Motorized Wheel Chair

The following news item appeared in the Toronto Star newspaper yesterday.  It is interesting to what length politicians will go to test out accessibility for wheelchair users.  He performed this experiment with Pater Athanasopoulos of the Canadian Paraplegic Association of Ontario.  It was a good experiment which pointed out some of the difficulties for wheel chair users, whether they use non power or motorized wheelchairs.  I am sure that this is much the same in other large metropolises with subway systems.

Smitherman tests TTC’s accessibility

“Mayoral candidate George Smitherman gets a sense for what it’s like to try to get around in the TTC’s Royal York station in a wheelchair, alongside Peter Athanasopoulos, of the Canadian Paraplegic Association Ontario.

New dad George Smitherman is now familiar with the challenges of navigating a baby stroller on the TTC. But on Wednesday the mayoral candidate took a different set of wheels to the subway, climbing into a wheelchair to stress the need for more accessibility, which he says should be a higher priority.

“People who have mobility issues deserve to be able to use 100 per cent of Toronto’s transit system,” said Smitherman, who practiced wheelies on the Kipling platform in preparation for navigating the gap onto the train.

Smitherman wheeled himself through the subway system from Kipling to Jane, accompanied by Peter Athanasopoulos of the Canadian Paraplegic Association, which held its Chair Leaders event yesterday.

CPA got about 50 politicians using a wheelchair for the day to increase their awareness of the barriers faced by people with spinal cord injuries and other physical disabilities.

“To map your itinerary from one place to another, you really have to be creative in figuring out where the wheelchair accessible stops are and where the wheelchair accessible buses are,” said Athanasopoulos, who regularly takes the subway from Eglinton to Union.

He says the TTC’s accessibility has improved, though some stations remain inaccessible. and the platform-train gap remains a hazard given how quickly riders must board and exit.
Years ago his chair hit the side of the train and he was thrown forward onto the subway while his chair was left on the platform. It’s made him nervous about using it without people nearby to assist him.

With an aging society, the need for accessibility is even greater, said Smitherman.

The province’s new accessibility legislation is an improvement on previous standards, “But I don’t feel they’re aggressive enough,” he said. “We have the opportunity in Toronto to be a leader.”
Twenty-nine of the TTC’s 69 subway and SRT stations are equipped with elevators, accessible gates and fareboxes, according to the TTC website.”

Accessibility is an important issue for wheelchair users everywhere. How does your city stack up? Let us know and we will publish your findings. Just leave a comment. If there is room for improvement in your city, get involved and make your politicians aware of any accessibility issues you know.

Article from The Toronto Star

At'm Take Along Wheelchair

The Invacare At’m Take Along Wheelchair is a motorized wheelchair that you can literally take with you, load into a car, quickly put together when you arrive and drive with the simple flick of the switch. This compact motorized wheelchair is compact and lightweight and fits in the trunk of a car. It’s easy to assemble, takes one minute to fit together the three separate pieces and is as easy as setting up a lawn chair. No tools or mobility lifts are required to put it together.

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Think of the possibilities of this wheelchair and what more you could do in your life with family and friends.

The Invacare At’m Take Along wheel chair is available in Candy Red Pearl or Deep Blue Pearl colors. It is 25.5 inches wide, 35.5 inches in length and bears the weight of a person of up to 250 pounds. This light weight motorized wheel chair has a maximum speed of 3.5 mph, with an incline capability of 6 degrees, a two inch ground clearance, and an off board charger. The battery size is 17 Ah and its power can get you moving ten to 12 miles in distance. It comes with a 36 month limited warranty on the wheel chair frame and a one year warranty on the electronics.

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