Pushing The Wheelchair On Flat Surfaces - VA Health care Manual Wheelchair Manual Handbook

C. Pushing the wheelchair on flat surfaces:
1. By yourself:
Forward: Start with your hands at 11 o'clock,
then move them forward to 2 o'clock. Repeat.
Backwards: Just reverse the forward process.
Turning: Push on the wheel on the opposite side
of the way you want to turn. Hold the wheel still
on the side towards which you want to turn.
2. By a helper:
Forward: The helper will use the back (push) handles to push the wheelchair
forward.
Backward: The helper will use the back (push) handles to pull the wheelchair
backward.
Turning: The helper should push harder on one of the handles (for a tighter turn,
pull back on the other handle).

Helpful Hints
Hang on to a corner with one hand while pushing on the opposite wheel to help
turn the corner.
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