July 09th, 2025

Handling Manual Wheelchairs – Hints for helpers

Folding a wheelchair:

• Remove:
  • seat cushion
  • other loose items eg bags and removable foot and arm rests
• Ensure footrests are swung away first or taken off.
• Stand side on to the wheelchair.
• Pull upward on the seat fabric at the centre front and back.
• Do not lift the chair by the arm rests they will probably come out in your hands!

  
Opening a wheelchair

• Stand facing the seat
• Keep your fingers turned towards the middle of the seat and press downward with the heel of your hand on the two sides of the seat.
• Do not put your fingers between the chair frame and seat – they will be crushed. 

 
Putting the wheelchair into the boot of a car:

• Remove moveable parts – arm rest and foot plates and cushion.
• Position the folded wheelchair on the ground close to the opened car boot.  
• Put wheelchair brakes on.
• Keep the natural curve of your lower back bending your knees and hips
• Grasp the chair frame and wheels, keeping one hand forward and one back. 
• Lift the wheelchair vertically by straightening your legs.
• Balance the chair on the edge of the boot/door still.
• With the full weight being taken by the wheels resting on the boot/door sill, tip the chair up.
• When it is almost horizontal, slide it into the space.

​Pushing a wheelchair down a curb:

• Inform the person first about what you are going to do.
• Place your foot on the tipping level. Take a firm hold of the handgrips and then tip the chair backwards.
• Gently lower the chair down the curb.  (As you must take some of the weight. bend at your knees and hips and brace your lower back.)
• Make sure that both rear wheels reach the ground at the same time.
• Another method is to turn the back of the chair towards the curb and lower the back wheels down to the lower level, and then lower the front wheels. To maintain your own balance, place one foot back.

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Pulling a wheelchair up a curb:

• Inform the person first about what you are going to do.
• Turn the back wheels of the wheelchair towards the curb.  Stand up on the curb and tilt the chair back towards you.
• Pull the wheelchair up and backwards, being careful of your back.
• Another method is to place your foot on the tipping level and raise the front wheels of the chair before moving them forward onto the higher ground (gauge the height carefully)
• Follow through with the back wheels. 

 
Brakes

• Ensure the brakes are on before the person sits back down into the wheelchair.

 
Foot plates

• Once the person is seated in the chair, bring the foot plates round carefully and lock into position.
• Beware of the person’s ankles and your own.

 
Foot rests

• Crouch and either lift the person's foot onto the foot rest or ask the person to lift their feet onto the foot rest.

 
Tyres:
 
For ease of pushing, keep pneumatic tyres inflated to the correct pressure (280 kpa or 40 psi). 
 
General

• Wheelchairs are robust and carefully designed, but they need regular servicing if they are to continue to give reliable service with moving parts performing freely.
• Keep oiled regularly 3 in 1 household oil into oil nipples.
• Keep pneumatic tyres correctly inflated.
• Any repairs should be made by a tradesman skilled in chair maintenance.
• Signs of corrosion, rust damage or cracks in any part of the chair require prompt attention.
• ​Do not make or allow any structural alterations or modifications to a chair. Seek professional advice if your chair is not comfortable or operating smoothly.