Getting Things From the Floor In a Wheelchair

Bending over, leaning over; the traditional way of picking up things from the floor changes dramatically when you’re a wheelchair, and it’s a lot more difficult as you’d expect. No longer do you have the deftness of two working legs to support you when you go for the kill, picking up whatever you’re trying to get from the floor; no there’s other body parts you can use as well.

The problem however is that the real world however isn’t so kind. It takes a lot of energy and work to make things seem and even be easy, and in the videos we are showing today, all four encompass just that – cool, smart and laidback people – showing how they do thing in re: to the floor.

Video #1: Newbie Quad’s “Lean to the Side” Tip

In our first video, a newly injured C6 demonstrates who uses a manual chair how she picks up things from the floor. And when you have no finger movement or triceps movement, this is a difficult trick to do, but it can be done.

In her demo, she drops her phone and shows how she’s able to pick it up, which she does by leaning over on her good side (using her stronger of the arms). It’s a simple motion once you get the hang of it, but if you are a newly injured quad between the levels C5-7, it feels almost like a miracle has occurred when you can grab something for the first time.

Watch: Quadriplegic shares her tips for getting things from the floor

Video #2: Crafty Quads Homemade Reachers

Our second video comes from Bonnie, another quad doing her thing, from Florida.  Bonnie is the queen of DIY adaptations tools, and absolutely does not own a reacher.  Instead, she has made her own reacher using a wire coat hanger that’s been unfurled and refolded into the shape of reacher, and it works beautifully. So smart (and lightweight)!

All she has to do to use her wire reacher is fish it down to the ground to the item she dropped, hook it wherever she can, and then use her biceps to pull the item up to her lap. She will also use a Weed Twister to pull things down (brilliant!) because it’s extra long and very light.

And to get paper from the floor, she uses a drawstring ribbon with an e-stim electrode attached (to create static cling) to grab anything made of paper. This device is her very own invention and she calls it the “Electrabond.” Very, very impressive.

Watch: Bonnie shows her reachers and inventions

Video #3: UK Gov’t Funded Wheelchair Skills

Our last video comes from way across the pond, all the way from Whizz-Kidz, a group funded by the UK to help teach wheelchair-users vital life skills. In this video aptly titled “Reaching & Carrying,” we get to observe an instructor in a wheelchair teach two young boys in wheelchair, and it’s quite hysterical.

The two boys are a bit too shy, but the instructor does pull them out of it. The video is brief too, and gives a nice highlight reel of her best tips, like making sure you put on your brakes when leaning over to safe places to store your cell to avoid dropping it ever again.

Watch: Whizz-Kidz Wheelchair Skills Training Video

The floor can seem like a million miles away when you’re paralyzed, but don’t let it trick you into feeling overwhelmed. It’s only as daunting as you make it or think it is, but with a clear mind and plan of action combined with rockstar picking-up-stuff skills, you don’t have to ever let the floor ever intimidate you again.

What tricks do you have for getting things off the floor?

Watch the videos!

– Newbie C6 quad picking-up things tip from floor in a manual chair

– Crafty quad shows her DIY reachers and how she gets paper from the floor

– Video from the UK for kids on how to safely get things from the floor when you’re a wheelchair-user