Wheelchair Pride

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79465738401762210102010-09-09T00:43:39.557+03:00Wheelchair PrideBlog about disability rights, wheelchairs, mobility scooters and technology which improves the lives of people with disabilitiesWheelchair Pridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14795560785114983510rehadesign@gmail.comBlogger159125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946573840176221010.post-3494767604039751862010-09-07T19:00:00.001+03:002010-09-07T23:39:06.072+03:00The First DOUBLE Backflip In A Wheelchair

Back in 2006, Aaron Fotheringham did the first back flip in a wheelchair. I did the first interview with Aaron Fotheringham when he was just 14 years old.On August 26, 2010 Aaron Fotheringham hit the first DOUBLE backflip in a wheelchair. Watch this video, posted by Aaron showing how he got it done:Want to know more about Aaron? Check out this interview by Unitriders. It is probably the funniest

Wheelchair Pridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14795560785114983510rehadesign@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946573840176221010.post-21351672008677296172010-09-03T19:00:00.002+03:002010-09-03T19:00:05.287+03:00The World's Lightest Wheelchair

Just a decade ago, the world's lightest wheelchairs had a frame weight of around 8kg (17lbs) and with wheels, the lightest wheelchairs weighed around 10 kg (22 lbs). Now it is possible to find commercially made wheelchairs with a frame weight just over 2 kg (4.5 lbs) and with wheels just over 4 kg (10 lbs). What are the world's lightest wheelchairs? Some of the worlds lightest wheelchairs include

Wheelchair Pridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14795560785114983510rehadesign@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946573840176221010.post-90971735561245905042010-08-30T19:00:00.005+03:002010-08-30T19:00:02.680+03:00How To Complain About Wheelchair Inaccessible Buildings

Are you having trouble with a wheelchair inaccessible building? Is there a place you need access to and the owner is not making it wheelchair accessible to ADA standards? Not sure what to do next? One possibility is to contact Hank Falstad at Access Technologies Services in Las Vegas Nevada. Although Hank is in Nevada, he works nationwide. Hank has told me that once you contact him he will

Wheelchair Pridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14795560785114983510rehadesign@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946573840176221010.post-39516012343433439402010-08-27T10:48:00.007+03:002010-08-27T21:04:36.769+03:00Wheelchair Discrimination Caught On Video!

Qamar Khaliq of the UK was being discriminated against by a Northern Rail Train Guard. The Nortern Rail train guard refused to put a ramp down so that Mr Khliq, a wheelchair user, could board a train. A quick thinking man, Qamar Khaliq captured the offending guard on video. Mr Khaliq uploaded the video to YouTube:Qamar Khaliq's video has now spread across the UK news media and has been picked up

Wheelchair Pridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14795560785114983510rehadesign@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946573840176221010.post-18618008989778410362010-08-25T19:00:00.002+03:002010-08-25T19:00:05.119+03:00Proval: The Lightest Aluminum Wheelchair?

There are those who are always looking for the lightest, coolest, sweetest wheelchair available. Several companies claim to manufacture the world's lightest wheelchair, but they are often made from carbon fiber or other composite materials. Now there is the Proval Wheelchair. The ultra-light aluminum Proval weighs in at an incredible 3.4 kg (without rear wheels). This means that, depending on the

Wheelchair Pridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14795560785114983510rehadesign@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946573840176221010.post-62961981559115820142010-08-22T19:00:00.001+03:002010-08-22T19:00:03.297+03:00Wheelchair Inaccessible Europe

For twenty years, the ADA (American Disability Act) has been opening doors for people with disabilities in the USA. Since 1990, the USA has slowly become more and more accessible and wheelchair users are gaining access to place which were once closed. To be sure, many parts of the USA have a long way to go. But how does accessibility in the USA compare to that of Europe?Europe is a mixed bag.

Wheelchair Pridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14795560785114983510rehadesign@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946573840176221010.post-29189907160114486302010-08-20T19:11:00.003+03:002010-08-20T19:11:00.264+03:00Wheelchair User On India's Got Talent

Vinod Thakur, a disabled student from India wowed the judges and audience with his amazing hip hop moves on the second season of "India's Got Talent": Vinod certainly does have talent. But will the audiences of India vote him to the top?

