In case anyone finds it helpful because mobility aids are horrifically expensive and inaccessible…
And for those people who have access to mobility devices but might benefit from a second chair they can abuse without risking expensive damage…
Erik Kondo has made a website, Open Source Innovations, that details plans for DIY wheelchairs. These wheelchairs can be made from common materials like wood, plastic, and pvc. They are lightweight and can be custom fit to the user allowing from the same degree of movement you would get from a custom chair. And they are durable and easily repairable. (he has been stress testing his latest design by dropping it down stairs, dropping it out of a car, launching it across a driveway, and throwing it off a deck). Its 12lbs and I think he said its was in the $200 ish range for parts.
He also is working on cheap, open source, accessible designs for beach chairs, off road chairs, motorized attachments (think smart drive), and so on. Plus he skateboards in his wheelchair. Cool dude, helpful info, pass it on.
It's incredibly sad people have to resort to this, but it's a damn good resource. Use it. Spread awareness. Maybe one day people with physical disabilities won't need DIYs like this. But until then, reblog and share.
It's wonderful that we've finally remembered that we can share information and expertise to allow everybody to build things to help each other! This takes power from the insurance companies and specialized manufacturers and returns it to real people!
For real, hire a local woodworker to build your chair. It's a better use of your money than giving it to a corporation, the process will very likely be much faster and less expensive than going through insurance (even if the insurance nominally "pays for" a chair), and you won't have "it's the only one you're ever going to get" hanging over you every time you use it!!
Enough of this sort of thing starts happening, the monopolistic and exploitive behaviors of the USAmerican medical industry will begin to weaken!
Designs like this are also incredibly useful in places without access to lots of medical resources. Spread them far and wide!
