Putting practical wheelchair skills in people’s hands
We helped turn Back Up’s peer-led training into a free mobile product with manual and power-chair video courses, visible progress and rewarding milestones.
The situation
Learning to use a wheelchair can be daunting, particularly for people preparing to leave hospital or practising new techniques at home. Back Up wanted to extend its established training beyond face-to-face sessions without presenting the app as a replacement for specialist, peer-led support.
The product needed to work for manual and power-chair users, people of different ages and injury levels, and learners returning to refresh a particular skill. It also needed to make progress visible without turning essential learning into a game that felt trivial.
What we did
The home journey separates manual and power-chair learning immediately. Strong photography and plain labels help people choose the relevant route without navigating an abstract course catalogue.
What changed
The Wheelchair Skills App gives people a practical learning companion they can use in hospital, at home or when refreshing a technique later. The course structure keeps a substantial library approachable, while progress and achievements provide a reason to continue.
For Back Up, it extends the reach of peer-led wheelchair skills into a product that can sit alongside in-person training and the charity’s wider services.
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