People on Wheels

Transportation & Travel

SFMTA clashes with City Hall over Uber pilot program for wheelchair-accessible vehicles

The future of wheelchair-accessible transit in San Francisco is in crisis, but one plan could either revitalize it or doom it, depending on whom you ask. Uber has been in talks with San Francisco to obtain exclusive use of city transit services for people with disabilities, called the paratransit system, The San Francisco Examiner has found. Public records reveal that The City has proposed privatizing its paratransit fleet, at least in part. This could possibly open direct competition between taxis and Uber in the realm of wheelchair transit. But the sector is far from profitable, and that has raised the concern of taxi officials. They question whether Uber, a company with a notoriously aggressive profit motive and valuated by investors at $18 billion, could adequately serve a population often surviving on Social Security and assisted living. Bluntly, taxi officials said Uber’s profit motive mixed with a public service could leave riders with disabilities stranded.

Israeli tourist conquers Heaphy Track in a wheelchair

An Israeli tourist is believed to be the first person to negotiate the Heaphy Track in a wheelchair, completing the 80km track from Collingwood to Karamea on Friday. Paul Murray, from the Rongo Backpackers and Gallery at Karamea, said Arnon Amit was helped by his brother Nadav and friends Maayan

Despite Overhaul Bronx Subway Station Poses Challenges To Wheelchair Bound Riders

The MTA recently updated a Bronx subway station to help disabled commuters. The project was part of a multi-million dollar overhaul. But as CBS2’s Steve Langford reported, there is a problem. A key piece of equipment is missing. A man in a wheelchair and his helper approached the Middletown Road

Arlington approves 60 new wheelchair-accessible taxicabs

Sixty new wheelchair-accessible taxicabs, most operated by a new company with a fleet of vans serving people with disabilities, won the right Saturday to operate in Arlington County. The County Board agreed to award 50 certificates to the new All Access Taxi company and 10 to Blue Top Cab. All

Wheelchair users not allowed on train

Bernadette Flood and Theresa Ryan missed out on their planned shopping trip, despite having bought their day return tickets. And their friend Annette Byrne refused to board the train after learning that her companions had been turned away by Irish Rail. ‘I am still ripping mad,’ said Bernadette who lives

No Mumbai for the wheelchair-bound

So many of Mumbai’s public buildings and public transport embody injustice against people with disabilities, a dna investigation finds. The lack of accessibility features, such as ramps, makes it impossible for people with disabilities to obtain the fundamental right of entry into places of banking, education, transport and entertainment in

Air Asia wheelchair fees exposed

Voted “World’s Best Low-Cost Airline” for six years running, Air Asia is working its way to the top of the chart of the world’s disabled unfriendly airlines. Air Asia’s wheelchair fees are a despicable example of discrimination by destination. Customers who need wheelchair service may have to pay up to

Uber Seeks Changes To Wheelchair-Accessible Taxi Bill

Uber is lobbying to change proposed legislation designed to increase the paltry number of wheelchair-accessible taxicabs in Washington, because the bill could “place excessive regulatory burdens on private vehicle-for-hire companies,” a spokesman for the tech company said. The For-Hire Vehicle Accessibility Amendment Act (pdf) would provide tax credits of up

Nottinghamshire taxi charges extra for passengers in wheelchairs

TAXI drivers have come under fire for charging extra for passengers in wheelchairs. Disabled Fiona Reid visited Nottingham for her sister’s hen party and was shocked to find she had been charged three times the amount of her friends for a taxi from the Hilton hotel in Milton Street to

First Bus appeals against wheelchair court ruling

First said its bus drivers needed to know “what they are legally required to do and how”. Doug Paulley, 36, from Wetherby, was denied access to a First bus to Leeds when a woman with a pushchair refused to move. He won his claim the company had breached the Equality

CTA rider develops app for wheelchair users

Mohammad Ouyoun, 21, was trying to get to Union Station to take a Metra train home to Northbrook last year when he came across a problem. Ouyoun said he was at the Merchandise Mart Brown Line stop in River North and asked the CTA customer service agent which stop was

Jetstar issues apology to disabled woman

BUDGET airline Jetstar has apologised for distressing a woman who says she was forced to carry her disabled adult sister off a flight from Melbourne to Perth. Danae Florias, 24, said staff offered her a standard wheelchair when she asked about the whereabouts of the specially-designed wheelchair used by her

Disability Around the Globe

As USAID’s coordinator for Disability and Inclusive Development, Charlotte McClain-Nhlapo has a first-hand view of how disability is changing throughout the world. A paraplegic herself, McClain-Nhlapo travels between foreign locales to understand how the disability experience differs — and how to empower people with disabilities. She is full of amazing

NO WHEELCHAIR IN PLACE, IT’S TROLLEY RIDE AS INTL AIRPORT

Airlines provide wheelchairs for the old and infirm at airports across the world. But devouts arriving from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia found it was a case of missing wheelchairs at the old international airport in Ahmedabad. Hajis arriving at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport after their pilgrimage to the holy

