Category: Wheelchair

Tips for Traveling with your Wheelchair

Traveling by wheelchair can strike a nerve if you do not plan ahead, conduct research, or consider possible setbacks and delays because of handicap restrictions. For instance, not every hotel or motel has wheelchair accessibility, which may pose problems if traveling alone. Be sure to inquire about wheelchair accessibility while scheduling hotel reservations in order to stave off potential headaches. Those with mobile challenges rely on wheelchair assistance wherever they travel, which includes airline services, boating or cruise accommodations, and other transportation mediums, such as taxis, buses, shuttles, and amusement park rides. Consider inquiring with these services about possible airlift assistance, elevators, and ramps. Additionally, inquire with these services about medicinal and special equipment restrictions, such as designated areas for defibrillators and oxygen tanks. Finding out this information ahead of time can really save you time and money.

If you’re traveling alone in a wheelchair, then make sure you have a maintenance or repair service verify that wheelchair is in good working conditions before departure. The extra effort will eliminate setbacks and delays over broken or repairable parts that will need servicing at the destination upon arrival. Hiring a maintenance or repair service team will save you time and minimize stress while on your trip. Exercise precaution by placing your name and address onto each of the detachable parts before leaving home. Only display your name when traveling overseas. Additionally, bring a travel size repair kit containing all of the necessary tools and materials needed to change a pneumatic tire. Pneumatic tire repair kits can be found at any major retail chain stores in the bicycle department. Remember that not all international repair shops are identical to the service you’re used to receiving at home, so make every effort to eliminate potential problems by acting now.

Cruise operations usually incorporate ferry services to transport passengers to shore from a ship anchored out at sea. These ferry services are not always equipped with lifts or ramps to help the handicap lower their wheelchairs onto the carrier. Ask personnel for assistance in locating any wheelchair accommodations in order to board the ferry and deport for the shore. Depending on the weather, sea, tidal conditions, or technical difficulties, certain restrictions may be in place that limit certain passengers from leaving the cruise tender. Generally, the crew will guide you to a gangway or use a creepy crawler, a mechanical device designed to “walk” your wheelchair down a flight of stairs, to help the mobile challenged find their way to the shore. Handicap persons will need to transfer to a lightweight, manual wheelchair if originally in an electric wheelchair or scooter in order to allow the crew to successfully move the equipment onto shore. Be sure to alert the crew of any medicinal or special equipment that also needs to be moved alongside your wheelchair or scooter.

Most people believe that airliners accommodate to wheelchair travelers; however, some airline services have neglected taking the extra effort to assure that these services are implemented to minimize potential injuries for those confined to a mobile device. In fact, any airline can pose potential problems for wheelchair travelers, depending on the time and day that the flight departed for its destination. Additionally, the quality of wheelchair assistance relies heavily on the airline staff and airport crew that unloads your equipment and luggage. Confirm your airline flights with your carrier within 24-48 hours of your departure. Flight times, numbers, and seating arrangements can change on a whim. Notify the airline service team about your disability, the kind of wheelchair you have, and other equipment that will need to be transported upon arrival. Request for a “gate check” in order to load your wheelchair directly to the plane’s fuselage. Be sure to remove all leg supports and seat cushions before relinquishing your wheelchair to the airline staff. Carry these items with you onto the airliner. Use special bags to store delicate items in between transitions.

Follow this comprehensive list of resources for tips on traveling with your wheelchair:

  1. Traveling With Your Wheelchair or Scooter
  2. Flying Tips for Wheelchair Users
  3. How to Travel By Air with a Wheelchair
  4. Air Travel Tips for Wheelchair or Scooter Users
  5. The Disabled Wheelchair Traveller – Holiday Tips
  6. Traveling with Your Wheelchair
  7. A Travel Tip Guide for Wheelchair Owners
  8. Traveling with a Disability or Medical Condition[PDF]
  9. TSA: Travelers with Disabilities and Medical Conditions
  10. Flying With Disability
  11. 5 Tips for Traveling with a Disability
  12. Community Living: Traveling with Wheelchairs
  13. Traveling With A Service Dog

 

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Wheelchair Resources – Disability and Discrimination

Individuals that are coping with a disability face a multitude of challenges in their everyday lives. Depending upon the severity and type of disability, the challenges can range from accessibility issues to workplace adaptability problems. However, one of the most troubling problems is that of discrimination of the disabled.

