The invention provides a seated invalid appliance, such as a wheelchair, with a stowable backrest arrangement. The seat appliance has side restraints and includes a linkage arrangement between the backrest and the side restraints such that as the backrest moves between a deployed and stowed configuration the side restraints correspondingly move between a restraint position and a stowed position. The backrest may be arranged to be pivotably movable between the deployed and stowed configurations and/or the side restraints may be arranged to be pivotably movable between the restraint position and the stowed position. A sliding or guided linkage may be provided between the backrest arrangement and the restraints. The invention is particularly suited for use with a wheelchair, or an invalid chair or a sporting appliance for a disabled or mobility-impaired user.
