Peering Into a Crystal Ball: What's the Future for Wheelchair-Seated Travel?
By van Roosmalen, Linda; Hobson, Douglas; Exceptional Parent Magazine, pp. 54-57Publication Date: February 2008
Article highlights emerging improvements to wheelchair tie-down and occupant restraint systems and new products in development for wheelchair transportation safety. Technological improvements mentioned include: (1) Automated docking technology which makes faulty wheelchair securement in vehicles almost impossible, significantly decreasing the need for driver intervention; (2) Rear-facing wheelchair containment for use on large transit vehicles, where the wheelchair is backed up against a padded barrier facing the rear of the bus, eliminating the need for additional securement; (3) Occupant restraints integrating the upper-body and pelvic restraints to the wheelchair seating system and/or frame, eliminating the need for an attendant for placement of vehicle—anchored restraints; (4) Crashworthy aftermarket seating systems, currently in development, that are compliant with ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 16840—Seating Devices for Use in Motor Vehicles. Also outlined are the efforts of the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Wheelchair Transportation Safety (WTS), following its 2005 Sate of the Science Conference, to better inform transit providers, clinicians, manufacturers and wheelchair users and their caregivers about the existence of voluntary industry standards, standards-compliant products, and use of transport-safety technologies. This is the 7th article in the magazine's Wheelchair Transportation Safety series.
Published by: EP Global Communications (Website:http://www.eparent.com)
Link to text: http://www.rercwts.org/RERC_WTS2_KT/RERC_WTS2_KT_Pub/RERC_WTS_Pub_Doc/0208_WTS_TheFuture.pdf
