Negotiating Pavements And Unequal Surfaces; Going Up And Down Ramps - Excel G3 Eco User Manual

4.2 Negotiating pavements and unequal surfaces

Going up the pavement
If you ascend a pavement, you must do this together with an attendant. The attendant can help you in two
different ways, however we advise you to do it the first way.
- You and the attendant reach the pavement facing forwards. The attendant must pull the push handles towards
him and place his foot on the stepper on the rear side of the wheelchair. This creates a leverage effect that
tips the wheelchair, figure 9.
- The attendant is already standing on the pavement and makes sure that the wheelchair stands with the rear
wheels as closely to the pavement as possible. The user of the wheelchair needs to lean backwards. This way
the wheelchair will tip backwards and the attendant can pull the chair on the pavement. The attendant needs
to make sure that the front wheels are on the pavement before he lets the wheelchair down.

Warning:
Do not drive into curbs!
If you want to go up a pavement alone, you should move your weight as far forward as possible by bending forward.
Then you must provide a so-called 'Wheelie', to get the front wheels on to the pavement (see figure 2, under the
heading "Warnings for safe use"). You can only perform this action if you have practiced it with a trained expert.
Going down the pavement
If you want to go down the pavement, you must do this with an attendant. The attendant should move the
wheelchair forwards to the curb. Then the user should lean back so the attendant can tilt the wheelchair to find a
balance point. When the wheelchair is balanced the attendant can move the wheelchair slowly off the curb. When
the wheelchair is off the pavement, the attendant can let the front wheels back onto the ground.
If you want to independently go off the pavement, you should do this backwards not forwards (figure 10 shows what
not to do). You can do this only if you've practiced with a trained expert.

4.3 Going up and down ramps

Most people can climb short slopes by themselves. This of course depends on your body strength, stamina and the
gradation of the slope. Inspect the slope always for risks, such as holes or slippery and uneven surfaces before you
drive off. If you cannot see the slope, ask someone to inspect it for you.

Warning:
A slope of more than 5 degrees can be dangerous to descend or climb. Remember that the friction of
your hands to grab the hand rim is the only way to brake while driving.
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