Have you ever pushed a wheelchair?
Within the Dare-Mobi philosophy, there is a question I truly want to convey.
"Have you ever pushed a wheelchair?"
This question is not merely about sharing an experience.
It is a question that challenges the very design philosophy of our society.
■ The reality of pushing a wheelchair
We see wheelchairs in the city.
At stations, hospitals, shopping malls, and tourist spots.
However—
how many people have actually pushed one?
There are things you only understand once you push one.
The fear of a curb
The weight of an incline
The narrowness of the sidewalk
The resistance of a little gravel
The subtle tilt of a crosswalk
To the hands, arms, lower back, and heart of the person pushing,
the reality is conveyed.
■ The "normal distance" one can go pushing a wheelchair
Generally, it is said that the distance a caregiver can push without strain is
about 300 to 500 meters on flat ground.Of course, there are individual differences.
Of course, there are individual differences.
The weight of the user
The weight of the wheelchair
Road conditions
Temperature
The caregiver's physical strength
However, you will understand once you actually try pushing one.
500 meters is longer than you imagine.
Especially in the summer.
Especially when you have luggage.
Especially when there is a headwind.
1 km?
To be honest, it is quite hard labor.
At a tourist spot, saying "let's go just over there"
might feel like 5 minutes to an able-bodied person, but
in a wheelchair, it becomes a test of physical strength.
■ What is a climbable slope?
According to national barrier-free design standards,
a slope gradient of 1/12 (approx. 8.3%) or less is the standardset.
In other words,
up to 8.3 cm in height for every 1 meter of progress.
Theoretically, this is considered "safe."
However.
Please try pushing one yourself.
1/12 is by no means easy.
You can push it for a short distance.
But what if it continues for 10 or 20 meters?
If the user weighs 70kg or 80kg,
and the person pushing is light,
you cannot get up without using your body weight and the strength of your whole body.
Furthermore, on a rainy day.
The tires slip.
Your hands get wet.
Your shoes slip.
In the field, "standard" does not mean "easy."
What is truly easy is
around 1/20 (5%) or less.
With this, you can push while having a conversation.
The Dare-Mobi philosophy asks not
if it "clears the standards," but
if it is "easy in reality."
■ The fear of downhill slopes
Actually, going downhill is scarier than going uphill.
As the gradient increases,
the wheelchair tries to surge forward.
The caregiver must lean their entire weight backward
and use their arms to apply the brakes.
Wrists ache.
Fingers tremble.
Especially when it reachesa gradient of 10% or more,going down facing forward is extremely dangerous.
Therefore,
on steep slopes,you must go down backward.
So, what is a gradient that can be safely descended backward?
Realistically,
anything over 8% is quite a tense situation.
If it exceeds 10%,
it is dangerous without experience.
When combined with steps,
the risk of falling increases even further.
In other words—
Even if city design is "theoretically" gentle,
in reality, it relies on the caregiver's physical strength.
■ That is something only those who have pushed one can understand
The act of pushing a wheelchair
is not just mobility assistance.
The feeling of being entrusted with someone's life
The tension of knowing you must not let them fall
The gaze of those around you
The indifference of passersby
And the feelings of the user who feels apologetic
Both the person pushing and the person riding
are using their hearts.
This structure is what
makes going out a "hurdle."
■ What the Dare-Mobi philosophy aims for
Dare-Mobi
aims for a "society where you don't have to push."
Pushing is not a bad thing.
However,
a society that relies on someone's physical strength every time
mobility that can only be supported by family
a structure where going out equals heavy labor
This is not sustainable.
■ It's not zero or 100
Can you walk, or can you not?
Independence, or assistance?
Society immediately
divides things into zero or 100.
Dare-Mobi is different.
Increase the options by plus one.
Being able to self-propel a little bit
Being able to get a little bit of electric assistance
Being able to extend the distance a little bit
Being able to reduce the burden a little bit
If those things add up,
going out will no longer be an 'ordeal'.
■ What a truly kind city is
Eliminating steps alone is not enough.
Make slopes gentler
Review distance design
Increase rest points
Place restrooms nearby
Create shade
Install benches
Both physical and psychological design are necessary.
A city where the person pushing doesn't get tired.
A city where the person riding doesn't have to feel hesitant.
That is the future that Dare-Mobi envisions.
■ If you have pushed one
If you were to
push a wheelchair and walk 500m today.
You will surely realize.
'Oh, this isn't easy'
That very experience
is the first step toward changing society.
The Dare-Mobi philosophy
is born from experience.
It is not just theory on paper.
I understand because I have pushed one.
I want to convey this to those who have never pushed one.
Mobility is a right.
And,
to protect that right,
“a design that allows for easy movement” is necessary.
■ One last time
Have you ever
pushed a wheelchair?
If you have never pushed one,
please experience it once.
Surely,
the way you see the city will change.
Dare-Mobi begins
from that “realization.”
And that realization,
little by little, makes the slopes of society
more gentle.
That is the Dare-Mobi philosophy.
Partnership: We are looking for partners
Dare-Mobi Project
Kitenretsu Kikaku
Representative: Kaoru Shirakawa
Care Worker / Consultant / E-book Planner
1-18-101-908 Kamenoi, Meito-ku, Nagoya
Inquiries
070-9045-7603
daremobility@gmail.com
www.daremobi.net
https://note.com/dare_mobility
For consultations on purchasing Dare-Mobi
Dare-Mobi No. 1 JOY Cart 398,000 yen
Dare-Mobi No. 2 J+VISON 250,000 yen
※ A care worker who knows mobility
#JOYCart
#JOYCartLightweight
#JOYCartCompact
#JOYCartFoldable
#BuyJOYCartFromKitenretsuKikaku
#JOYCartDareMobi
#J+VISON
#J+VISONLightweight
#J+VISONCompact
#J+VISONFoldable
#J+VISONDareMobi
#DokoMobi
#DokoMobiJOYCart