World traveller isn’t confined by her wheelchair

It’s probably easier, and quicker, for Linda McGowan to talk about the countries she hasn’t visited. The former Burnaby home care nurse who lives in New Westminster has travelled to 110 countries. She’s walked on the Great Wall of China, parasailed in Hawaii, climbed to Annapurna base camp in Nepal,

County Manager Recommends 40 New Wheelchair-Accessible Taxis

County Manager Barbara Donnellan has changed her mind and is now recommending the Arlington County Board approve licenses for 40 new, wheelchair accessible cabs. Donnellan said in a memorandum in July she would recommend issuing no new taxi licenses in the county. But when the Accessibility Subcommittee of the Transit

With UK Doctor’s Support, Former Ms. Wheelchair Kentucky Finds Few Limitations in Life

Pockets on the backside of pants are useless for people who sit in a wheelchair all day. And low-waist jeans can be uncomfortably tight and, even worse, an embarrassment when exposing skin. For spinal cord injury patient Heidi McKenzie, finding a fashionable yet functional pair of jeans to wear was just one more challenge related to living with a disability. A lifelong fashion enthusiast, McKenzie thinks men and women in wheelchairs deserve a chic pair of jeans to accommodate their needs. She’s in the process of launching a business called Alter UR Ego, a fashion-forward clothing line specially designed for people in wheelchairs. No stranger to the spotlight, the former Ms. Wheelchair America contestant is already a natural spokesperson for her products. She got the idea for her business while meeting other women competing in the 2012 Ms. Wheelchair America pageant, who also expressed an interest in hip and youthful clothing for people with disabilities.

Gov.-elect Abbott to help school debut new wheelchair access

Republican Gov.-elect Greg Abbott is helping an Austin high school debut new wheelchair accessibilities. Abbott will be joined Monday by an Austin High School student who sought donations to pay for the new installations on campus. Archer Hadley is a senior with cerebral palsy whose goal was to raise $40,000

Anger as judges put wheelchairs on buses on a par with baby buggies and say disabled passengers have no legal priority

Disability campaigners yesterday demanded new laws for wheelchair users after judges ruled they have no legal priority to use reserved areas on a bus. Appeal judges said that a mother with a baby buggy was within her rights to occupy a bus wheelchair bay, leading to a disabled passenger being

Stella Young, writer, comedian and disability activist, dies aged 32; tributes flow for ‘passionate advocate’

A statement from her family said she passed away unexpectedly in Melbourne on Saturday evening. Young was born in Stawell, country Victoria, with osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disorder that causes bones to break easily. At the age of 14 she began a life of advocacy in which she campaigned for

Wheelchairs in spotlight at new transport exhibition

A TRANSPORT museum better known for its exhibitions on trains, trams and buses is now putting the humble wheelchair in the spotlight. The Riverside Museum in Glasgow, Scotland’s national museum of travel and transport, is preparing to unveil a trailblazing display focusing on the technological advancement of the mobility device.

KD Smart Chair Offers $300 Off Wheelchairs for Cyber Monday

KD Smart Chair is excited to announce that their customers will receive $300 off the original price of $2295 on Cyber Monday. This means customers will have the opportunity to purchase the wheelchair for only $1995.00. This offer is for one day only and expires at midnight on December 1,

City orders restaurant to remove wheelchair ramp

When Anjan Manikumar opened Signs, a deaf-friendly restaurant, he wanted it to be accessible in more ways than one. But his efforts to put in a ramp outside his restaurant at Yonge and Wellesley Sts. resulted in a notice of violation from the city just two weeks after it was

Georgia: Wheelchair protest over parking spaces

A non-profit organisation in Georgia has staged a novel protest against drivers who park their cars in spaces reserved for disabled people. The group, called Tree of Life, took to the streets of the capital Tbilisi and blocked off parking spaces outside the city’s Rustaveli metro station using dozens of

FirstBank Unveils 20 Wheelchair Accessible Branches

FirstBank of Nigeria Limited has said it recently designated over 20 branches with access to wheelchairs across the country. Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, FirstBank, Mr. Bisi Onasanya stated this at the recently concluded FirstBank’s International Sustainability Conference. Some of these branches include: Yaba, Broad Street (Elephant House), Magodo, Owode

State Added To Resort Wheelchair Fall Civil Suit

The focus of a civil suit brought against Ocean City, seeking $750,000 by an elderly Philadelphia woman after a wheelchair fall, shifted last week when the plaintiff filed an amended complaint adding the state as a primary defendant. According to the complaint, on June 16, 2012, the plaintiff, Oda Wendt,

Taxpayers pay for wheelchair ‘ramps to nowhere’

They’re intended to help people with disabilities get around town. But tonight many of the very people the wheelchair ramps are built to serve are questioning why the state even bothered. Worse, they call the projects a waste of tax dollars. Toni Lawrence first noticed the ramp built into the

Homeless, wheelchair-bound Brooklyn teen is honor student with dreams of being a doctor

Thousands of city high school seniors are preparing for college in 2015, but few have overcome as many obstacles as homeless, wheelchair-bound teen Johileny Meran Alamonte. Johileny, 17, of Brooklyn, is an honor student at Juan Morel Campos Secondary School despite having lived in a homeless shelter the last four

Wheelchair-using students get level playing field in Grand-Digue, N.B.

