If simple day to day activities have become hard work for you then you should use household mobility aids. Tasks like turning a key in the door and turning on taps can become harder for people who have mobility problems. Household mobility aids can make your everyday tasks easier. Some of the household mobility aids are:

Grab rails
Grab rails are available in different styles and sizes. They help you when it comes to getting out of the bath, getting up out of a chair or bed, going upstairs and in many other similar situations. Grab rails can be attached anywhere you require depending on your needs. They should be installed by a qualified tradesman.

Non-slip material
A non-slip mat prevents you from slipping. Non-slip material can be used everywhere in your house as they have hundreds uses. It helps to give a good grip on items and is used by people with limited mobility and dexterity. Non-slip material is flexible and is available in different sizes to meet your needs.

Reachers
Reachers allow you to grab things without using too much effort. They are lightweight and have a slip resistant surface to hold on the object. There are different types of reachers available. However, they all have different features. You need to select the right type of reacher as they are available with different types of handles, reach lengths and weights.

Sitting on a daily basis in the same posture can cause severe neck and back problems. If you sit in one position for a long period of time, the circulation in the body slows down, which causes aches, pains and even muscle cramp.

Individuals should use cushions that are designed for supporting the back and neck. These cushions help your body to stay in the correct posture so that the spinal cord is supported and aches in such areas are reduced. These cushions are specially designed for reducing strain in muscles and are made from a soft fibre which adds to the comfort.

Overall body posture can improve because of proper support aids. Neck cushions and pillow supports can easily be shifted, so that there is no restriction in neck movement. There are many supporting aids available for individuals that require them. Some other supporting aids are as follows:

Back support

Armchair-shaped support provides comfort when sitting up in bed. Back support is made from sculptured foam and it has side pockets for storing products.

Back cushions

Back cushions provide great comfort and health benefits to an individual that sits in one place for long periods of time.

Depending upon your budget, frequency of use and other considerations, you can select either a manual wheelchair or a motorised wheelchair.

The basic indication of a manual wheelchair is the use of a large rear wheel. This helps the user of a manual wheelchair by maximising the movement generated through manual operation of the wheel. A motorised wheelchair can be operated without use of force, as the name suggests.

There has been a lot of development in the past decade or so and now accessibility for disabled people has become much better than before.

Stairlifts can be an important and necessary tool for people who use wheelchairs or face difficulty in moving around. They impart the much needed, desired and deserved independence for everyone irrespective of one’s physical condition with mobility aids.

Meanwhile, the British government and many governments and authorities all over the world have begun to take actions to make access to buildings for disabled people more convenient and friendly. People who make use of a wheelchair can now access most public buildings and workplaces in a hassle-free manner. It is their legal right.

The Northern Ireland Electoral Office is putting together a disability polling plan to make it easier for those with a disability to vote.

It has published a request for information from anyone who has had trouble using a polling station. Chief Electoral Officer, Douglas Bain, says:
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Herefordshire Council and Herefordshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) are advertising for staff. Their aim is to form a team of people who will deliver but will also be trained to fit specialist equipment, such as bathing aids, to those who require special equipment to maintain their independence.

Originally, they had set up a service around four years ago supplying bathing aids and mobility aids, such as bath lifts and bath rails, however, this meant one person would deliver the equipment and then the customer would have to wait for another person to come and fit it.
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Earlier this week, the lady who advises the UK government on disability issues was turned away from a flight at London City Airport – because she was in a wheelchair.

36 year old Michelle Daley is the government’s disability equality advisor and was appalled at the incident. She was due to fly to Belfast on an Air France flight but the pilot refused to let her onboard, saying that she was a ‘health and safety risk’ because she couldn’t walk unassisted.

Ms Daley had checked the airport’s disability facilities prior to booking her ticket and was told there would be no issues. Ms Daley said she felt humiliated and the whole situation was a blatant matter of discrimination against wheelchair users and the disabled and found the day’s event degrading. Eventually, Ms Daley boarded a bmi flight from Heathrow and made her Belfast meeting.

Wheelchair users should not be discriminated against and Air France has said they will investigate the issue.