3 wheels or 4, foldable or robust, pneumatic or solid.
Tiller height and turning radius.
User ability and rout of travel.

These are just some of the elements an occupational therapist must consider when matching an individual to a scooter.

The individual, their projected travel path, the end destination, environmental limitations, price point – all these elements need to be considered in detail by their Occupational Therapist (OT).

Many a time, I hear of scooter accidents. More often than not, they are with people who have received little to no training and some who have somewhat inappropriate scooters for the environment in which they use them.

Whilst all users of mobility scooters need to have limitations in regarding to walking, many users also have additional functional limitations. Be it limited trunk rotation (limiting head checks), fatigue, low vision, compromised hearing, pain… (the list goes on), speaking and training with an Occupational Therapist (OT) enables individuals to learn and implement strategies in a safe and controlled environment before grading into independent use in the community.

The OT can provide training on specific routs, ie: crossing roads, traveling on public transport, negotiating traffic lights and areas of busy pedestrian traffic.

Getting the right scooter and the right training results in a happy, confident and independent scooter user.