Moving in a
Wheelchair
Vocabulary
Read the vocabulary terms to understand the reading better.
Railing
A railing is a protective barrier made up of vertical and horizontal bars.
Ramp
A ramp is a type of inclined plane. An object placed on a ramp will roll, slide, or stay put.
Simple Machines
Simple machines make work easier and have few or no moving parts.
Wheel and Axle
A wheel and axle is a simple machine that can move objects across a distance. The wheel is the round part. The axle is a rod that goes through the centre of a wheel to help it move. A car has wheels and axles to help move.
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair fitted with wheels to make moving easier.
Stella uses a wheelchair to move around.
Moving Forward and Backward

Stella’s wheelchair has four wheels. The two wheels at the back are big. Stella uses the big wheels to make the wheelchair move. Wheels are simple machines that make things easy to move.
Stella uses her arms to push the big wheels. She pushes the wheels forward to move forward. She pushes the wheels backward to move backward. Stella pushes the wheels harder to make the wheelchair go faster.
Going Around Corners
Stella can make her wheelchair go around corners. She pushes the right wheel harder to turn left. She pushes the left wheel harder to turn right.
Using a Ramp

A wheelchair cannot go upstairs. Many places have a ramp for people who use a wheelchair. A ramp is a simple machine. Stella pushes the wheels harder when she goes up a ramp.
Stella does not have to push the wheels to go down a ramp. She holds the railing on the ramp when she goes down. She does not want to go down too quickly.
Show What You Know!
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