>>I know such equipment /exists/, but that's about it.<<

Saddle with a high back and belt in tooled leather

Basically a wheelchair seat turned into a saddle

Dressage jumping saddle with thigh stirrups, because who says missing legs mean you can't climb on a giant animal and fly over walls

And of course if you can't spread your legs very far, you will want a good old-fashioned sidesaddle

I'm rather intrigued by clever adaptive equipment.

>> Its more...people can't slap a one-size-fits-solution on thus and say 'yay, fixed!' <<

True of many people, alas.

>> I actually did not know this; palanquins are not local to my area and my first mental image is the palanquins Azula and Zuko use in ATLA, which are a sit-upright-no-chair style.<<

They are not common in my area either. However, various styles exist...

Basically a chair in a wheelless carriage, carried by 2 porters

An open chair version for weddings, looks like all the groomsmen are trying to get a hand on those poles

Bride and groom sitting together, looks like 8 porters

Larger chairless version for sitting with your legs straight, looks like 6 porters

Queen Hetepheres' Sedan Chair

A flat bed palanquin without the usual cushions or curtains so you can see its structure

This child has stretched out and fallen asleep amidst a fancy religious procession

I was surprised to see how solid they were. Mostly I had seen palanquins with curtains like this.

They're just a lot more fun and festive than a wheelchair or the stretcher on the back of a golf cart ambulance, you know?

>>Also, semirelated, I recall the cover of this book* had a picture of a stretcher with a sunshade (designed for longish transport where cars might not be an option.)<<

Very clever.

>>That is a consideration, but I was also thinking of moving the /equipment/, not just the person.<<

Also true. In that case, consider a cart, a carry pole, or a pack animal. A wheelbarrow works if you have the 2-wheel version, but a 1-wheel version is tippy. I've also seen people hauled in a wheelbarrow or garden cart.

>>I think I recall a conversation I once had with someone who drove her wheelchair-bound grandmother around, but was running into problems because the sporty car didn't have a lot of room to put the folded-up wheelchair. <<

Yeah, that's challenging.

>> And you kind of need the wheelchair to get around at the store... <<

Depends on the store or other facility. Wal-Mart and Sam's Club have electric wheelchairs for shoppers with a basket attached. I think they have some manuals too. Medical facilities usually have some. It's becoming more common for beaches to have outdoor ones, but that varies. Adaptive dance studios or sport centers usually have sport wheelchairs. So if transporting the chair is bothersome, check around -- you can save hassle by going places that have their own wheelchairs to borrow.

>>I myself have tied a folded wheelchair to a bike rack. (Doesn't do much good to drive someone home if their gear stays at the office.) <<

Good solution.

>>I know someone else for whom 'spend the night' involves a variety of machines and mechanical contraptions; conveying these via anything but car (or possibly covered wagon) would be nigh-impossible/impractical.<<

Yeah, that would be very limiting.