powerchair

Filed under: Themes, Wheelchairman of the Board

When Rob Buren broke his back mountain biking last October, he lost more than the use of his legs—he lost the physical confidence his 6-foot-2 frame had always given him.

And though the 38-year-old father of two quickly learned sporting activities such as hand cycling and sit skiing, it wasn’t until he took a new self-defence class for wheelchair-users that he began to feel at ease with his new paralyzed status.

“When you become a paraplegic and are in a chair, physically your world changes. You’re looking up all of a sudden,” he says. “(The class) was a great way for me to get to know my body again, to get comfortable in the chair and to build up a sense of confidence.”

The course, taught at Neuro Core Physiotherapy & Pilates Centre in Richmond Hill, [Ontario] was developed by Grant Murray, a taekwondo black belt, and Rich VanderWal, a recreation therapist at a rehab facility.

Each class begins with … Continue reading this article and watch a corresponding video on thestar.com

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Filed under: Themes, Wheelchairman of the Board

On IrkedMagazine.com, we’ve highlighted the extraordinary work of AXIS Dance Company multiple times over the past few years (hopefully driving a steady trickle of curious readers to their website).

But now, finally, AXIS has hit the mother lode…

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Filed under: Themes, Wheelchairman of the Board, Irked Videos

Many, many, MANY hats off to Jeff Preston for making this truly fantastic online documentary chronicling the lack of accessible transportation in London, Ontario and across the province. Follow Jeff on his mission to bring about change the disabled population desperately needs by driving his wheelchair over 650km from his home in London, Ontario to the nation’s capital in Ottawa.

Awesome documentary…after the jump!

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Filed under: Themes, Wheelchairman of the Board

Quoting Tiffiny’s Disaboom blog:

Looking for new ways to help people who can’t use their arms or legs to operate a wheelchair, [researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology] developed a tiny magnet sensor (the size of a lentil, which they glue onto your tongue using edible glue!) that allows the user to drive his or her wheelchair by touching their tongue to their back left molar to turn left, the right molar to turn right, you get the idea. There have been mouth-operated powerchairs for years now (think Sip ‘n Puff), but incorporating the tongue is a new idea. If I had to use technology such as this, this tongue sensor would really be exciting to me. It’s inconspicuous, which I like. Heck, I’d even use the technology with the way I am now. No more joystick? Having my right/main hand free to hold coffee as I drive down the city sidewalk? That would be amazing! This technology is not yet on the market, with more user trials set for 2010.

Read the entire post on disaboom.com >>

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