Physical education teacher Rhéal Hébert of Grande-Digue, N.B., has gone an extra step to see that all students get moving in his classes. When Hebert had two students with muscular dystrophy in his École Grande-Digue class — Renelle Belliveau and her older sister — he realized they weren’t getting as

A wheelchair for places wheelchairs can’t go

Hand-cranked carts, made on the First Coast, are changing peoples’ lives around the world. Volunteers make carts for people in third world countries who have lost the use of their legs. Seun Oke is from Nigeria. The 26-year-old took the grand tour of The P.E.T. Place in Penney Farms, a

Suit: Kohl’s stores in Chicago, suburbs not wheelchair-accessible

A national non-profit is claiming Kohl’s stores in Chicago and six suburbs are violating disability standards by not being wheelchair accessible. The lawsuit was jointly filed Tuesday in federal court by Washington D.C.-based Equal Rights Center and six other people, including an Illinois resident who claims stores in Gleview, Arlington

Universal design lab — a dream home for user of wheelchair — to open for public tours

After living in their “laboratory” for more than two years, Rosemarie Rossetti and Mark Leder are ready to pronounce the experiment a success. The couple occupies the Universal Design Living Laboratory near Gahanna, possibly the most technologically sophisticated home in central Ohio. They built the home after Rossetti was paralyzed

Pioneer Classic Wheelchair Basketball Tournament set for Jan. 16-18 at Lakeshore Foundation

Lakeshore Foundation will host the 28th annual Pioneer Classic Wheelchair Basketball Tournament Jan. 16 through Jan. 18. Sixteen teams from across the United States will participate in an event that is recognized as one of the largest and most prestigious wheelchair basketball tournaments in the nation. Six teams will compete in the Championship Division, six in Division 3, and four teams in the Youth Division. About 200 athletes will participate.

South Korea to launch new wheelchair basketball league

The Korean Wheelchair Basketball Federation has announced the creation of a new national league. The Federation announced the launch of a new governing body for the league, the Korean Wheelchair Basketball League (KWBL), during a meeting at the National Assembly, with the league expected to launch next year. The League

Leeds wheelchair sprinter sets sights on glory in Paralympics

An ambitious wheelchair sprinter from Farsley has launched a £5,000 fundraising campaign as he aims for Paralympic glory. Nick Smith, 23, who will also start work on a tennis development apprenticeship with Leeds City Council in January, is in need of a lightweight racing wheelchair as he aims to compete

Neilson included in Scottish team for World Wheelchair Curling Championships after extending career break

Paralympic bronze medallist Aileen Neilson is one of five athletes selected by the Royal Caledonian Curling Club to compete for Scotland at the 2015 World Wheelchair Curling Championship in Lohja, Finland. Neilson, who recently announced her intention to extend her career break from teaching to pursue more glory with Scotland’s

Wheelchair athletes finally get home games

The athletes of the Milwaukee Heat Wheelchair Basketball team often have to travel hundreds of miles to compete. This weekend, Head Coach Bob Anger and his players are excited to be able to stay close to home for a change courtesy of the first edition of the Big Cheese Classic,

Charlottesville Cardinals Prepare for Annual Wheelchair Basketball Tournament

The Charlottesville Cardinals wheelchair basketball squad will welcome teams from across the country to town this weekend for their annual holiday tournament, and the Cardinals say the competition is stiff. Seven teams from around the country will face off in the Annual Herman Key Jr. Holiday Memorial Tournament, which kicks

Shingo Kunieda wins third Wheelchair Tennis Masters title

The 30-year-old Japanese player beat world number seven Nicolas Peifer of France 6-1 6-1. In the women’s tournament, Aniek van Koot of the Netherlands beat compatriot Jiske Griffioen 3-6 6-4 6-1 for her first Masters crown. Britons Jordanne Whiley and Gordon Reid finished third in the events.

Wheelchair team leaves for Bangladesh

Nepali wheelchair team is leaving for Savar, Bangladesh on Wednesday to compete in the Asian Spinal Cord Network (ASCoN) Sports scheduled for November 27 to December 3. Nepali team will compete in three different events including wheelchair table tennis, wheelchair power lifting and wheelchair basketball. Himal Aryal (captain), Digam Chemjong,

Wheelchair Hunting Season 2014

It’s that time of year again – hunting season – when individuals who don’t need to hunt do so anyways in the name of sport and camaraderie. And in many areas around the world, hunting helps keep wild animal numbers under control. This is why, whether you are for or

