<P> Some very large outdoor powerchairs have been designed with cross-country mobility in mind and show design convergence with other types of cross-country vehicle . </P> <P> Most wheelchairs are crash tested to standards 7176, and ISO 10542 . These standards mean that a wheelchair can be used facing forward in a vehicle if the vehicle has been fitted with an approved tiedown or docking system for securing the wheelchair, and a method of securing the occupant of the wheelchair . </P> <P> Powerchairs are generally prescribed for use by users who are unable to use a manual wheelchair . However, in both the US (Medicare and some private insurers) and the UK (National Health Service) powerchairs are generally not prescribed to users who have any ability to walk within the home, even if that ability is so functionally constrained as to be practically useless and where the user is unable to use a manual wheelchair independently . If in doubt, contact your doctor who may refer you for an assessment . Disability rights activists are campaigning for prescription procedures to focus on an individual needs based assessment rather than on inflexible application of prescription rules . The restricted prescribing leads to many users being forced to procure a solution privately, in some cases settling for a powerchair or a mobility scooter that is less than ideal to their needs but which falls within their budget . In the UK, under the NHS, patients are assessed individually and the criteria for prescription are used to guide the assessment process to help achieve a fair and equitable assessment . </P> <P> The use of powerchairs is not restricted solely to users unable to use manual chairs . Any disabled person with a mobility, fatigue or pain - based impairment or cardio - vascular issues may find a powerchair advantageous in some circumstances, however existing prescription practices generally means that powerchairs for such use must be privately procured or hired for the occasion . One such company that provides prescription based power wheelchairs is Quantum Rehab . They provide customized power wheelchairs for people with serious medical issues like ALS, Spina Bifida and other conditions . Consult your doctor or local wheelchair service if you are not sure . </P>

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