GEAR HACKS By Seth McBride
MASTERING TRICKY TRANSFERS Hacking equipment to fit your life can be about modifying it to suit your needs, but sometimes it’s simply about getting your body into the right position to use it. There’s perhaps no skill that can better increase your access to the great wide world than mastering the tricky transfer. And while some transfers depend upon brute strength, getting the most out of whatever function you have often comes down to leverage, technique and, when you do need some extra oomph, communication. Here’s the no-trunk, no-grip cheat sheet for getting your body wherever you need it to. That said, New Mobility assumes no responsibility for tricky transfers gone wrong. Please use care and common sense, and build your skills slowly.
Floor-to-Chair The floor-to-chair transfer is the key to opening up your world. If you can get on the ground and back in your chair again, you can get just about anywhere. Mastering this move helps build confidence because you can now try more transfers and other sketchy maneuvers, know16
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ing that if something goes wrong and you wind up on the floor, it’s no big deal. 1. Starting on your butt with your legs out in front of you, pull your chair to the strong side of your body. It’s helpful to be able to transfer in either direction, but starting by transferring up to
your strong side should be easier. If you have brakes, lock them now. If not, don’t worry — it’s still doable. 2. Pull your knees up tight to your chest. You want to position your knees so they’re in line with the wheelchair downtube closest to your feet. Your out-
side leg may want to splay away from your body. You can either turn your heel away from your body, or you can bend your head forward and use your chin to push your knees into your downtube and hold them in place, which is my preferred method. What I like about
