New Mobility’s Biweekly Newsletter – November 15, 2017


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TECH NEWS

Google Maps Goes Accessible

We’ve reported on a lot of different apps that have tried to tackle the issue of mapping accessible places, and most fizzle out before they really turn functional. Enter Google, which added a feature in a recent Google Maps update that allows users to easily share detailed accessibility info. Given that user input is the key to accessibility mapping, and Google certainly brings a lot of users, this may be what we’ve all been waiting for.

TRENDING NOW

Was the iBOT Reboot Just a Marketing Gimmick?

We were incredibly excited last year when Deka, the company that made the iBOT, and Toyota announced that they were partnering with the intention of bringing a new version of the famed stair-climbing wheelchair to market. Despite all the marketing hoopla, and the resulting good press Toyota received, there are still no concrete plans for reviving the iBOT, and Toyota has said that there is “no timetable” for doing so. Looks like this may have been a case of too good to be true.

PRO TIPS

Wheelchair Add-ons to Make Commuting Easier

wheelchair add-on
Max Woodbury says his Stricker power assist handbike is “amazing.”

Sometimes a car or bus is the way to go, and sometimes it would be simpler to pop around town without needing to get out of your wheelchair. For grabbing a few groceries or meeting friends at a pub, here are three kinds of power-assist add-ons that can make getting from A to B much more convenient and fun.

Underpants Worth a Chance

Skin protection and style don’t often go hand in hand, but new underwear offered by GlideWear is the best product we’ve seen for offering a secure shield against shearing while remaining sleek and unobtrusive enough to stay invisible beneath a lot of outfits. They’re available in both men’s and women’s cuts, and for the active wheeler they’re definitely worth adding to your top drawer.

Solving Hotel Transfers

Ever wonder why hotel mattresses seem to be reaching Himalayan heights these days? As a chair user, it can be downright impossible to get up on some beds. Anthony Amorello is hoping to make those tricky transfers a thing of the past with his Portable Hotel Room Accessible Mattress Equalizer (PHRAME), a storable, easy to use lift that can be wheeled next to a hotel bed.

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