Some wheelchair seats are tilted towards the rear. Why?

This is mainly for the people who have less upper body balance and to protect them from falling over when the casters (small front wheels) hit a bump. The angle of the tilt varies with the ability of the wheelchair user.

Why the space between the rear wheels and the casters vary in different wheelchairs?

This too depends on the ability of the wheelchair user.

When the rear wheels are close to the casters, the wheelchair becomes easily maneuverable because the wheels are close to the hands. The wheelchair is easily tippable (is there a word like that?), which allows the pusher or the wheelchair user to negotiate bumps and rough terrain easily.

On the other hand, with the above alignment, the wheelchair becomes less stable. Hence, only a person with good upper body control prefers this adjustment. Therefore, for a person with lesser upper body control, the rear wheels are aligned a little backward to provide more stability to the wheelchair. The user may have to stretch a little to reach the wheels. NEVERTHELESS, IT IS ALWAYS SAFETY FIRST

TAG: disability and society