Wheelchairs allow me to go to school, see my friends, work and without one I wouldn’t be able to get around at all.

My wheelchairs change as my body does. Once I had a wheelchair that had a flexible back so I could lay back or sit up while regaining my upper body strength. I’ve had wheelchairs that helped me build up arm strength with wheels that I had to turn myself to move around. I’ve also had wheelchairs that ran on batteries and electric so I just had to push a button to get where I needed to go when I was too weak.

The most important way my wheelchairs have helped me is in making me feel there is hope for people like me. I can’t imagine living in a time when there weren’t wheelchairs. If that time were now, I would be left in a bed with only people coming to visit me. With my wheelchair I can get out and do everything everyone else does, except I have much cooler feet.