Page 13 - Mobility Management, January/February 2020

recommended having both a CDRS and a mobility dealer present. “Not all CDRS’s are going to be comfortable [with recom-
mending equipment] because not all of them work with wheel- chair drivers,” Allison explained. “Hopefully, they know who to hand off to, in that case.”
Adding the mobility dealer would bring automotive equipment expertise to the team. Just as the ATP supplier makes seating and wheelchair recommendations while working with the seating and mobility clinician, the mobility dealer makes recommendations based on what the CDRS and the dealer have observed. Mobility dealers are the ones typically most familiar with weight capacities and vehicle measurements, for example.
And really, the scenarios previously mentioned are just the start. If the client uses a ventilator, for example, and the power chair includes a vent tray — not only does that equipment change the dimensions of the chair, but “can the vehicle modifier put a system in the van so [the ventilator] isn’t draining the wheelchair [batteries]?” Allison asked.
Making the vehicle larger to fit a larger wheelchair isn’t always an elegant solution, either: “In order to get the higher door height, like a 57" height with 14" lowered floors, they raised the entire body 4",” Allison noted. “So the van they used to drive into their garage, now they go home and it no longer fits. There are a
lot of environmental concerns.”
A common saying in complex rehab is that no two seating and
mobility systems are exactly alike, even among clients who have very similar diagnoses. The same can be said for their transportation needs. Some will drive the cars, while some will ride as passengers. Some will transfer; some will ride in their secured wheelchairs.
“Just because somebody has a Toyota van, that doesn’t mean it’s the same as the last Toyota van you had,” Allison added. “It’s important for the family to know what their financial situation is going to be. If they don’t have the funding, that changes every- thing. You can’t get them the ideal situation, so we have to do the best we can with what they’re able to get.”
Privately owned vehicles are only the start of the discussion. Will the wheelchair user also ride in subways, trains, school buses, or paratransit vehicles? “Private paratransit companies are getting better all the time,” Allison said. “But quite often, they were trained by the person who did the job before them, so it gets watered down by two or three people, and they just push the people in the van without any proper securement training. It’s getting better, but the education need is so huge.” m
This is the first in a series on the connection between and convergence of complex rehab technology and accessibility.
THE ELEMENTS OF SAFETY
PERSONAL WHEELCHAIR DOCKING SYSTEM
LEARN MORE AT: QSTRAINT.COM/QLK-150
Meet all the Elements of Safety and Find Your Formula at: qstraint.com/elements
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