The World Health Organization (WHO) has released new wheelchair provision guidelines, with the goal of supporting “improved access to appropriate wheelchairs, for all those in need, including children, older persons, people with mobility disabilities, and those with chronic health conditions.”
In a June 5 announcement, the WHO noted the guidelines “are relevant for all countries and apply to all wheelchair users and types of wheelchairs.”
The WHO estimates that 80 million people — 1 percent of the world’s population — currently need wheelchairs for mobility. And an aging global population and rising numbers of people with chronic health conditions will mean greater need for wheelchairs going forward.
The new guidelines go beyond equipment to also address the need for qualified seating and wheelchair specialists, with the guidelines emphasizing “that the best outcomes in wheelchair access occur when wheelchair users have the benefit of wheelchair selection following an individual process of assessment, fitting, training, and follow-up, provided by appropriately trained personnel.”
The guidelines include Service Level Recommendations, which takes readers through the four Wheelchair Service Steps: Select, Fit, Train, and Follow Up. Testimonials from people who use wheelchairs — from a wheelchair tennis player, to an expectant mother who needed a higher backrest during pregnancy and later noticed a changed center of gravity while carrying her baby in her lap — provide real-world examples of how fit, transportability, and stability impact outcomes.
The training section includes skills needed for wheelchair use, such as how to perform transfers and how to relieve pressure, as well as how to use wheelchair components, such as wheel locks and tilt.
The follow-up section discusses the importance of making sure the provided wheelchair continues to meet the rider’s needs, and includes an example of telehealth follow-ups used in Argentina.
Just as importantly, the guidelines also identify the different team members involved in wheelchair provision and describes the abilities they will need to perform their Identification and Referral, Clinical, Technical, Training, and Management functions. This section includes a sidebar on how Bhutan built its national wheelchair service.
Policy and funding are also discussed, with a sidebar on assistive technology centers in Norway, which place “high importance on the repair and re-use of products, including wheelchairs, aiming to extend the life of devices as much as possible, while continuing to meet quality and service standards.”
Colorado’s right-to-repair law is also discussed in this section.
The Research Gaps and Priorities section identifies needs in the wheelchair provision system with suggestions on how to fill those gaps in service, research, and in the workforce.
“Ultimately,” the announcement said, “the purpose of these guidelines is to ensure that wheelchair users have timely access through wheelchair services that are people-centered and responsive to their needs.”
Download the new guidelines from the WHO Web site.
