The Paragolfer is a motorized wheelchair that assists a paraplegic to stand up and play golf. It was developed with the input of paralyzed golfers. The product information page alludes to other sports and hobbies that require an upright position, but it doesn’t give any examples.

The Paragolfer is made by Parabasetec. The unit costs around $26,000, which may be more suited to purchase by a country club than by individuals. However, there must be other activities to use this vehicle for besides golf. That is not to downplay the value of playing golf for someone who has been unable to compete in any sports, or enjoy outdoor activities, as the story of Paragolfer user Graham Hunt illustrates.

“I spent the year having a very big downer.

“I had bought myself a Nintendo Wii console and the game that came with it was Tiger Woods 2008 so I started playing gold on the Wii.

“I thought, ‘if I an swing a Wii around, why can’t I swing a golf club too?”

See the Paragolfer in action in this video. You can skip the first minute.

A commenter elsewhere mentioned what a boon it would be for someone to be able to stand, shake hands, and look someone in the eye. Those are the kinds of actions you don’t think about until you’ve lost those abilities.