Wheelchair Pridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14795560785114983510rehadesign@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946573840176221010.post-35421358191815383782010-08-16T19:00:00.005+03:002010-08-16T19:00:01.736+03:00Wheelchair Ramps That Kill

Some people just don't get the idea about a wheelchair ramp. Ignoring ADA or other local disability regulations, they simply create any incline and call it a wheelchair ramp. Some do not understand that an unsafe wheelchair ramp can be worse than no wheelchair ramp at all.Unsafe wheelchair ramps can result in painful injuries or much worse. Last month Jeremy Hammitt of Oregan was injured when he

Wheelchair Pridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14795560785114983510rehadesign@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946573840176221010.post-84153794192295434702010-08-13T10:03:00.008+03:002010-08-13T10:03:00.245+03:00Uk's Channel 4 To Feature Wheelchair Users

The UK's Channel 4 is doing something innovative which can only help the disability community and I wonder if people outside of the UK are taking notice? A press release from the TV Channel sums it up:On August 29th 2010 it is exactly two years to the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic Games. To mark this milestone, Channel 4 will screen a weekend of dedicated programming, promoted

Wheelchair Pridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14795560785114983510rehadesign@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946573840176221010.post-20464130441387497702010-08-11T19:00:00.006+03:002010-08-12T06:25:21.551+03:00The First Factory Built Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle

Such an exciting new concept! A vehicle designed and built by manufacturers to be wheelchair accessible. Not a vehicle which is converted for use by wheelchair users, but rather designed from the start for the 3 million wheelchair users across the USA. I wrote to the Miami, Florida based Vehicle Production Group LLC (VPG) and asked the co-founder and executive VP of Business Development, Marc

Wheelchair Pridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14795560785114983510rehadesign@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946573840176221010.post-91461252389203503342010-07-19T19:00:00.002+03:002010-08-11T11:24:01.908+03:00Matt Eddy: Crossing The USA In A Wheelchair On Life Support

I love stories like this. Matt Eddy is cruising across American in his wheelchair this summer. Matt is not the first person to cross the USA in a wheelchair. But Matt Eddy is the first person to cross the USA in a wheelchair on life support.Matt needs a ventilator to breath. He has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and can move two fingers. Matt is not going alone. He is traveling with a respiratory

Wheelchair Pridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14795560785114983510rehadesign@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946573840176221010.post-13523452385287811832010-08-09T19:00:00.002+03:002010-08-09T23:07:10.131+03:00Where Can I Donate A Used Wheelchair?

Do you have a used wheelchair? Not sure what to do with it? Why not donate your used wheelchair to a charity. Why? Many charities repair used wheelchairs and offer them to people with disabilities who can not afford a new wheelchair. Second, many charities will offer you a receipt for your donation and you may be able to deduct the donation of your used wheelchair from your taxes.Sometimes it can

Wheelchair Pridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14795560785114983510rehadesign@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946573840176221010.post-66110022239684191172010-08-06T19:10:00.000+03:002010-08-06T19:10:00.183+03:00Two Weeks, Two Wheelchair Users Killed In Ocala, Florida

Why is wheelchair safety not being taken seriously? Probably because wheelchair users, car drivers and politicans do not perceive wheelchair safety to be an issue. But in the city of Ocala Florida, two wheelchair users were struck and killed by cars in less than two weeks.On the evening of 29 July, 2010 Bryan Sacks of Summerfield, Florida was trying to cross a busy street in his manual wheelchair

Wheelchair Pridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14795560785114983510rehadesign@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946573840176221010.post-77294853509936988322010-08-04T19:01:00.006+03:002010-08-04T19:01:00.846+03:00London's Wheelchair Accessible Festival Celebrating Deaf and Disabled People

I was contacted recently by an organizer of the Liberty Festival in London and asked to help to get the word out about their annual event which has taken place every year since 2003. I have been contacted for help by businesses and by people with disabilities, but never by a festival. Usually, if I can support the idea, I try to help. So, I asked some questions about the Liberty Festival and the

Wheelchair Pridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14795560785114983510rehadesign@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946573840176221010.post-62962756372409308032010-08-02T19:00:00.003+03:002010-08-02T19:00:04.158+03:00Ed Roberts, UC Berkeley Alum and Wheelchair Activist Honored

January 23 has been declared "Ed Roberts Day". Who is Ed Roberts and why does he deserve a state day?Ed Roberts graduated from my University, UC Berkeley. But that was alot easier for me than it was for him. You see, Ed Roberts needed an iron lung as well as a wheelchair and that made getting housing difficult. At the time, institutions could simply refuse to accomodate people with special needs

Wheelchair Pridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14795560785114983510rehadesign@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946573840176221010.post-40779487542472033702010-08-02T19:00:00.000+03:002010-07-31T15:50:37.953+03:00Wheelchair For People With No Motor Control

People who are severely disabled and have zero motor control often can not move independently. Most wheelchair technology requires some kind of physical movement in order to be able to steer it. For example, if a wheelchair user can only move their heads, an device can be strapped to their heads so which will allow the wheelchair to be steered by head movement. Or if a wheelchair user can only

Wheelchair Pridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14795560785114983510rehadesign@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946573840176221010.post-2268596858242734012010-07-28T19:00:00.002+03:002010-07-28T19:00:02.657+03:00Pimp My Wheelchair With UnderGlow

Pimp My WheelchairWe have blogged before about how to pimp your wheelchair with wUnderGlow Wheelchair Light, the wheelchair light that can also be used to give your wheelchair a cool UnderGlow Effect. Now check out the underglow on this wheelchair with not one, but two wUnderGlow wheelchair lights flashing simultaneously. This is a very pimped wheelchair:With two wUnderGlow wheelchair lights

Wheelchair Pridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14795560785114983510rehadesign@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946573840176221010.post-33570653780443680972010-07-23T19:08:00.002+03:002010-07-27T06:03:54.614+03:00Will The Exoskeleton Replace The Wheelchair?