Handcycling: Not Just for Paras

It’s the final day of Moab Mania — the annual six-day adaptive mountain bike clinic put on by Telluride Adaptive Sports Program — and Jake O’Connor has a satisfied grin as he watches C6-7 quad Pat Dougherty crank his Nuke off-road handcycle up a steep section of the famous Slickrock

Northstate athletes gear up to play wheelchair basketball

The Shasta Lakers play the same game of basketball everyone else does but they play in wheelchairs because every player has been injured in some way making them unable to jump or run. Van Williams, the Shasta Lakers coach, was 20-years-old playing college basketball when he was involved in a

Bauer paves way for wheelchair fencers at Lincoln Fencing Club

When the experienced students of Lincoln Fencing Club sit down to fence against Hailey Bauer for the first time, they quickly learn that there’s a whole lot more to wheelchair fencing than meets the eye. “Those who’ve never fenced me get thrown off-guard a little because they’re used to having

Aussie Kurt Fearnley wins fifth New York marathon

Champion Australian wheelchair racer Kurt Fearnley has prevailed in a dramatic finish to win his fifth New York marathon. Fearnley approached the final kilometre of the race amongst a pack of six riders, but broke free with 100m remaining to finish one second clear of South African runner-up Ernst van

Melbourne sports company helps wheelchair-bound skiers

The Hesters have been avid water skiers for many years, but a chance meeting with a disabled woman in 1996 changed what had been a hobby into a heartfelt business venture. The result was LiquidAccess, a 17-year-old company that designs and manufactures water ski equipment for disabled individuals who otherwise

Wheelchair tennis exhibition sets the stage for year-end championship in Mission Viejo

Leading up to the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Masters in Mission Viejo that starts Wednesday, an exhibition between two of the best professional wheelchair tennis players in the world will take place inside the Beverly Center mall in Beverly Hills on Monday. The 12:30 p.m. exhibition will feature world No. 1

Dreams closer to reality for wheelchair athlete

Tyler Hernandez is closer than ever to his goal of playing for the U.S. national wheelchair soccer team. Hernandez, a graduate of Jesuit High School, suffers from a neuromuscular disorder. Despite that, he is confident, with the voice of a young guy who has simply turned what many might have

XANDER MOZEJEWSKI’S RIDICULOUSLY AWESOME LIFE IN A WHEELCHAIR

An incoming call lights up the screen of Xander Mozejewski’s iPhone. “Dude, you’re not going to believe this,” a friend says when he picks up. Somebody has just uploaded a nude photo of Mozejewski onto the wildly popular Internet aggregator Reddit, and it’s blown up onto the front page, getting hundreds of thousands of views under the title “Ridiculously Photogenic Nude Wheelchair Guy.” The photo is, in fact, authentic, taken the day before, when Mozejewski stripped off his clothes and took his wheelchair for a exhibitionistic spin at the 405/101 freeway interchange in Studio City.

Shot of wheelchair actress is prize for IndyStar photographer

IndyStar photographer Matt Detrich simply wanted a few images of his daughter in a Fishers High School musical on Sunday. Then a small figure wheeled on to the stage and Detrich knew he had something more. Here is his Facebook post about the photo of Betsy Swetnam: A small victory

My Favorite Adapted Baking Tools

I love to bake, but holy cow do my hands fight me! I don’t let this stop me, though. Fresh baked cookies, pineapple upside cake, rhubarb crisp … with adapted baking tools, I can make it all. Instead of using an oven, I use a countertop toaster oven for all

Budapest inaugurates wheelchair gangster movie

Get ready for the first of its genre: the wheelchair gangster movie. ‘The Kills on Wheels’, currently being shot in Budapest, tells the story of a firefighter who becomes paralysed after an accident. Living in a wheelchair, he feels that society has no need for disabled people. So he starts

Student uses wheelchair for week to test accessibility on campus

My hands were blistered, and my arms felt like they were about to fall off. I began to wonder what I’d gotten myself into. It was only the first day of my week in a wheelchair. I was trying to experience what a disabled student might endure when trying to

Ever Wonder How People in Wheelchairs Get Around the City?

One all-time-favorite New York City pastime is complaining about transit. The news site Vocativ’s video of Scotty Hard, a music producer in NYC who uses a wheelchair, trying for more than an hour to get a cab might put things in perspective for those commuters who don’t have to depend

Mets fans make pinup history by voting for Longwood fan in wheelchair

Amanda Perla wanted to be a New York Mets FAN calendar girl, but she debated whether she was pinup material. If she’d listened to doctors, they might have said not to bother finding out. If she’d listened to herself, Perla might have never entered the contest. But she listened to

Working: Beating the Odds

Everyone is familiar with those dismal statistics showing full-time employment and severe disabilities don’t mix, especially for wheelchair users. But with preparation, perseverance, the right situation and a good helping of luck, you can still beat the odds. Renee Tyree, 49, knew what she wanted from an early age. Drawn

‘Halloween is his favorite holiday': Amazing wheelchair costumes will make you smile

