Kids learning to use a new wheelchair have to learn about safety for themselves and others. Operating the wheelchair and understanding how to avoid danger are important skills that keep your wheelchair user safe.
Being safe in a wheelchair also means maintaining the chair, looking out for hazards and being skilled at navigating in different settings.
For advanced wheelchair skills, Power Wheelchair Safety for Kids engages kids and families with ways to stay safe and avoid accidents in a power wheelchair, aligned with national safety initiatives to improve safety and community travel for wheelchair users. Written in consultation with a pediatric physical therapist and occupational therapist, and most importantly, kids and adults who use wheelchairs.
Free Downloads
Wheelchair Safety Toolkit
For manual or power wheelchair users, the Wheelchair Safety Toolkit introduces families to the major safety issues with a wheelchair and helps build safety skills.
The toolkit also has safety information for peers and adults to be safe around a wheelchair and be good advocates.
Power Wheelchair Safety Outing
The Power Wheelchair Safety Outing document helps families plan outings to practice intermediate and advanced skills in the community.
Print and use the checklist to plan which skills you will work on and track which skills need a little more practice.
The Wheelchair Safety for Friends download is a free tool you can use with siblings, classmates and friends to help them be safer around a wheelchair. Download, print and share!
One way to introduce wheelchair safety to a child’s friends is to make a presentation to the child’s class at school. You can read Power Wheelchair Safety for Kids, and share and talk about the Wheelchair Safety for Friends document.
Beginner-level wheelchair skills
This 18-page guide provides fun activities and simple, practical ways to teach basic wheelchair skills.
Get started with beginner-level wheelchair skills like moving left and right, moving forward and backward, stopping on command, and using power wheelchair features.
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