There is more to pushing someone in a wheelchair than grabbing the handles and to begin walking. First off, give yourself a pat on the back for helping a friend push their chair. It can be tiring pushing that wheelchair all day by themselves.

Even though wheelchair users gain more upper body strength from pushing their wheelchair over time, muscles get tired regardless of how strong the person is. Second, think of the golden rule when it comes to pushing wheelchairs. Treat the individual how you want to be treated. I am pretty sure you do not want someone grabbing or pushing you without your permission. Let individuals either ask you or you ask them to help.

Pushing wheelchairs should be treated like driving a car. Acceleration and deceleration is needed. Just like driving a car, making a sudden stop causes everything in it to fly forward including yourself and others. Unlike cars, a lot of wheelchairs do not have seat belts which mean that nothing is keeping the wheelchair occupant fastened into the chair. Think ahead about where you will make turns and stops. Decelerate the chair by slowing the pace of your walking speed until you come to a crawl so stops and turns can go as smooth as possible. Watch the pavement to avoid hitting cracks, holes, bumps, puddles, gum, etc.

Grab the handles with both hands. Lean your body into the chair and push forward. Do not lean downward or backwards on the chair because it can cause the wheelchair to tip backwards. Keep your knees slightly bent and have one foot in front of the other when pushing someone up a ramp. Warn people that you are coming through with a wheelchair so that the ride remains as smooth as possible. Let people in the area know that you are coming through with a wheelchair so that you will not have to stop suddenly to avoid hitting people.