Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

It’s a bird…It’s a plane…No, it’s a wheelchair!

April 9, 2008

New product alert

The Flight Ultralight Wheelchair is now available for purchase from Aero Innovative Research.

The “world’s lightest, fully-adjustable, rigid, folding frame wheelchair” weighs in a 18 lbs., and can be folded to a width of 9.5 inches.

IT USES AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGY! YOU COULD FLY WITH THIS THING!*

*claim not verified by manufacturers, doctors, or anyone, really.

According to Keith Entz, president of AIR Inc., “Due to our aerospace-based construction techniques and the precise tolerances required, our production capability has been under constant refinement. We’re delighted to finally be able to produce and sell a better wheelchair.”

Neat! Until technology progresses to give us all hoverboards like in Back to the Future, lighter, easier to use wheelchairs are good in my book.

A complete description of the chair’s attributes and ordering instructions can be found on the conpany’s Web site.

It’s a bird…It’s a plane…No, it’s a wheelchair!

April 9, 2008

New product alert

The Flight Ultralight Wheelchair is now available for purchase from Aero Innovative Research.

The “world’s lightest, fully-adjustable, rigid, folding frame wheelchair” weighs in a 18 lbs., and can be folded to a width of 9.5 inches.

IT USES AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGY! YOU COULD FLY WITH THIS THING!*

*claim not verified by manufacturers, doctors, or anyone, really.

According to Keith Entz, president of AIR Inc., “Due to our aerospace-based construction techniques and the precise tolerances required, our production capability has been under constant refinement. We’re delighted to finally be able to produce and sell a better wheelchair.”

Neat! Until technology progresses to give us all hoverboards like in Back to the Future, lighter, easier to use wheelchairs are good in my book.

A complete description of the chair’s attributes and ordering instructions can be found on the conpany’s Web site.

Four bedroom, three bath and a ramp

April 9, 2008

As people age they might find themselves facing challenges that others living with disabilities have had to face their entire lives. An article in the Wall Street Journal discusses aid available to make homes more handicapped accessible. The article focuses on senior citizens, but the information can be applied to anyone needing some sort of handicapped access.

I wonder how handicapped people will be affected by the current housing crisis. During my reporting for a few stories on the housing market I had real estate agents swear up and down that we’re in a perfect “buyer’s market.” I guess someone could hold off on closing until the seller sweetened the deal by adding some ramps or a chair lift.

But what about someone who is trapped in a home with narrow hallways or has to rely on a family member to carry them up to the only bathroom on the second floor.

I hope that this person doesn’t have to wait with their house stuck on the market, and the resources mentioned in this article stay available despite the faltering economy.

I don’t have a handicapped parking sticker…

April 8, 2008

but I hope that this blog can begin to serve as a resource for a range of people with handicaps and disabilities.

The first few posts will probably serve as a primer for me as I learn how to make it web accessible. I will be doing lots of research, but I invite my readers to leave comments with suggestions for how to make this blog easy for you to use.

My interest in this topic comes from living with grandparents who are hearing impaired. My grandfather lost his hearing at a very young age to spinal meningitis. My grandmother lost her hearing more gradually from chronic ear infections before antibiotics, but she has virtually no hearing now. I have seen the evolution of  their use of communication devices progress from the TTY machine to the RELAY system to e-mail and instant messaging to video phone, and now my 78-year-old grandmother has a “crackberry” that never leaves her hand.

What sort of products or devices do you use? How have the Internet and technological advancements affected your life?

I don’t have a handicapped parking sticker…

April 8, 2008

but I hope that this blog can begin to serve as a resource for a range of people with handicaps and disabilities.

The first few posts will probably serve as a primer for me as I learn how to make it web accessible. I will be doing lots of research, but I invite my readers to leave comments with suggestions for how to make this blog easy for you to use.

My interest in this topic comes from living with grandparents who are hearing impaired. My grandfather lost his hearing at a very young age to spinal meningitis. My grandmother lost her hearing more gradually from chronic ear infections before antibiotics, but she has virtually no hearing now. I have seen the evolution of  their use of communication devices progress from the TTY machine to the RELAY system to e-mail and instant messaging to video phone, and now my 78-year-old grandmother has a “crackberry” that never leaves her hand.

What sort of products or devices do you use? How have the Internet and technological advancements affected your life?

Mission Statement

April 7, 2008

This blog will spotlight issues, news, products and services related to people with handicaps and disabilities. The design and format of this blog will be accessible to people with disabilities.

Online Communities

April 7, 2008

Key Web sites

April 7, 2008