If you use a power wheelchair that travels in a vehicle with a docking system, a retractable docking pin might be just what you need. Most power wheelchairs are able to be fitted with a plate or pin that sits under the base of the wheelchair to dock into a vehicle, however because they sit under the base of the wheelchair they do reduce the ground clearance between the ground and the wheelchair chassis or base. For many users, this reduction in ground clearance may not be noticed or impact on the driving experience, but for some users who do a lot of outdoor travel and mobilising over rough terrain, the reduction in ground clearance may impact on access.
Some power wheelchair manufacturers offer a retractable docking pin. This pin is stored in the wheelchair base and extends down to move into the docking plate when needed and retracts back into the wheelchair base when not needed. The user can operate the pin through the joystick, in the same way that any other power function such as tilt would also be operated. As the pin retracts back into the base, the pin does not impact on ground clearance and the driving experience during general driving.
Magic Mobility have a great video showing how their retractable docking pin works, which you can watch at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5824JFUoNk
Contact your GTK consultant today to find out more about retractable docking pins and how they may benefit you.