Over the course of time, disabled individuals have faced direct and indirect discrimination. Direct discrimination in the form of employers not wanting to hire disabled individuals. The other form of discrimination is more subtle, but just as bad, is indirect discrimination where because of accessibility issues or similar environmental constraints, disabled workers are unable to do the same job as the non-disabled.

To combat the problem of discrimination among disabled individuals, the government has provided legal assistance int he form of the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as other similar legislations. These legal actions have helped allow disabled workers have the same rights as the non-disabled. To learn more about the problems facing disabled workers, here are some helpful websites:

Workplace

The workplace has been a big source of difficulties for disabled individuals. The same workplace environment may not be a problem for non-disabled individuals as they are for vision impaired, hearing impaired or workers with mobility issues. To make the workplace usable for the disabled, employers have had to make the equipment and facility be able to accommodate disabled workers.

Accommodations

There are many ways that buildings, offices and other public and non-public facilities have been changed to accommodate the needs of handicapped individuals. These accommodations have ranged from having doors that allow access by wheelchair, machines such as ATMs that have letters in Braille for the vision impaired, and sound enhancements for the hearing impaired. These accommodations have been made to allow disabled individuals to enjoy all services available.

Accessibility

The problem of accessibility has been a big problem for handicapped individuals. For example, wheelchair bound individuals going into a bank were not able to reach the teller counters. Problems such as this led for the push to make buildings and offices more accessible to all people. Therefore, creations such as a drop down counter to allow people with wheelchairs the opportunity to conduct banking business, have made it easier to access services.

Legal Protection

To ensure that all people are treated the same, the government has enacted legislation that provides protection for disabled individuals and that discrimination does not occur. The laws currently in place range from workplace laws to health laws to housing rules and regulations. While the problems of the disabled and handicapped have not disappeared, they have been reduced over the past few decades, and will only make it easier for future generation of disabled individuals.

Resources

While this gude is helpful in providing information on disabled and discrimination issues, there are many more helpful sites available. Here are a few helpful general information sites to visit:

Discrimination among disabled individuals has become less of a problem in recent years. With the implementation of the Americans with Disability Act, the Rehabilitation Act, Fair Housing Act and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and many other vital laws and regulations, the disabled have had more rights and opportunities than ever before. While the situation for disabled individuals has improved, it is not perfect, and gains will continued to be made to attain the ultimate goal of removing discrimination of disabled.

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Wheelchair Resources – The Disabled Travel Guide

For travelers around the world, they face a number of challenges. Decisions such as what mode of transportation to choose, how long to stay, where to stay and what to do when traveling are just a few of the common questions that travelers need to face. These are questions which can have an impact on the quality of the business or pleasure travel.

However, disabled people not only have these challenges to face, but a number of other concerns. Disabled people who are blind, deaf and are wheelchair bound face additional challenges. Issues such as accessibility, being able to understand words that are spoken or written can make travel doubly difficult.

To help the disabled be able to enjoy the travel experience, we have assembled a collection of resources. These web sites can be helpful for travelers with disabilities. Please feel free to visit these sites and we hope you enjoy your travel experience.

Blind Travel Resources

Deaf Travel Resources

Wheelchair Travel Resources

  • Vacationing – helpful information on travel arrangements for people in wheelchairs.
  • Disabled Travel – useful resource aimed at the disabled traveler.
  • Disability Travel – disability travel and recreation resources are discussed.
  • Travel Resources – information on travel for individuals with disabilities.
  • Wheelchair Travel Tips – tips and information on traveling with an individual using a wheelchair.
  • Wheelchair Air Travel – helpful website providing information to air travelers with wheelchairs.
  • TravelinWheels – database of destinations includes detailed, objective accessibility information.

