Personal Wheelchairs and the Overlooked Ergonomic Reality in Assisted Travel

When a personal wheelchair is damaged during assisted travel, the impact goes far beyond equipment. For the assisted traveller, it affects independence, posture, familiarity and confidence. That reality is increasingly recognised.

What is discussed less often is the ergonomic reality behind these incidents.

Across many airports, personal wheelchairs are becoming heavier and more complex. Power chairs, reinforced frames and custom seating systems place significant physical demands on frontline teams who are required to lift, manoeuvre and secure equipment that was never designed for frequent manual handling.

From what we see across operations, damage rarely results from carelessness. It typically occurs under time pressure, during transfers, loading or tight handovers. These are exactly the moments when physical strain, awkward angles, and fatigue increase the risk for both the wheelchair and the people handling it.

This is where the conversation becomes more constructive. Assisted travel differs fundamentally from standard baggage handling, and treating it as such requires more than procedures alone. It requires realistic assumptions about weight, handling moments and physical limits, and a willingness to rethink how support is organised around personal mobility aids.

What is encouraging is that this awareness is growing. In ongoing conversations with several airports, we see a genuine openness to reflect on this challenge and explore practical improvements. Not defensively, but thoughtfully, with attention for both traveller dignity and the sustainability of the work itself.

From a producer’s perspective, contributing to that dialogue is an important responsibility. Not by claiming ownership of the problem, but by helping translate what we see across different environments into solutions that reduce strain, risk and inconsistency on the floor.

In assisted travel, protecting dignity and protecting people at work are not competing goals. When the system supports both, outcomes tend to improve for everyone involved.

𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐇𝐮𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬
Sales Manager, Special Mobility

𝘍𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭, 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