On Halloweens past, 9-year-old Caleb McLelland has driven a backhoe with bright yellow wheels, flown through the clouds as Superman and sped into action in his Batmobile. He made all of those transformations in attention-grabbing costumes that incorporated his wheelchair. “His chair is very much a part of him,” Cassie

Ms. Wheelchair America: Disability Gives a New ‘Perspective on Life’

Samantha Schroth’s life suddenly changed in May 2013. While camping with friends, she was struck by a falling tree and left paralyzed from mid-chest down. “The chances of this changing are pretty minimal,” says Schroth, who suffered a complete spinal cord injury and uses a wheelchair for mobility. According to

Wheelchair Bus Choreography

Dear Diary: I’m snuggled into my coveted singular seat on the Lexington Ave. M101 bus. I observe through the window, on this wearying humid day, in my air-conditioned personal space, that there is a long line of people waiting for the doors to open. The queue is orderly, and their

‘Wheelchair hug?’ Unique online friendship grows with meeting in Shamokin

The two women wheeled their wheelchairs toward each other with a mix of excitement and nervousness Saturday afternoon at Claude Kehler Memorial Park. “Wheelchair hug?” offered Alena Chesser, of Radcliffe, Ky. But 14-year-old Chloe Dale, of Coal Township, stood from her chair and threw her arms around Chesser. Dale was

Disabled Writer Pens Critical Open Letter To Kanye West About “Wheelchair Incident”

Kanye West found himself in the middle of another controversy this week when the G.O.O.D. Music boss told two fans in wheelchairs to stand up at a recent concert in Australia. Kanye apparently refused to continue his show until he had confirmation the concert goers were really handicapped.Ye later came

More Than Meets the Eye: When Perception and Spirit Outweigh Disability

It’s been said that perception is reality, that the hand is quicker than the eye. It’s also been said that fear of the unknown can make one do things they never thought possible. Time and time again, we’ve put these theories to the absolute test. The results ultimately change the

Cerebral Palsy and a Wheelchair: Two Things That Won’t Stop Andrew From Going to a Gay Club

When Andrew Morrison-Gurza, 19 at the time, was preparing to go to a gay bar for the first time, he did what most young gay men do: He had a friend over, talked about what to wear, and put on some pre-party music. Andrew recalls: [W]e made a bunch of

Dreams not Bound to Wheelchair

The jewellery by Preetha J displayed at Creant Art Gallery in Sasthamangalam has a story. Not the fact that glass, wooden and terracotta beads used to make it has been sourced from far-off places using a social networking site. But the story that the jewellery helps Preetha, a person bound

New Stand-Up Wheelchair Lifts User To Upright Position For Practical, Psychological Benefits

For Juan Ayala — a Chilean man born with cerebral palsy — life bound to a wheelchair no longer means a stunted view or trouble going to the bathroom. This is thanks to a new, motorized chair that elevates Ayala to an upright position, allowing for more practical day-to-day tasks and a new perspective on the world. The Chilean company Kiron is responsible for giving Ayala the gift of standing up. With just a push of a button he can rise to near-full upright stature. The benefits, he says, are plentiful. He can now do everyday things like wash dishes and open windows. He also enjoys the added comfort of knowing he won’t be looked down at just because of his chair, something the company’s general manager says isn’t just a perk of the chair, but a pursuit. “At a psychological level, the ability to stand has powerful characteristics,” said Juan Pablo Rodriguez to Reuters.

Rocket Mobility targets disabled outdoors lovers with all-terrain wheelchairs

The Tomahawk is the brainchild of company owner Brice Crawford, who saw first-hand how difficult it is to get around outdoors with a disability. His grandfather had a prosthetic leg after stepping on a land mine in World War II and his mother had difficulty walking thanks to nerve damage

Illini alumni aim to transform wheelchair design

A novel idea from a pair of former University of Illinois students led to a small business that could potentially revolutionize wheelchair manufacturing — which, historically, is not exactly the most dynamic industry. The company, called IntelliWheels, applies the concept of bicycle gears to wheelchairs, with the aim of giving

Wheelchair users demand a designer future

Too many accessories for wheelchair users still scream diability aid now a team of design students from Brunel University London has teamed up with campaigning website Blue Badge Style to produce stylish accesories. The best chosen by public vote will go forward to prototype stage. Design students at Brunel University

Formula 1 Inspired Wheelchair Adds Style to Functionality

Every other wheeled vehicle out there is evolving these days, yet someone must have forgotten about the wheelchair, which still looks like a dull medical accessory. This British kickstarter company wants to change the people’s conception about wheelchairs, but it may require some outside help. The Carbon Black project here

Monkeys Steer Wheelchairs With Their Brains, Raising Hope for Paralyzed People

Best known for his experimental exoskeleton that helped a paralyzed man kick the opening ball for June’s World Cup in Brazil, Duke University neuroscientist Miguel Nicolelis presented the latest “brain-machine interface” findings from his team’s “Walk Again Project” at the Society for Neuroscience meeting. “Some of our patients say they

The GRIT Freedom Chair takes the wheelchair mountain biking

The wheelchair provides invaluable mobility to those with disabilities, but there are countless places where it can’t go. Trails, parks, beaches, woods … without a paved road or structured pathway, the wheelchair can quickly find itself out of its element. The GRIT Freedom Chair updates wheelchair design – well not

Segway wheelchair begins trials on Japanese streets

The Japanese subsidiary of Segway, the inventor of the eponymous two-wheeled electric scooter, on Friday began trials of a wheelchair that enables users to change direction by shifting their weight. It is the first time Segway Japan Ltd., based in Yokohama, has tested its Genny motorized wheelchair on Japanese streets.