Travel Accessibility Resources

Handicapped Travel Resources

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Wisdom From A Wheelchair: An FDR Resource Guide

Despite his numerous health issues, including being paralyzed from the waist down, Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) is considered, by a large majority, one of the greatest Presidents in American history. Believing that his health issues would make him appear weak to outsiders and worry the American public, FDR rarely allowed himself to be photographed in his wheelchair, and went to great lengths to hid his other ailments. Even in his poorest condition, President Roosevelt changed the social policies of America, and helped conceive of the single largest peace keeping organization in the world – the United Nations. The following links will provide biographical information, lesson plans, study guides and information on FDR’s legacy, as well as suggested readings.

Brief Biographies

  • Biography of FDR This article provides a quality biography of Franklin D. Roosevelt, including the early years of his life.
  • Brief Biography This website provides a brief biography of FDR, including what he was known for and where he was born.
  • Innagural Addresses This website has a biography of FDR, as well as links to his four inaugural addresses.
  • Famous President This website provides brief facts about this famous president, as well as a short biography.
  • Columbia’s Biography This biography of FDR comes from the school he attended: Columbia University.

Lesson Plans

  • Four Freedoms Lesson This website provides resources, lesson plans and activities for studying the four freedoms.
  • FDR’s Disabilities This lesson plan focuses on President Roosevelt’s disabilities, teaching students about how he hid the disabilities and overcame them.
  • FDR And the Supreme Court These four lessons teach children about how FDR dealt with his constituents and the judicial system.
  • The New Deal This lesson plan focuses on the New Deal, helping elementary aged students understand it.
  • The Great Depression and FDR This website offers a comprehensive lesson plan for high school teachers focusing on the Great Depression and how FDR handled it.
  • Great Depression This lesson plan focuses on how the American people dealt with the great depression and how they responded to FDR.
  • The Supreme Court This lesson plan focuses on why FDR wanted to change the Supreme Court to help keep the New Deal.

FDR Study Guides

  • Four Freedoms Study Guide This study guide focuses on FDR’s four freedoms: freedom of speech, religion, freedom from want and freedom from fear.
  • FDR Study Guide This website provides study questions and essay ideas for student’s focusing on President Roosevelt.
  • The Great Depression This study guide focuses on the cause of the Great Depression and how FDR handled it.
  • FDR and the War This study guide provides 56 study questions about the War and President Roosevelt.
  • Great Depression and New Deal Study Guide A study guide for two of the major parts of FDR’s presidency, with 59 study questions.
  • Crash of 1929 This study guide focuses on the period right before and after the Great Depression.

Legacy

FDR is most commonly remembered for his implementation of the New Deal, a set of social programs intended to aid the America public during the Great Depression. His idea for a peace keeping organization gave way to the inception of the United Nations, although this did not happen until after his sudden death. He was such a strong supporter of the Boy Scouts, that he actually became the President of the New York Boy Scouts, attending several functions during his presidency. Historians and analysts consider Roosevelt one of the best and most influential presidents in American History, in league with George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

His Disabilities

In 1921, well before his presidency, FDR contracted what was then believed to be polio, becoming paralyzed from the waist down. In later years, this diagnosis was heavily debated, with many believing he actually had Guillain Barre syndrome. Since he became paralyzed, FDR underwent countless different therapies, refusing to settle for being paralyzed, even teaching himself to walk for short distances. He is also believed to have had hypertension, anemia, and possibly melanoma. He was placed on digitalis for what some believe to be congenital heart failure.

  • Disability and Deception This article describes the many ailments of the 32nd president and how he hid them from the American people.
  • The Death of FDR This article explains when and how FDR died, including speculation into his health issues.
  • The Dying President This article details how those working with FDR dealt with his ailing health.
  • Health Issues This website provides a list of all of the known health issues that President Roosevelt faced.

