TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Mobility

Splish-Splash! Beach Wheelchairs Truly Make Oregon Beach “Free For Everyone”

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A close-up view of Haystock Rock and its resident tufted puffins are now accessible to wheelchair users, thanks to new beach wheelchairs in Cannon Beach, Oregon. The city’s long, sandy coastline is among the most beautiful in the state.

Visitors can rent the beach wheelchairs for free, checking them out from the nearby police station. Officers will keep watch over the visitor’s personal mobility equipment, which is safely stored inside the station.

“It’s making our beach, which is free for everyone, free for everyone,” said Pooka Rice, the outreach coordinator for the Haystock Rock Awareness Program in Cannon Beach.

OUR TAKE: Cannon Beach is the latest city to make an investment in beach accessibility, and its new beach wheelchairs will make it possible for disabled visitors and residents to enjoy the sun and sand!

For the full text of the local news report, see the original article.

New Product: A weather-proof, foldable electric wheelchair will debut at LaunchPad

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Folding electric wheelchair with a slate-colored metal frame.

The TravelAbility Summit’s LaunchPad event shines a light on new products that can make a difference in the accessible travel market. A new product, the FOLD & GO MagSHOCK wheelchair, will debut at LaunchPad later this year.

The portable wheelchair features a magnesium frame and is 100% weather-proof, meaning its users will have the freedom to operate the mobility device in rain, sleet or snow. Despite its compact size, the chair is powerful, capable of handling rough terrain and hills with a slope of up to 25 degrees.

To learn more about this new wheelchair, click here.

The World’s First Detachable Wheelchair Wheel Makes Transfers Easier and Safer

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Wheelchair wheel with a piece of about one-third size removed.

Trivida is a new wheel for manual wheelchairs which makes it possible to transfer to and from the chair in a barrier-free fashion. The wheel’s triatec technology makes it possible to detach a portion of the wheel to enable safe, lateral transfers between the wheelchair and an external surface, such as a bed, toilet, sofa.

OUR TAKE: Trivida’s new design will make transferring easier and could enable manual wheelchair users to remain in their chairs longer, postponing the transition to a powered mobility device. The innovative triatec technology solves a major pain point and should improve wheelers’ quality of life.

To learn more, visit the Trivida website.

HOLY COW! Baby Cow Takes First Steps Using a Wheelchair

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Brown baby calf.

Ruby Sue was born with her back legs fused together and unable to walk. Thanks to the people at the “Safe in Austin Rescue” ranch and the company Walkin’ Pets, Ruby Sue was hooked up with a custom wheelchair to support her behind and grant her the freedom of movement.

To read the full story about what went into saving this baby calf, click here.

Genius Bus App Shows Wheelchair Space Availability

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a smartphone with a pink and blue app that shows where spaces are free and how many

Advisory Board Member John Morris of Wheelchair Travel is always ahead of the news when it comes to accessible travel. His most recent find? An app that shows where wheelchair spots are available on local buses. While it’s still only in Europe, we see a groundswell of accessible technology solutions coming to the states soon. 

OUR TAKE: Advancing accessible transportation— what better way to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act? Learn more, here.