Ride down an escalator in a wheelchair with assistance

Description of technique with help from one person

Dela
Dela

User rides down an escalator with help from an assistant, filmed by Madeleine Stenius, Rehab Station Stockholm

The assistant walks backwards onto the escalator first and has to “mark time” in order to receive the user. The user goes down backwards with the rear wheels of a staircase and the front wheels on the step above. He bends forward and holds on with his arms on the escalator handrail. The assistant stands behind the wheelchair a few steps below, leans forward and holds the wheelchair’s backrest.
Make sure that no clothes can get caught in the wheels.
If the tip guard is so long that it would catch in the escalator it needs to be angled out of the way.

Description of technique according to the book ‘Drivkraft’ [Driving force] by Ake Norsten, see below.

Users comments
For a description of more driving techniques, see the book ‘Drivkraft körergononmi, rullstolsteknik & metodik’ [Driving force driving ergonomics, wheelchair techniques and methods] by Åke Norsten. The book is available in Swedish and may be ordered from Spinalis, spinalis.se/?lang=en or Aleris Rehabstation Stockholm, aleris.se/rehabstation (last checked December 2020).