Oklahoma Chapter Pushes for Foot Safety

There isn’t much that is sexy about foot safety, but that doesn’t mean it’s not important. The Oklahoma chapter is working hard to raise awareness about just how important it is for wheelchair users and people with spinal cord injuries and disorders to make sure that their footplates are safe and don’t unnecessarily endanger their health. “We’re trying to start a discussion about the alarming rate of injuries caused by the rotating front casters on certain power wheelchairs,” says Willis Washington, chapter president. “It’s amazing, almost every person you talk to says, ‘Yeah, I’ve gotten my foot caught.’”

Washington says that based on a number of casual conversations with users of qualifying power chairs, almost half of them said they had caught their feet in the casters or received medical care to treat injuries suffered. That includes a number of extended hospitalizations for injuries that required multiple visits. Washington and the chapter recently presented their findings to the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America in hopes of enlisting the organization’s support and expertise about solving the problem. The decision to take the issue to RESNA came after the chapter received a disappointing amount of interest from manufacturers. “If we can’t get the manufacturers or the contractors to do anything, we decided we had to go above them,” says Washington. “Hopefully this will make a difference in the end.”

Washington’s presentation explained the problems with a series of pictures showing how easy it is for users’ feet to slip off the footplate and get caught in the casters. It also showed a simple possible fix that RESNA could push manufacturers to include in future designs. “We got a really positive reception,” says Washington. “We just need to keep on this, keep raising awareness and working to better define the number of injuries.” The chapter is looking for any wheelchair users who have experienced similar issues to get in touch and share their stories. You can contact them through neuroresourcesoutreach.org or on Facebook at on.fb.me/1Rlro7T.

Keeping up the Fight for Ride Sharing Access

United Spinal continues to be at the front of the battle to ensure Uber, the fast-growing ride share company, provides access for wheelers.

In response to complaints about the company’s lack of wheelchair accessible vehicles in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 11, Uber announced the rollout of UberTaxi. As announced, the program promises Uber will partner with D.C. cab drivers who have wheelchair accessible vehicles. United Spinal’s Carol Tyson told the Washington Business Journal that the new service is “inadequate and unsustainable.”

“What we’d like them to do is find a way to increase the number of accessible vehicles rather than using what we have,” said Tyson, who is also the chair of the D.C. Taxicab Commission’s Accessibility Advisory Committee.

A day earlier, as part of a celebration of Human Rights Day, United Spinal organized a protest at Uber’s Manhattan office to demand the company makes all of its black cars accessible. “We deserve to have the same options as nondisabled people,” wheelchair user Dustin Jones told amNewYork. “It’s insulting almost … Uber is a $60 billion company. They can definitely invest in the disability community.”

United Spinal President James Weisman also lobbied New York legislators to keep wheelchair users in mind as they consider Uber’s proposed expansion to upstate New York. “Before lawmakers give Uber a license to operate in Utica and across the state, they should examine the company’s accessibility record in New York City and ask whether they’d be handing over a license to discriminate,” he said in a statement. “Uber has failed to put even one wheelchair accessible vehicle on the street. Uticans should take this opportunity to demand that the company make its services fully accessible so that everyone has equal-access, not just those who can walk.”