5 ways to make the most of spring with restricted mobility

Spring is in the air! The dark, cold, wet days of winter are finally giving way to some sunshine.

After being indoors more during the winter as we keep warm and cosy, springtime brings the perfect opportunity to get out and about, enjoying the fresh air and new life springing up around us. If you live with a disability, restricted mobility, or other conditions, it can be harder to get outdoors, or you may have to consider extra factors before you head out.

Use this guide to make sure your mobility equipment is set for spring, and to find out how to make the most of some time outdoors even if your mobility is restricted.

1 - Maintain your independence with the right aids

With the right mobility aid you can go further or independently do more than you might have thought.

For instance, if you’re able to walk but just need a little extra support, a walking stick, rollator, or wheeled walker might be the choice for you. Based on the level of support you need or different features that would be helpful for you, you could consider getting an aid that gives you a little extra help to let you explore further.

We have a great range of products that are recommended by our Occupational Therapists, covering a range of categories, and you can shop them all here.

You can see our tips for choosing the right mobility aid to find out more, too.

2 – Prepare your mobility aid properly

With milder weather, many of us want to get back outside and enjoy the fresh air. If your mobility aid has been left inactive over the winter, we recommend giving it a thorough check over and clean to make sure it’s in good working order.

You can use the checklists in our preparing your mobility aid for spring guide to make sure you’ve got everything ready to safely get out and about again.

If you have a powerchair, manual wheelchair, or mobility scooter, we also recommend that you have your product fully serviced if it hasn’t been used in a few months.

3 - Customise!

Even if you have the correct mobility aid for your needs, there’s always an opportunity to make it work better for you.

• Other wheelchair accessories can include cushions or seat covers, drink holders, different wheels for off-roading, safety straps, lap trays, and more.
   
• Mobility scooter accessories are similar to wheelchair options, including bags and walking stick holders, as well as covers to keep them protected from the weather, tiller covers for driving in the rain, or even spare batteries.
   
• Powered add-ons for wheelchairs are electric aids that attach to your manual wheelchair to make it powered. These range from powered wheels that replace the manual ones, to ‘trike’-like attachments, or small powered 3^rd wheels.
   
• Ensure you’re kitted out and prepared for your trip – whatever the weather - with wheelchair clothing like ponchos, cosies, jackets and macs. Many of these items are also suitable for use with a mobility scooter.
   
• Wheelchair gloves can help to keep your hands more comfortable and protected if you’re out for longer with a manual wheelchair.

4 - Plan ahead

It’s best to make sure that the places you go to have the correct accessibility features for you. The National Trusts have a great tool - AccessAble – which lets you search by location and see the accessibility features of each of their sites. They also have schemes such as the Essential Companion Card, which allows you to bring along one or two carers or companions for free.

Similarly, the charity Scope has a Playground Accessibility Map so that you can check your local playgrounds for their accessible features. You can also check your local park or other venues via your local council, or their own websites.

There are an increasing number of websites that are a great help for finding accessible tourist or day out locations. Holiday Cottages for example, have a guide for the best accessible beaches in England, Scotland, and Wales.

Whereas the sites may be accessible, you may want to also make sure the washrooms, toilets, or changing places are also accessible. You can use Changing Places to find a Changing Places Toilet, which caters to the needs of those with mobility equipment.

The RADAR Key is a specialised key that gives you access to over 100,000 disabled toilets if they are locked. It’s part of the National Key Scheme, which makes access to these facilities more widely available.

The Bladder and Bowel Community has great resources – like the ‘Just can’t wait’ toilet card, which you can use for help accessing your closest toilet. With universal symbols and a choice of digital or physical card, you can always have it with you

With tools like these, you can customise your holidays, trips, or days out to suit you.

Planning ahead also means you should make sure that your mobility aid is ready to use again after being dormant over winter. See our guide Preparing your mobility aid for Spring for our top tips on ensuring it’s safe and ready for you.

Whether you just sit for a spell in your garden, have a leisurely trip or picnic in your local park, or go off-roading in your kitted-out wheelchair – enjoy your time outdoors in whichever way suits you best.

More information

If you want to speak with someone for help on which products might be right for you, use our advice services to speak with our friendly teams.