Recommended Reading

  • The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt This book, written by Edmund Morris, details how FDR became the 32nd president of the United States.
  • Roosevelts Writings This website provides a list of the writings of FDR.
  • By and About This website details all of the books written by and about President Roosevelt.
  • Good Books These three books focusing on President Roosevelt are recommended by America’s Library.
  • Theodore Roosevelt Collection This website provides a list of books, photographs and exhibits all about President Roosevelt.
  • The Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt This book, written by Lewis L. Gould, details the presidency of FDR.
  • The Wilderness Warrior This book, written by Douglas Brinkley, provide details on the private life of FDR, including his love of hunting.
  • Books and Articles This website provides a comprehensive list of a majority of the books and articles written about Theodore Roosevelt.
  • Articles and Editorials This website provides a detailed list of all of the articles and editorials written by FDR.
  • Why We Should Study FDR This TIME Magazine article explains why Americans should study the life and works of President Roosevelt.

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Disability Etiquette: Beyond Wheelchairs

People who live with disabilities often face fear, discomfort, and hostility at a rate that far exceeds that encountered by those who do have no disability. The vast majority of such treatment is rooted in a basic lack of understanding about the challenges that come with having a disability, and the experience of sharing the world with people who do not. People often seek to fill in gaps in their knowledge, and when information is lacking, confusion and even fear may result.

Anyone wishing to overcome this experience in themselves will be best served by first recognizing that a disability is a limited phenomenon. A physical disability may have a large impact on how an individual interacts with the physical word. A sensory disability may alter the gathering of information. These are conditions however, in no way prevent the individuals who live with them from having unique personalities, talents, knowledge, humor, and lives. People who live with disabilities have more in common than not with those who have no disability. We all share the same existence, and the same basic needs.

In order to establish a foundation, he top three considerations, as repeated in the vast majority of lists of disability etiquette concerns are:

  • Ask if a person needs assistance before attempting to assist them. All people, whether or not they live with a disability, take pride in what they are able to do. Making any assumption about a person’s abilities in any given situation can rob them of this feeling.
  • Speak directly to a person with a disability, even if he or she has an interpreter. While a person with a hearing impairment may have to look at an interpreter for communication, it is discouraging to everyone to be looked around or over when communicating with someone.
  • Ask permission before touching and assistive device or service animal. These items and creatures are the tools that the user needs to live their life. They are very important, and very personal.

Never Say Never

The more a discussion of etiquette directly relates to lifestyles and personal abilities, the more likely it is that the word “never” is used to illustrate what not to do. While this is often a useful guideline, it can be cumbersome in some situations. In some cases, people who are less experienced in respectful and positive communication may stumble over wording, and significantly impair communication efforts. In other cases, people who are living with a disability may have feelings about language that is not in keeping with the established guidelines for etiquette. Whatever the reason, the commonly recognized best practices of disability-related etiquette may not always be the preferred practices, and it is always most important for the most effective and respectful communication, to first respect the wishes of the individual.

Mobility impairment

People with mobility impairments are often the most immediately identifiable people who are living with disabilities. As such, the stigma that our culture attaches to these people out of fear and ignorance, often impacts people with mobility impairments most frequently, and most harshly.

Developmental and Cognitive Disabilities

Developmental and cognitive disabilities are an extremely broad, but very interconnected category. Both types of disability frequently occur together as a result of a single causal factor, though they just as frequently occur individually. While an experienced and compassionate person may be able to recognize that a person has a developmental disability, there is often no way of knowing whether the person also suffers from a cognitive disability without interacting with that person. Likewise, cognitive disabilities may occur in people who do not appear externally to have any disability whatsoever. It may take observation of behavior and interaction to determine how to communicate most appropriately with someone. Further, a basic recognition that a person’s behavior differs from the range that is considered mainstream may not absolutely indicate a cognitive disability, but could be a result of a mental illness (see below) or simply a personality quirk that does not constitute a disability. Lastly, a person with a cognitive disability may not be recognizable in casual interaction. Conditions such as dyslexia, and attention deficit are classified as cognitive disabilities, and can reasonably require both accommodation and sensitivity, but neither will necessarily be immediately apparent. It is in this broad category that the most care must be taken in making assumptions about what a person is or is not capable of doing on their own or with assistance.

