Wheelchair Arms
The arms of a wheelchair are an important feature to the user of a wheelchair as they aid the user in some daily living activities, self positioning and independent transfers.
Wheelchair arms are available as full length or desk length. Full length arms extend all the way from the wheelchair back to the front edge of the wheelchair seat. Desk length arms extend from the back of the chair to approximately the middle of the wheelchair seat. All full length arms can be fitted with either a full or half (hemi) wheelchair tray. Desk length arms while not being very functional for tray use do enable the user to get closer to a desk or table. Desk length arms are not recommended for users who do a standing transfer as they are positioned too far towards the rear of the chair.
Fixed Wheelchair Arms
Fixed arms are not very common and are usually found on complimentary store or institutional wheelchairs. Their biggest advantage is they can't be removed and used as a weapon in institutions or be lost. The disadvantages of fixed arms is they can impede an aided or sliding transfer, cannot be removed to lighten the chair for transporting and they make getting close to a table difficult. Normally, fixed arms are only found on steel frame wheelchairs.
Removable Wheelchair Arms
Removable arms are available as full length or desk length and can be taken off the wheelchair to reduce the weight of the chair and ease in an aided or sliding transfer. While most removable arms have some sort of latching device they are usually easily removable by either the wheelchair user or a caregiver.
Flip Back Wheelchair Arms
Flip back arms can be either full or desk length and have the benefit of being still attached to the chair but out of the way when flipped back. This is an advantage where there is a danger of the removed arms being misplaced or in the way when removed, such as in a restaurant. One other advantage of flip back arms is, when the arms are full length, they can be flipped back to get close to a table or desk.
Adjustable Height Wheelchair Arms
Adjustable height arms can be either full or desk length, flip back or removable, single post or dual post. A dual post arm is one where there is a vertical support at the rear and front of the arm. A single post arm is one where the is a single support post in the middle of the arm. Dual post arms usually flip back or remove and single post arms are removeable but will not flip back. Adjustable height arms can be raised or lowered by the user or caregiver to readjust positioning or to make a tray more functional for different activities. When these arms are full length they can be removed, flipped or adjusted up to enable access to a table or desk. Adjustable height arms are, by far, the most common type of wheelchair arm prescribed today because of their functionality.
Cantilever Wheelchair Arms
Cantilever arms are either full length or desk length and are permanently attached to the back posts of a wheelchair. Being available for users to rest their arms they are a comfort aid. They flip back but are not usually removable and because they have limited or no forward support, they are not very stable for tray use of transfer aids.
Cane or Sport Wheelchair Arms
Cane or sport arms are usually a piece of 1" tubing which fit into a bracket on the rear of a wheelchair and can be padded with a conventional arm pad or a piece of foam wrapped around it. As with the cantilever arms, cane arms are not very stable for trays or transfers. Normally, these arms can be swung away horizontally, which can be impossible in tight spaces, or lifted off vertically.
