Falling Out of a Wheelchair and How to Recover

There are times when we all need a helping hand, especially when we take a fall.  But what are we supposed to do when there’s no one around to help us? How do we get back in our wheelchairs then? It’s not easy for many of us. In fact, most of us can’t do it all. But for those that can, there are some tricks to be had….and learned.

If you’ve always wanted to know how to get back upright after a wheelchair fall or how to get back in your chair if you’ve fallen out of it completely, read on for three videos to get yourself educated on the finer points of restoring to wheelchair-center.

Our first video comes from tattooed cutie WhySo, a crafty para who’s made a video showing how he tips himself back up if he falls completely backwards in his manual wheelchair. It’s a quick little move, but it can take some practice getting it down. Anyone who has full function of their arms and fingers should be able to do it though, however he does make it look really easy. Check out his brief how-to filmed in his bedroom

Our second video comes from Jerry Diaz, another agile para who’s figured out a few ways to recover from a wheelchair fall, and in his video he shows three different ways to do it. His first method shows how to get back in if you’re completely dumped out on the floor. He recommends finding a way to elevate yourself and something to brace yourself. He also shows how to hold your wheel to prevent a complete tip-over, if you’re quick enough that is.

I love how dedicated he is to his how-to. He even throws himself out of his chair to show a full demo, which is not easy with a manual wheelchair with no brakes, but he shows how to do that too despite it being so difficult. Watch Jerry’s video – Recovering from a fall from your wheelchair

Our third video is for the Spanish speakers of the world, showing how one paraplegic falls as safely as possible when his chair tips over. In the beginning of the video he shows a rough fall, and then shows how he recovers. You may not be able to speak Spanish, but the message is pretty clear. This guy is dedicated to showing people how to fall the right way. Watch his how-to video

It can be a scary world out there when you use a wheelchair, and the vulnerability that happens when you tip over is something no one wants to feel. These videos may be made before the paraplegics of the world, but if you can pull any of these maneuvers off, consider yourself set. And for those who can’t recover on their own, please be careful. Being stuck with no help is the scariest thing ever.

What tricks do you have for recovering after falling out of a wheelchair?

Watch the videos!

– How to get yourself back up if you fall backwards in your chair

– Paraplegic showing a couple different ways to recover from a chair fall

– How-to video in Spanish showing how to recover from a full tip over