Blindness

Make no assumptions about what someone who is blind can and cannot do. Modern assistive technology has made things that were formerly inaccessible to the blind commonplace. A primary example is computer usage, which has become a nearly ubiquitous skill for sighted people, and is rapidly becoming standardized as audio screen readers and web standards converge.

  • Being a sighted guide A reference on the established protocol for assisting someone as a sighted guide
  • Blind Etiquette 101 Some words of advice from a person who lives with a vision impairment
  • Etiquette A rundown of etiquette considerations for people interacting with those who are blind in social and professional situations

Deafness

Deafness is an extremely common disability, and one which does not present the same mobility issues faced by many other people with disabilities. This, combined with modern support for signing (which was once discouraged as a form of communication) has resulted in vibrant deaf communities springing up around the world. Still, interacting with a person who is deaf can be challenging, as deafness presents a communication barrier not experienced by most people who live with disabilities.

Mental Illness

People living with mental illness may or may not have a disability. The specific criteria for determining the nature or severity of a psychiatric condition that constitutes a disability constantly shifts, but generally rests on a consideration of the level of impairment of daily activities suffered by the person in question. The biggest barrier faced by people living with mental illness is the lack of understanding which is nearly universal to almost all psychiatric disorders. Stigma, and the accompanying ignorance, remains the primary barrier to overcome.

Additional Resources

  • Focus on Ability Tips for employers interviewing applicants who have disabilities
  • Developing Sites A guide to web development for users who have cognitive or learning disabilities (most accessible design is focused on visual disabilities)
  • Discribing People With Disabilities A resource on people first language, for use when talking about people who have disabilities

Mistakes Will Be Made

Everyone will at some point make a mistake in conversation. This is one occasion that requires absolutely no special consideration for people who live with disabilities. As when interacting with anyone else, when a mistake is made, simply apologize. People who live with disabilities learn early and unequivocally that others are frequently uncomfortable interacting with them. Most people who have lived with a disability since birth (and many who have not) have experienced bullying and harassment as a result of individual ignorance. A conversational error will not be the harshest experience suffered by any person living with a disability. An apology is an acknowledgement of an error, and of a person’s intention to be sensitive. Communicating an awareness of etiquette and concern for an individual’s feelings may even set one apart from the crowd, and be the first step toward making a new friend.

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People First Language: I Am Not My Wheelchair

Consider the sentence:

“Christopher Reeve was a wheelchair-bound actor.”

To those familiar with his career before he suffered the accident which lead to his paralysis, this would be a gross misrepresentation of a popular and beloved figure. Why then, is it acceptable to characterize others in similar ways – even if they have lived with a disability from birth?

People who live with disabilities face social challenges daily, and they may feel uncomfortable when ordinary people refer to them as “disabled people”. Some basic consideration of the language that we use to talk with and about people with disabilities can make a substantial difference in the atmosphere within a workplace, classroom, social situation, or even in casual encounters. The characterization of people with disabilities as people first and foremost can be the difference between recognition and dismissal of a person who has ability, interests, and ambition. For instance:

  • “Ray Charles was a blind musician” minimizes his accomplishments, and frames them as occurring in spite of his disability. “Ray Charles was a world-renowned musician who was blind” is a recognition of his individuality and talent, above the disability which he lived with.
  • “Helen Keller was deaf and blind” defines her solely in terms of her disability, and entirely ignores her career as a human rights activist and writer. “Helen Keller was the author of 12 books, and was the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree” identifies her as a person who was intelligent and motivated, regardless of her sensory disabilities.
  • “Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a disabled politician” seems an almost absurd description of a man who became one of the most respected Presidents of the United States. His accomplishments are so well known and regarded that they eclipse the fact that he spent much of his life in a wheelchair as a result of a battle with polio. Does this then suggest that there is a threshold beyond which a person with a disability must achieve to be afforded an identity beyond their physical, sensory, or cognitive impairment?

