Standard Manual Wheelchair Prescription for Community OTs with Clare Batkin!
Standard manual wheelchairs are one of the most commonly prescribed items in community settings — yet a thorough prescription requires far more clinical reasoning than simply measuring seat width. The right wheelchair, matched carefully to the person, their environment, and the activities they want to do, can restore community access and reduce risk for both client and carer. The wrong one creates new problems.
Working through a real case study, you will apply a structured eight-step AT framework to the clinical assessment, feature matching, trial, funding application, implementation, and review of standard manual wheelchairs. The course focuses on off-the-shelf wheelchairs used as a secondary mobility aid — the most common scenario in community settings — and is grounded in best-practice AT prescription principles.
This course is part of a collaborative Community AT series developed by Otuition and Your OT Tutor. It is intended for occupational therapists working in community settings.
Course
2 Hours
About this course
A structured, evidence-informed online course guiding occupational therapists through every step of basic manual wheelchairs- from identifying need to reviewing outcomes.
Ideal for:
Occupational Therapists working in community or aged care settings who want to build confidence in basic manual wheelchair assessment, prescription, and funding applications using a structured assistive technology framework.
You’ll learn how to:
- Apply a structured AT assessment and prescription framework to standard manual wheelchair prescription
- Apply the PEO and HAAT models to systematically assess person, environment, and activity factors
- Assess and select wheelchair features in relation to anthropometrics, client function, safety, and pressure care needs
- Identify when trials, monitoring, and reviews are required
- Outline key features of effective documentation and report writing
- Apply best practice AT prescription steps to a clinical case example
About your instructor
Clare Batkin
Clare Batkin is a senior occupational therapist, clinical educator, sessional academic, and owner of the clinical education business Your OT Tutor. Clare has over 17 years’ experience as an occupational therapist working with adult clients across public and private sectors, within hospital and community caseloads.
Clare is a self-proclaimed ‘OT Nerd’ who loves sharing her enthusiasm for learning, quality improvement and knowledge translation with OTs and OT students, and she has a particular interest in supporting students as they transition into new graduate therapists. She believes professional development should be simple, practical and worth it! Clare supports thousands of occupational therapists across Australia through sharing free resources, online courses, paid CPD memberships and one-on-one support.
Syllabus
4 Modules, resources and references covering
- Introduction- AT Framework & Wheelchair Fundamentals
- Welcome and course overview
- Eight-step AT best-practice framework applied to wheelchair prescription
- What is a standard manual wheelchair? Key features and typical cost ranges
- When is a standard manual wheelchair the right solution?
- Attendant-propelled versus self-propelled — a first overview
- Course disclaimers and assumed knowledge
- Introducing the case study: Daphne, 80F with early-stage dementia
- Steps 1-2: Identifying Need & Feature Matching
- Starting with function — what tasks are actually impacted?
- Identifying risks: falls, manual handling, pressure injury, reduced participation
- PEO and HAAT models applied to wheelchair prescription
- Person factors: medical history and prognosis, pressure injury risk, pain, incontinence
- Anthropometrics — key measurements and how they map to wheelchair dimensions
- Posture, transfers, upper limb function, cognition, and psychological factors
- Pressure injury risk assessment tools: Waterlow, Norton, and Braden scales
- Bariatric considerations and special client populations
- Context factors: terrain, door widths, transport, storage, carer capacity
- Activity factors: roles, specific activities, duration, and transport method
- AT features: structure, wheels, weight, brakes, seat and backrest, cushions, armrests, leg rests
- Cushion selection: pressure injury risk, sitting balance, continence, maintenance
- Case study: applying Steps 1–2 to Daphne
- Steps 3-5 Trials, Choice and Funding Applications
- Ruling out lower-cost and higher-cost alternatives
- Trial logistics: who needs to be present, what activities to assess, how to record outcomes
- Showroom versus home trials — when each is appropriate
- Arranging the trial: supplier selection, booking, and special requests
- Funding body constraints and their impact on trial planning
- Identifying and tailoring the final prescription
- Comparison tables and pros/cons lists across shortlisted options
- Prioritising features when compromises are needed
- Documenting clinical justification for each feature
- Writing the funding application
- Report versus letter versus form — what different funders require
- Quotes, invoices, and scripts — what to check before submitting
- Managing client expectations about approval timelines
- Case study: applying Steps 3–5 to Daphne
- Steps 6-8: Delivery, Review and Outcome Measurement
- Delivery — what to check on arrival and who needs to be present
- Training content: assembly, transport, transfers, repositioning, and off-loading
- Basic and advanced wheelchair manoeuvring skills
- The Wheelchair Skills Program as a structured training checklist
- Facilitating self-management from day one
- Follow-up and maintenance — cleaning schedules and triggers for review
- Formal review — device and person
- Outcomes to assess: use, activities, pressure injury history, carer satisfaction
- Standardised outcome measures: QUEST 2.0, PIADS, CATOM
- Scenarios: discharge, modification, cease, or referral on
- CPD reflection and applying the prescription worksheet to your next case
- Case study: applying Steps 6–8 to Daphne
More information
Prescribing basic manual wheelchairs can be challenging, especially when you’re balancing clinical reasoning, feature selection, pressure care needs, and funding requirements. We created this course to bridge that gap, offering practical guidance on how to assess, trial, and prescribe basic manual wheelchairs using a structured assistive technology framework.
Drawing on clinical experience in adult rehabilitation and community practice, this course combines practical knowledge with best-practice AT principles. Our goal is to help you feel more confident in standard manual wheelchair prescription, whether you’re just getting started or refining your approach to achieve safe, functional outcomes for your clients.