New all-terrain wheelchair at De Montfort University praised by students

Disabled students at De Montfort University are being given the chance to use the latest all-terrain wheelchair. The university, in Leicester, says it is the first university in the world to have the Mountain Trike – described by The Guardian as “The Bear Grylls of the wheelchair world”. Its inventor

This Sleek Carbon Fiber Wheelchair Is What Professor X Would Use

Design options for wheelchairs seem stuck on a spectrum from boring to next-level boring. That’s what Andrew Slorance wants to change. The UK-based entrepreneur is in the process of getting his Carbon Black chairs FDA approved to bring the distinctly stylish chairs to the U.S. Made with lightweight, streamlined carbon

ASU entrepreneurs create elevating wheelchair

Four ASU seniors from different majors teamed up in fall 2012 to create UP — an elevating wheelchair that would simplify life for people with disabilities. Supply chain management alumnus Peter Georgiou graduated in 2013, as did two other team members. However, the team continues meeting weekly to design a

Omniwheels and mountain trikes: five visionary new wheelchair designs

Looking like what you might get if Apple turned its sleek, minimalist hand to wheelchair design, the Whill is the product of a new startup company formed by a group of former Nissan and Toyota designers and engineers, working in Tokyo and San Francisco. Its major innovation is the incorporation

Students design innovation for wheelchair

Eleven Dubuque high school students are semifinalists in a national competition for innovative inventions. The Wahlert Catholic High School team developed the Feltes One Way, a universal anti-rollback device for manual wheelchairs that prevents them from rolling backward on inclines. The invention has landed the students among the top 30

Inventor creates mind-controlled wheelchair which steers away from obstacles using an artificial intelligence system

WHEN Jordan Nguyen leapt off a wobbly diving board, hit his head on the bottom of the pool, and spent 24 hours paralysed, he vowed to focus his budding research career on helping people with disabilities. Eight years later, he has invented a mind-controlled wheelchair that can navigate via camera,

Stephen Hawking shows off Intel’s connected wheelchair

While Apple was announcing its latest iPhones, Intel was showing off a wheelchair. The chipset maker revealed its connected wheelchair on Tuesday, complete with endorsement from one of the world’s greatest living scientists, Dr. Stephen Hawking. The wheelchair is being created by Intel’s internet of things department, and is designed

Custom Wheelchair With Push Rowing Action Developed by Rice Students for Kid’s Unique Needs

Many people have to use wheelchairs for conditions other than lower body paralysis. A variety of muscle and joint disorders can make both arms and legs ineffective, and even operating traditional wheelchairs can be a challenge. For people like Pedro, a fifteen year old with arthrogryposis, a congenital condition that

Wheelchair user, 21, calls for fewer barriers, greater opportunity in R.I.

Stephen Carroll knows what it’s like to eat alone in an empty classroom. He knows what it’s like to miss gym class because the chair lift isn’t working. And he knows what it’s like to search for a wheelchair-accessible “seat” in a school auditorium. Rather than be defined by his disability, Carroll has chosen to share his experiences in the hopes of creating a world with fewer barriers and greater opportunities. Carroll, who is 21 and has cerebral palsy, has developed a website, EqualAccessRI.org, and a blog, where he describes his adventures, shares his research and invites readers to build a more accessible Rhode Island. “My goal is to make it easier for people to get around,” said Carroll, who participates in a day program in Pawtucket. “It wasn’t so easy for me.”

KU student in wheelchair adapts to university life with hope and humor

Ricky Hernandez made his University of Kansas debut as a stand-up comedian recently — in his wheelchair. It didn’t start well. At first he couldn’t find the dormitory buddy who’d been helping with his routine. Then Hernandez, who’d been diagnosed with cerebral palsy as an infant, discovered that his cellphone

Paraplegic Ontario man builds wheelchair ramp for stranger

An Ontario woman was able to get out of her home for the first time in four years thanks to a sympathetic stranger. As a paraplegic, Mike Mulligan knew how difficult it can be to regain independence in a wheelchair. He told CTV’s Canada AM on Tuesday that he wanted

We can transform wheelchair services by listening to patients

Unbelievably, there are an estimated 70,000 disabled children in the UK whose physical mobility needs, and subsequently their ability to develop skills needed for adulthood, are not being met. Historically the delivery of wheelchair services has suffered from delays and received little attention among health commissioners. Right now, we know

Wheelchairs or pushchairs: Who should take priority?