People first language is defined as a linguistic prescriptivism that seeks to eliminate dehumanization of people with disabilities. It helps those who don’t live with a disability recognize people with disabilities as individuals with personalities and identities that are distinct from their disability. The most basic and effective use of the language is to identify people with disabilities by their names.

Because people first language is intended to increase the communicated level of respect in interaction between people who have disabilities and people who do not, it is recommended that it be a consideration in all such interaction. However, the extent of its use should be determined situationally. If including people first language in a single sentence is cumbersome, and causes a speaker to stumble over words, it may not be ideal or critical that the most explicit and clear people first language be used. Some feel that extreme adherence to people first language constitutes excessive political correctness, and takes the focus away from effective communication. In all cases, it is important to consider the context of the communication, and the wishes of the people involved. Likewise, if a party to a communication feels that any of the language used is inappropriate or not useful, they should make this known, for the sake of fostering an environment of mutual respect and positive interaction.

Many educational institutions that serve young children encourage people first language in order to establish an environment of respect and inclusion early in a child’s social development – both for the sake of children who live with disabilities, and for those who do not.

Here are links to more information about people first language:

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What Type of Wheelchair Vehicle is Best For Me?

Deciding which type of accessible vehicle to drive or use for transportation is difficult. Almost any type of vehicle can be modified to accommodate accessible transportation, but one stands out as the best wheelchair vehicle for families, businesses, or public transportation.

WHEELCHAIR MINIVANS Wheelchair minivans come out on top as the best wheelchair vehicle all around. They offer affordable pricing, lots of interior space, great gas mileage, quick access, and top safety ratings. Buyers can choose from side and rear entry wheelchair vans with a power or manual ramp for easy access in and out of the vehicle. Minivans have a low center of gravity and drive like a car making them very gas efficient and easy to drive. Some minivans such as the wheelchair vans offered by AMS Vans also negate the need for an expensive kneeling system by extending the ramp 4 inches. This saves the customer thousands of dollars versus other national brands.

FULL SIZED VANS Most full size conversion vans use a lift rather than a ramp. Lift systems are significantly more expensive than ramps in addition to the vehicle itself being more expensive than a minivan. Full size vans are built on a truck chassis making driving and maneuverability extremely challenging. Full size vans have either captain’s chair seating or bench seating that forces the buyer to choose less passenger seating or benches that a caregiver would have to crawl over to get to a passenger. Full size vans have very low gas mileage and a high center of gravity making it less stable than a minivan. Most full size vans carry the additional expense of needing the back doors widened to accommodate a lift or ramp and possibly the roof raised. Using a ramp is possible with full sized vans, however a kneeling system is required adding thousands to your accessible conversion.

SUVS SUVs are stylish, popular, and often coming standard with four wheel drive for off road driving. While this feature is nice in the occasional snow storm, the low gas mileage, expensive maintenance, higher insurance rates, and unstable high center of gravity doesn’t really make it worth the trade. Making an SUV accessible is extremely costly by adding transfer seats, kneeling systems and expensive unreliable hitch mounted lifts. While SUVs are as big or bigger than a minivan, most of the cargo space is taken up by bench seating for passengers. Once you transfer a user out of the chair and onto the seat and store the wheelchair in the relatively small space in the back for cargo, your storage space is cut in half.

CARS While cars are typically good on gas, easy to drive, and stylish, using one as accessible transportation can be difficult. Since they are so low to the ground, transferring out of the wheelchair and into the car can put not only the wheelchair user at risk, but the person assisting at risk for injury. Using a car requires the use of a foldable wheelchair, a portable wheelchair that does not necessarily offer the same customized comfort amenities as the user’s wheelchair he/she uses all the time. Once a portable wheelchair is placed in the trunk, it becomes basically useless with all the space taken up from the chair.

