The prevalence of physical disability is nearly as high as the sheer number of challenges faced by disabled persons. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 16% of the global population experiences significant disability.
For persons living with disability, impaired accessibility in physical environments remains the biggest challenge.
The inability to maneuver through bustling city streets or access disability-unfriendly properties can lead to social exclusion. Besides, it’s a major barrier to healthcare and workplace access.
It’s in light of those challenges that mobility scooters exist.
Mobility scooters enhance access to physical locations that would otherwise be out of reach for persons with disability. These motorcycles come in different sizes and customization features to suit individual needs. Besides, there are several brands to pick from.
Pride is a household name in the mobility scooter industry. The company manufactures a wide range of scooters engineered to address different mobility needs.
In this post, we examine how Pride mobility scooters can improve flexibility and independence for people with diminished mobility.
1.A Mobility Scooter for Different Mobility Needs
Impaired mobility can be caused by a devastating injury or debilitating illness. Besides, the condition may vary considerably in severity.
Defining your mobility needs is critical in selecting the right mobility scooter for you. Fortunately, Pride has something for everyone.
Pride mobility scooters fall under two major categories, depending on the intended user’s mobility needs. They include Travel Scooters and Medical Mobility Scooters.
Travel Scooters
Travel mobility scooters are designed to enhance mobility for users with a more active lifestyle. They’re ideal for daily work commutes, regular grocery store visits, and occasional road trips.
Since they’re meant for active users who often need to cover longer distances, travel scooters are typically small and compact. They’re also easy to disassemble, allowing you to transport them in your SUV.
Medical Scooters
If you’re living with a severe physical impairment due to an injury or disease, you might consider Pride’s medical mobility scooters.
Medical scooters are generally accessible to people eligible for Medicare or Medicaid.
- 3-Wheeler and 4-Wheeler Options for Extra Convenience
When shopping for mobility scooters, you’ll often have to pick between three-wheel and four-wheel scooters. Although both options can enhance your independence, they differ in their full range of flexibility.
Pride’s 3-wheel scooters have a tighter turning radius. Therefore, they’re better suited for navigating narrow alleys.
Meanwhile, four-wheel mobility scooters provide better comfort and stability. The additional wheel offers an extra point of contact with the ground and uniform weight distribution, making these scooters particularly suitable for driving along bumpy terrains.
Consider Pride’s three-wheel mobility scooters if your typical day involves navigating bustling streets or narrow alleyways. But if you must drive through uneven paths to get to work or nearby points of interest, four-wheel options would suit you better.
3.Intuitive Controls For Hassle-free Rides
Pride understands that learning to drive a mobility scooter is both physically challenging and mentally taxing. As such, the company designed its scooters to be remarkably user-friendly.
Pride mobility scooters come with intuitive joysticks, making them perfect for users who are unable to independently operate other assistive mobility aids like a traditional wheelchair.
The joysticks include a two-button interface that lets you control the speed and direction of your mobility scooter. More interestingly, the device intelligently aligns your body with your scooter’s driving conditions.
For instance, toggling a joystick to the right automatically swivels your mobility scooter’s chair in that direction. This creates a timely response that minimizes accidents or injuries while making sudden turns, braking, or accelerating.
4.Compactness for Easy Storage and Transportation
Pride manufactures mobility scooters in different sizes and weight capacities. While some can be quite bulky (depending on the intended driving environment), others, like the Go Go Carbon weigh a paltry 35 pounds.
True to its name, Pride’s Go Go Carbon’s frame is made entirely from carbon fiber. That property makes it ultra-lightweight and easy to tow.
Besides, the scooter folds into a compact bundle for easy storage and transportation.
If you’re looking for a mobility scooter that you can transport in your SUV while going on a long road trip, you certainly won’t go wrong with Pride’s Go Go. Just be sure to follow the user manual on folding and disassembly.
5.Varied Speeds and Extended Battery Runtime
Having your mobility scooter stall in the middle of the road when you’re already late for work can be a dreadful experience. It’s only worse if you suffer from severe physical impairment, in which you require assistance to get on and off your scooter.
To avoid these unpleasant surprises, Pride incorporated powerful batteries into its mobility scooters. Some of their batteries can provide up to 20 miles of runtime on a single charge.
Moreover, Pride mobility scooters come with varied speeds depending on the user’s lifestyle. Some of their scooters, such as the Victory® LX Sport 4-Wheel, can achieve top speeds of 8.6 miles per hour.
The combination of high driving speeds and longer battery life ensures you’re never late for essential errands.
However, cautious driving is paramount to minimize mobility scooter accidents. Consider the state of the roads, prevailing weather, and visibility conditions when deciding on the ideal scooter driving speed.
6.Safety and Value for Money
It’s imperative to consider your safety before hopping onto a mobility scooter. A little mishap could have you involved in a grisly accident, exacerbating your impairment.
Pride acknowledges that road incidents aren’t entirely avoidable. Therefore, the company has incorporated a slew of safety features into its mobility scooters.
One such specification is large pneumatic tires for enhanced stability while cruising on rugged terrains. The EZ Turn technology also supports a turning radius of 37.25 inches, enabling you to safely navigate crowded outdoor spaces.
Pride mobility scooters are also engineered with regenerative braking technology. Regenerative brakes minimize brake wear more effectively than traditional friction brakes, providing value for money in the long run.
Last but not least, Pride mobility scooters come with complete LED lighting packages for safe operation in low-visibility conditions.
Final Thoughts
Pride mobility scooters are desirable for their ease of use and remarkable versatility. From travel mobility scooters designed for daily commuters to medical scooters for users with severe injuries, the brand has something for everyone.
The trick is to define your needs before shopping for a Pride mobility scooter. For instance, are you looking for a smaller scooter that you can easily transport in your SUV or something more robust for off-roading?
Other essential considerations when shopping for Pride mobility scooters include the top speed, battery life, number of wheels, and turn radius.