In February 2012, wheelchair user Doug Paulley was not allowed to board a bus in Leeds because the wheelchair space was taken by a pushchair. The mother, not wanting to wake her sleeping baby, refused to move. Paulley was left with no choice but to get off and wait for

Austin high school student launches wheelchair challenge

Imagine being confined to a wheelchair and unable to open the door to your school. It’s an everyday occurrence for one Austin student. Now he’s trying to raise enough money to put in automatic doors. Austin High School was built in 1975. According to Disability Texas, the law currently doesn’t

How wheelchair friendly is town centre?

Buckingham town councillor and former mayor, Chris Strain-Clark organised the event on Tuesday morning to give people a chance to see for themselves what it’s like trying to get around Buckingham if they’re in a wheelchair, or pushing one, on a mobility scooter or pushing a baby buggy. As well

‘Even sitting down, we can reach for the stars': Women in wheelchairs pose for empowering photo campaign celebrating ‘raw beauty’

Some were born with their disabilities, others were the victims of freak accidents, but all the women who star in the Raw Beauty Project of NYC campaign share a common goal. ‘We truly hope that we can challenge the unrealistic standard of beauty that exists today and demonstrate that there

Teenagers discover difficulties faced by wheelchair users to raise charity funds

Getting on the bus, trying to do your shopping, even taking the dogs out – all day-to-day tasks that can be a struggle for those who use a wheelchair. So two Stockton teenagers spent all weekend in a wheelchair to find out just how difficult it can be. Emily Dixon,

My life in a wheelchair is hard enough without London’s impossible transport system

You might have recently seen a video of a man racing the Tube from Mansion House to Cannon Street station, and winning. Since it was uploaded a couple of weeks ago, it went viral, and has been viewed almost 5m times. When I saw it, I decided to try the

Life in a wheelchair provides challenges from parking lot to closed door

Whether he’s looking for a job or at a college campus, Brandon Elliott looks at life from a different perspective. Elliott, who has spina bifida, has been in a wheelchair his entire life. A recent high school graduate, Elliott plans to attend college at Lake Area Technical Institute this winter,

Cook County’s inmates in wheelchairs face challenges and pose risks in jail

Inside the Cook County Jail, a wheelchair can be a weapon. An inmate in a wheelchair can remove a handrail and turn it into a club. A seat-adjustment handle can be fashioned into a shank. And a shank can be hidden in an inmate’s colostomy bag. These are facts everyone

Why new wheelchair icon is more than just a symbol

Over the past several years, scores of disability rights activists have begun to question the efficacy of the ubiquitous wheelchair symbol, arguing that the white-on-blue icon depicts people with disabilities as passive, dependent, even mechanical. Kimberly Izar, DMSB’16, is but one of the vocal critics of the International Symbol of

Wheelchair user says basic human rights are being ignored in N.S.

Denise Fitzgerald was on vacation in St Lucia last July, when she started to get headaches and a stiff neck. She was admitted to hospital on her return to Nova Scotia and was diagnosed with Encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain. The 42-year-old says she suffered significant cognitive impairment, forgetting

Stop Saying ‘Wheelchair-Bound’ And Other Outdated And Offensive Terms To People With Disabilities

Discussing disabilities may feel like trying to avoid metaphorical tripwires. One innocent misstep and an able-bodied person may receive a tongue lashing just for saying “handicap vehicle” instead of “wheelchair accessible vehicle.” To help you sidestep situations like the one above, note the following tips when discussing disabilities.

Leveling the Playing Field: My Lesson From Stella Young and the Dangers of “Inspiration Porn”

In 1913, Webster’s dictionary defined inspiration as “the act of power in exercising an elevating or stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions — the result of such influence which quickens or stimulates.” That definition has clearly evolved as times have changed, changing what society considers inspirational. It’s manifested into

Spinal Cord Injury and the Family: A New Guide

Spinal cord injury, or SCI, is frequently sudden and unexpected—through accident, disease, or violence, patients temporarily lose control of their bodies and, it seems, their lives. With rehabilitation, they can learn to navigate their world once more, retraining muscles and mind to compensate for paralyzed limbs and diminished strength. But as Dr. Michelle Alpert shows here, there is far more to recapturing full, independent lives than regaining movement. Central to long-term success is mending the family unit. Combining Dr. Alpert’s clinical experience with patients’ own stories, Spinal Cord Injury and the Family is for individuals and their families who must climb back from injury: for the young quad couple, both quadriplegic, who wish to conceive and raise a child; for the paraplegic dad who wants to teach his daughter to drive; for the couple wondering how they can regain the sexual spark in their relationship. The authors cover the causes of and prognosis for SCI

Person of the Year: Jason DaSilva

Jason DaSilva is an artist. He will always be an artist, no matter how severe his disability becomes, because of how he thinks, feels, and views the world, and because of his passion and determination to communicate that viewpoint to people of all abilities and cultures. NEW MOBILITY is proud to name him our 2014 Person of the Year — for using his artistic talent and unique vision in a way that will benefit people with disabilities now, and for a long, long time to come. Filmmaker Jason DaSilva, NEW MOBILITY’S 2014 Person of the Year, is at his desk working on a script with a volunteer assistant. A power wheelchair is nearby, but he’s sitting in an ordinary office chair. As I wonder how he can move about by himself, the assistant turns him around and pushes him gently toward me, ready to be interviewed.

