Details the prescription considerations for individuals with physical disabilities. Compares conventional and lightweight wheelchairs, and factors in functional assessment. Examines the technical aspects of seat cushion selection, factors that affect the ergonometrics of wheelchair operation, and the influence of powered mobility. Also covers wheelchair standards and current directions in wheelchair research. Appendix covers "Types of Wheelchairs". Over 100 photos, charts and drawings. Index.
This is the definitive text for everyone concerned with wheelchair selection, including physical and occupational therapists, physiatrists, and other health care providers involved with helping patients to achieve optimal seating. Chapters discuss wheelchair measurement, engineering fundamentals, biomechanics, electronics, and standards. Various types of wheelchairs are considered, including manual, powered, specialized, and sports chairs the selection of seat cushions and specialized seating systems are considered in depth, and assessment and intervention are reviewed. The audience for this book includes undergraduate and graduate students studying occupational therapy, physical therapy, rehabilitation science, and rehabilitation engineering. It also is a suitable reference for professionals in engineering and the health professions. It assumes that the reader has a working knowledge of human anatomy, human physiology, and physics. Some exposure to clinical practice also is beneficial. Each chapter opens with a set of goals that orient the reader to the material covered. For example, the goals of the chapter Wheelchair Engineering Fundamentals are: To understand mechanical and material properties To understand the relationship between technology and its environment To know how to problem-solve and integrate technical and functional information To understand the roles, constraints, and perspectives of designers and fabricators Extensive illustrations guide the reader through all concepts of wheelchair design and prescription. "
The guidelines focus on manual wheelchairs and the needs of long-term wheelchair users. The recommendations are targeted at those involved in wheelchair services, ranging from design and planning, to providing or supplying wheelchairs and their maintenance.
The longtime wheelchair user and ergonomics consultant guides the reader through the selection process, covering the different features and options available, wheelchair maintenance, and wheeling techniques.
The U.S. Census Bureau has reported that 56.7 million Americans had some type of disability in 2010, which represents 18.7 percent of the civilian noninstitutionalized population included in the 2010 Survey of Income and Program Participation. The U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) provides disability benefits through the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. As of December 2015, approximately 11 million individuals were SSDI beneficiaries, and about 8 million were SSI beneficiaries. SSA currently considers assistive devices in the nonmedical and medical areas of its program guidelines. During determinations of substantial gainful activity and income eligibility for SSI benefits, the reasonable cost of items, devices, or services applicants need to enable them to work with their impairment is subtracted from eligible earnings, even if those items or services are used for activities of daily living in addition to work. In addition, SSA considers assistive devices in its medical disability determination process and assessment of work capacity. The Promise of Assistive Technology to Enhance Activity and Work Participation provides an analysis of selected assistive products and technologies, including wheeled and seated mobility devices, upper-extremity prostheses, and products and technologies selected by the committee that pertain to hearing and to communication and speech in adults.
