Your central hub for information, support tools, and practical advice.

We have a wealth of knowledge to share with you about living with a spinal cord injury (SCI), and have pulled this together in this section to help you access the information you need, when you need it.

A Crash Course in Pain Management

Why does pain exist? Pain is our bodies natural response to sensory input that causes us to withdraw from potentially...

Something To Think About – Where Is The Support For Spouses & Partners?

Forrest Campbell comes on to talk about his observations about the lack of peer support for his wife when he...

Newcastle’s Journey to Better Tourist Accessibility

If you want to go somewhere different, just a couple of hours outside Sydney is Newcastle in New South Wales.

Get To Know Your Body – Shoulder Health

In this episode Physiotherapist Colbey Van Leeuwen talks about what shoulder health means and why it's so important you know...

From The Internet – Is The Boyfriend Overprotective?

We're introducing Have The Nerve Shorts - the short episodes between the long ones - where we talk about things...

Disability and the Performing Arts

what if you are a playwright with a disability and you want to stage a production, what if you are...

Using a manual wheelchair can be an easy way to get around, but we need some skills and practice to operate it more effectively. For this purpose, our Peer & Family Support team created an eBook to help us improve our wheelchair experience with valuable skills and tips.

A Booklet about Manual Wheelchair Skills

The booklet will show you four main wheelchair techniques:

Manual chair-pushing technique
Wheelies
How to navigate slopes
How to roll in the rain or at night dark

Manual chair-pushing technique

The manual chair-pushing technique can help us understand our hands’ start and finish position when pushing the wheelchair, achieving an efficient and safe essential operation.

Wheelie types

The part for wheelies involves three different wheelie types, including:

Deep back wheel hold
Shallow back wheel hold
Standard back wheel hold

With a good grip on the technique, we can smoothly go up curbs, over obstacles, or onto a ramp.

Navigate slopes

Going up or down a hill can be challenging, especially if the slope is steep. Assessing a hill before attempting is always good to protect us from unexpected accidents. Meanwhile, the booklet will educate us on how to safely and efficiently navigate slopes with our wheelchairs by breaking the technique down into detailed steps.

Roll in the rain or at night dark

Moreover, the last part of rolling in the dark and at night presents tips that can help us get through the slippery and dark conditions.

Safety

Anyway, no matter which skills, safety is always the most important when using a manual wheelchair. Ensure you’re aware of your surroundings and avoid obstacles such as stairs, curbs, and slippery surfaces. Also, ensure your wheelchair is in good working condition and has good brakes and other safety features.

Want to read more? Please click or tap here to download it. Additionally, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our Peer & Family Support team if you have any questions about your wheelchair or need some help. We will always be pleased to help you regain your independence, rebuild your dreams and live your best life.