The idea of exoskeleton suits helping wheelchiar users to walk has been around for years. But although exoskeleton suits for wheelchair users have been under development it has seemed like they would never really be available for actual use.But at least three companies which manufacture exoskelton suits for wheelchair users will have exoskeleton suits this on the market this year and several more

Wheelchair Pridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14795560785114983510rehadesign@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946573840176221010.post-86602856841635162052010-07-26T19:53:00.004+03:002010-07-26T23:15:15.974+03:00Wheelchair Rental? Visit The Wheelchair Rental Directory

If you are a wheelchair user, chances are when you travel, you may consider whether to take your own wheelchair or to rent a wheelchair at your destination. While there is no one right answer for everyone, wheelchair rental is convenient at times.However, in some destinations like Greece, it can be difficult or nearly impossible to find a wheelchair rental company. Therefore a new directory of

Wheelchair Pridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14795560785114983510rehadesign@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946573840176221010.post-36323716639477569932010-07-21T20:30:00.002+03:002010-07-21T20:52:09.031+03:00The First Motorcyle Designed For Wheelchairs

Take a look at the Conquest Wheelchair Motorcycle, the first wheelchair accessible motorcyle which is designed to be driven while the driver is still seated in the wheelchair, no transfer is required: The Conquest Wheelchair Motorcyle is manufactured in Akron, OH to the original patented Martin Conquest design and BMW 1170cc motorcycle specifications. It accelerates from 0-60 MPH in 7.6

Wheelchair Pridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14795560785114983510rehadesign@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946573840176221010.post-49128310945720358442010-07-16T18:48:00.009+03:002010-07-16T20:08:18.047+03:00Journalists: Stop Writing "Wheelchair Bound"

Journalists are supposed to be professional wordsmiths. They are trained to write well and are paid to know what to say and what not to say.So, why do I keep reading articles using the words "wheelchair bound" to describe a wheelchair user?I am not so much interested in politically correct terminology. I slip up like everyone else from time to time.But journalists should be held to a higher

Wheelchair Pridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14795560785114983510rehadesign@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946573840176221010.post-30244701133592834712010-07-14T19:04:00.000+03:002010-07-14T19:04:00.121+03:00How Many Wheelchair Users Are There?

How many wheelchair users are there in the world? Probably many more than you imagine.Would it surprise you to learn that there are nearly 3 million wheelchair users in the USA? Did you know that there are probably about 5 million wheelchair users in the European Union?Approximately 1 in every 100 people use wheelchairs according to this recent article about wheelchair statistics. BUT,when you

Wheelchair Pridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14795560785114983510rehadesign@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946573840176221010.post-91582695509767957242010-07-12T20:16:00.005+03:002010-07-12T20:32:52.512+03:00Update On Cory Miller

I have been in contact with Ruth Burgess Thompson, the new Executive Director of the Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities in Illinois. Ruth is one of the few who are standing up against the outrageous attacks on Cory Miller and the seemingly lack of interest by the local and state authorities in bringing the bullies to justice. Here is Ruth's outstanding open letter to Mayor Dale Roberts of

Wheelchair Pridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14795560785114983510rehadesign@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946573840176221010.post-68908709350013647632010-07-08T18:29:00.005+03:002010-07-08T19:28:05.096+03:00Disablism In Havana, Illinois : Where Hate Crime Goes Unpunished

A 16 Year Old boy with Cerebral Palsy has been attacked three times in 2 years and the Sheriff of Havana, Illinois seems to be unable to do anything about it. So, the boy's stepmother has organized a rally to get the Sheriff to finally take some action. According to a local newspaper:* In 2008 by a group of boys grabbed his backpack and glasses and kicked him in the groin.* Several months later,

Wheelchair Pridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14795560785114983510rehadesign@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946573840176221010.post-17981542735017804412010-06-28T19:00:00.001+03:002010-06-28T19:00:04.152+03:00Should Wheelchairs Be Allowed In Saunas?

A friend recently told me that in some saunas in Spas and Thermal Baths, wheelchair users are not allowed to bring their own wheelchair with them. The reason is that wheelchair users take their wheelchairs inside and outside and bring dirt into the spa and eventually into the sauna. While I can understand that managers of saunas and thermal baths struggle to keep their saunas clean and hygienic,

Wheelchair Pridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14795560785114983510rehadesign@gmail.com0