Compere Wins Title of Ms. Wheelchair Mississippi

Contestants from around Mississippi came to the Queen City for a unique kind of pageant. The 2015 Mississippi Ms. Wheelchair pageant was chosen at the Council of Organizations building Sunday afternoon. Lauren Compere from Madison was chosen as this year’s winner. Each year, Ms. Wheelchair Mississippi foundation puts on a

SCI Superstar: Chuck Bittner

With the tongue-in-cheek gamer nickname ONLYUSEmeFACE, Chuck Bittner is one of the world’s most impressive gamers. As a C5 quadriplegic, Chuck plays console games using only his face and since 2011, he’s been on a mission to bring universal key remapping to the gaming industry. In layman’s speak – he

Wheelchair Rugby: An Athlete’s Road to Recovery

Wheelchair rugby is fast-paced, physical, and above all else, hard hitting. Most people think of physical therapy in a hospital when someone is recovering from an injury, but Lyndsay Slocumb took a different route and decided to pick up a new sport as part of her rehabilitation. “I saw a

After giving up art after paralysis, a wheelchair now replaces a paintbrush

On this week’s Close Up, we visited artist Tommy Hollenstein at his studio. He told us about what it means to fulfill a dream he thought was lost, and what he hopes his art means to others. Twenty-nine years ago, Hollenstein was in a mountain biking accident that left him

Bengaluru girl wins Miss Wheelchair pageant

“If had to live someone else’s life, I would wish to re-live my own life.” That was the answer of Dr Raja lakshmi, when she was asked whose life she wanted to live, at the Miss Wheelchair-2014.The auditorium erupted in applause. Rajalakshmi, the surgeon who took her battle against nepotism

SCI Superstar: Jamie Goodwin

One of the most internet-famous wheelers we’ve featured yet, Jamie Goodwin, a 38 year old mom from Canton, Georgia, has made a name for herself with her Facebook group Wheelin’ Weightloss. Two years ago she made the decision to start losing baby-weight, and since starting her group she’s become a

SCI Superstar: Dave Sykes

Clearly not afraid of heights, British adventurer and pilot Dave Sykes is a paraplegic you’ll never forget. Famous for his epic 16,000 mile journey in a microlight aircraft from the UK to Australia, he has taken up flying post-injury in a most fearless way. Also an author, an active supporter

SCI Superstar: Trish Downing

The first female disabled athlete to compete in an Ironman triathlon, meet Trish Downing, a lifelong athlete who transformed into a top-tier adapted athlete post-injury. Now a self-described endurance athlete, Trish has not been afraid to push herself in the face of paraplegia. Also going on to found an all

SCI Superstar: Albert Llovera

Hailing from the principality of Andorra is the epic rally driver Albert Llovera. Known for his athletic abilities and his smoldering Spanish good looks, Albert is above all known for his tenacity in the face of some serious lifechangers. We won’t give it all away, but he went from a

SCI Superstar: Bert Burns

While he may be the founder and CEO of one of the largest urological supply companies in the United States, Bert Burns is not your regular businessmen with a spinal cord injury. Also a Paralympian, Bert carries on a passionate sports life outside of the office. And that’s just the

Inventor doesn’t let his wheelchair set limits

You can’t miss the sound of his trike pulling up, and Michael Maher hopes his message is just as loud. “Your only limitations are your imagination. You can do a lot of different things,” Maher said. Maher is a testament to that statement. The 53-year-old is in a wheelchair and

SCI Superstar: Kelley Kalafatich

A born and bred explorer and river rafter who’s even worked in Hollywood, Kelley Kalafatich is one of the world’s most talented female rafters. Having been all over the world exploring rivers, her carefree life was sidelined by something she couldn’t even see. Kelley has not only managed to move

SCI Superstar: Skydiver Jarrett Martin

In Jarrett Martin’s world, the place he loves to be the most is in the sky – free-falling at 100 miles an hour with the wind in his face. But after his injury five years ago, he feared the one thing he loved the most would no longer be possible.

SCI Superstar: Jordan Bone

Beauty comes in many forms and Jordan Bone, a C6 quad from Norfolk, UK, may be one of the best examples of this age old adage. Injured 10 years ago in a freak car accident when she was just 15, Jordan has gone on to become one of YouTube’s rising

William Peace: Scholar, Advocate

When President George H. W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act into law, he remarked that everyone with a disability could now pass through once-closed doors into a bright new era of equality. Meaningful changes have happened in the 24 years since, but the ADA’s intent hasn’t been fully