Accessible - Movement Aids

Wooden hand walkers

Rubber kneepads made from used car tires. Credit: Uganda Society of Hidden Talents (HITS)

Suitable for: people who move by crawling; wheelchair users who need to get out of their wheelchair; or where a wheelchair is not available.

Construction	Advantages	Disadvantages	Improvements / variations	Cost / labour
Wooden hand walkers	Reduce abrasion, cuts and soiling of hands and thereby risk of infection Locally available materials Durable Easy to clean	Lightweight wood would not be as durable as hardwood, so would need to be maintained and replaced more regularly. Brief initial demonstration might be needed	Weight of wood can be selected to match the user’s strength	Low
Rubber kneepads made from used car tires. These fit over the knee, and rubber laces run through loops and tie around the leg.	Reduce abrasion, cuts and soiling of knees and thereby risk of infection Durable Easy to clean	Brief initial demonstration might be needed Regular maintenance and cleaning necessary	An alternative design suitable for leg stumps is also available	Low

Acknowledgements

• Compendium of accessible WASH technologies WaterAid and WEDC.