DESIGNS FOR 6 BASIC WHEELCHAIRS
A plywood wheelchair with many adaptations
This wheelchair has a variety of additions sometimes needed for a small child who
has poor body control, head control, and urine or bowel control. The head support and
armrests fit into wooden holders and can be easily removed. A lap table can be easily
added. Holes can be cut out for chest and hip straps for extra support.
621
SIDE VIEW
push
handles
armrest
bracket
head support
swing-up armrests
potty hole
footrest to
keep one
leg raised
head
positioner
Wedge adjusts
angle of head
piece.
swing-up
armrests
Important:
Pad it well.
Bottom slides into
slot on rear of
chair.
brackets to
hold armrests
brackets to
raise or lower
foot rest
small front
casters
padded hip and shoulder
positioners
Tabs fit into
slots in the
wheelchair
back and seat.
rear wheel and front caster
spring suspension
BACK VIEW
removable
head support
wood brackets
for removable
head support
20” bicycle
wheel
holes for chest
support strap
cut strips of
used inner tube
for springy ride
rear axle
holes for hip
support strap
SPRINGS FOR ALL 4 WHEELS
This plywood wheelchair has a springy ride. Old
inner tube rubber strips connect the rear wheel axle
to the wood strips holding the front caster wheels.
These wooden strips should be strong enough to
withstand the springy motion of the front casters.
Special cut-away slots allow the rear axle to move
up and down freely. Other cut-away slots in the
bottom of the wheelchair allow for the inner tube
strips to be wrapped around the wooden caster strips.
The tighter the inner tube strips are wrapped, the less
bouncy the ride becomes.
To build your own strong rear hub and
axle, see p. 623. If you want to use
hubs from bicycle wheels, see p. 597.
potty bowl holder
with leg separator
Pull out to
empty potty.
potty bowl
lap table
Tree branch
holds stiff
legs apart.
The lap table should be cut to fit closely
around the wheelchair sides. The same
wooden brackets for the armrests keep this
table in place. If the
table wobbles, you
Armrest
brackets
secure table
here.
plywood
(1/4”)
can use small slats to
strengthen the table.
If the knee separator
is made a bit higher,
the table can rest on
top of it and prevent
any dips.
A long
hole here
allows
back axle
to spring
up and
down.
Strips of inner tube
connect rear axle to
front-caster arms.
2 loose-fitting bolts
keep caster arms from
moving sideways.
Wood strip separates caster
arm from the bottom.
inner tube
strips
Notches keep
rubber strips
from slipping.
Loose-fitting
bolt acts as
pivot.
Rubber or
wooden caster
wheel bolts to
wooden arm.
disabled village children