MOTORCYCLES Motorcycles are fun, environmentally friendly vehicles that can be customized to a wheelchair user. Wheelchair users can purchase add on packages to either drive from their chair, slide from their chair onto a common motorcycle seat that is stored inside a lift attached to the back of the bike, or ride in their chair shotgun via a side car. While an exhilarating hobby, most area climates are not conducive to year round motorcycle use since you and your chair are exposed to the elements. Motorcycle accidents are among the most horrific on the road since they are not surrounded by a metal frame, and they are less visible to other drivers. Using a motorcycle for your primary accessible transportation only allows the wheelchair user and possibly one other rider to use it at the same time so the versatility of the vehicle is rather limited.

PICK UP TRUCKS Pick up trucks have the same unstable high center of gravity and low gas mileage as SUVs. An expensive transfer chair or robotic system is required to transfer in and out of the cab of the truck. Even with the purchase of high dollar king or extended cab trucks, the wheelchair has to be transported in the bed of the truck which is exposed to the elements critically reducing the life of your chair.

Finding the best wheelchair vehicle for yourself, your family, or your business can be a daunting task, but you are on the right path towards making the right decision and enjoying the mobility freedom you deserve.

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Help For Wheelchair Users: Domestic and International

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Wheelchairs change lives. Wheelchairs free the disabled around the globe, allowing independence and a better quality of life. Wheelchairs no longer signal “can’t do” but “can do.” And that’s no handicap.

But there are hardships. Some buildings aren’t wheelchair accessible, they have no ramps, no automatic doors. Unthinking consumers still park in handicapped parking spots. Lack of mobility makes it hard to maintain positive outlooks on retrospective days for the newly disabled. For those who have always been in a wheelchair, it doesn’t always become a natural extension of self.

Depending on the level of paralysis, amputation, or illness like muscular dystrophy, the handicapped person can lift themselves in and out of their wheelchair on their own, bathe themselves, fix dinner for the family, drive a car, go shopping.

The Americans With Disabilities Act provides a Bill of Rights for the disabled or “differently-abled” as some contend. Schools must accommodate special needs. Government buildings must be accessible. The Act protects Americans, but there is no such Act to protect over 100 million handicapped in over 150 countries worldwide. One startling statistic: 20 percent of Angola’s population is disabled. Landmine casualties in countries such as Afghanistan, Cambodia, Bosnia, and Mozambique are extremely high and most of those maimed by landmines do not have wheelchairs.

Organizations such as the Wheelchair Foundation work with charities throughout the United States and the world to provide low-cost wheelchairs to those in need. For those in developing countries with rough terrain, the wheelchairs are built to withstand heavy, rough use and cost around $150 to make. The prices in some of those non-Western countries for basic commercially made wheelchairs are inflated to over $1700, making them inaccessible to all but the rich. It’s challenging to get these people the wheelchairs they need due to governmental and customs red tape, and at times, corruption. The black market for wheelchairs isn’t high, but fraud can be a problem.

U.S. and International Wheelchair Relief Organizations

International Wheelchair Foundation Provides wheelchairs for over 150 countries worldwide.

Assistive Technology Organization Links From Able-Data, the links provide information to sites that offer assistive technology devices and other durable medical equipment.

Department of Justice ADA Links

Disability Rights Law Federal mandates provide non-discrimination information about the basic rights of handicapped persons regarding employment, government, commercial, and public accommodations and access, transportation, and telecommunications.

Small Town ADA Regulations Smaller towns and cities often do not have the budgets to create ramps and other accommodations for the disabled. This is a list of the regulations that they are bound by at minimum.

City Government ADA Problems Budgetary and architectural problems, red tape and committee problems can provide impediments to accessibility.

The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation

Reeve Paralysis Act 2009 Introduced in 2007 to a bipartisan sponsorship, the CDRPA promotes collaborative research, rehabilitative care research, and improving quality of lives for those with mobility impairments. Signed by President Barack Obama March 20, 2009 as Title XIV of the Omnibus Public Lands Bill.

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