The Importance of Prior Training for Effective Use of the Motorized Wheelchair

Disability covers countless people around the world, affecting in many and different ways. The inclusion of assistive technology (AT) aims to provide greater independence, expanding users’ mobility, communication and learning. Among some assistive technologies, we can mention the wheelchair. With the advancement of technology, different models of chairs have been developed aiming at the independence of people with disabilities and, currently, most users choose the motorized wheelchair (CRM). Although widely used, many users do not receive training before starting continuous use, which generates fear and frustration. The training can bring confidence and help the user to overcome several challenges, which focus not only on the use of assistive technology, but also on the acceptance of the disability. For a better understanding of how the inter-action between the user and assistive technology takes place, a questionnaire was elaborated addressing aspects such as personal characterization, characterization of the disability and evaluation of CRM and training. The survey was conducted between July and August 2019 and included 91 participants. With the results obtained, we can see which types of disabilities use the wheelchair the most, how long they use it, whether there was training, whether there are fears and obstacles to be overcome even with the constant use of the wheelchair, among other issues. Given these answers, it is possible to confirm a real demand for training before using a motorized wheelchair, since this practice would bring numerous benefits to the user.