How to... Support Users of Powered Mobility Devices

No power, no mobility

Welcome to the special edition for paid subscribers!

Paid subscribers receive an exclusive email every two weeks with ideas and tips on making the world more accessible, in addition to the main newsletter.

Today's newsletter is about charging mobility devices.

When I travelled home on Friday, the staff member at London Bridge station informed me that the lift at my local station was out of service. It was warm and not too late, so I knew the local park was still open and safe to cross to get home. So, I left the train one stop earlier than planned, around a mile from my home station. This was only possible because I had my Triride with me;

A Triride is a wheelchair attachment with an engine, a battery and one wheel that transforms a manual wheelchair into a powered device. It has changed my life. I can take it off when needed, e.g. inside a restaurant, and it pulls me up steep hills, especially at stations.

My first thought was, how much battery do I still have? After a day out, going the extra mile home requires some consideration, but my battery still showed three bars, so all was fine as I wasn't sure if I could charge at the station.