Recently in assistive technology Category

Twenty years ago this week, President George H. W. Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Although the ADA legislation included sweeping reforms intended to improve the lives of Americans with disabilities, there is still much debate over the cost and litigation associated with it. The ADA laws regulate employment practices, federal and local programs, transportation, public accommodations and commercial facilities.

Statistics: The Census Bureau claims that 54 million people have a disability - that's almost 1 in 5 Americans. More than 15 million people 15 years or older currently use a wheelchair.

News, information and events regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act:

MV-1 Wheels Across America Tour - Debuts the first factory-built wheelchair accessible vehicle

Disabilities debate rages 20 years later - an article by CNN.com

ADA Anniversary - a website devoted to events and information about the 20th anniversary of ADA

Disability.gov - a website connecting the disability community to information and opportunities; includes an announcement by President Obama

Disability Blog - a blog about the latest disability-related news, information and trends.

President Obama describes important updates to ADA

Does your claimant need disability ramping installed to access their home? Having ramping or other home modifications installed for injured workers is a big responsibility. And costly. The next time you need to purchase or install ramping for a claimant, Cara Barde, President of Total Medical Solutions, encourages you to consider the benefits of aluminum over wood:

Aluminum Ramping:

1. Maintenace Free
2. Does not rust or decay (aluminum lasts for 100+ years)
3. Easy assembly with minimum tools
4. No building permit required
5. Can easily be expanded, reconfigured or moved
6. Aluminum ramping is an asset that can be reused, resold or rented
7. Installed in less than an hour!
8. No environmental impact

Wood Ramping:

1. Requires regular maintenance
2. Will rot or decay over time
3. Must be installed by a contractor or carpenter (increases costs)
4. Requires a building permit (increases costs and time)
5. Reconfiguration must be made by demolition and reconstruction
6. No resale value; could actually lower the value of the home
7. Typical installation takes 2 to 3 days
8. Could include dangerous chemicals or applied treatments

As you can see, there are many benifits to using aluminum vs. wood disability ramping. In addition to the benefits of using aluminum ramping as outlined above, when you purchase your ramping through Total Medical Solutions, you can:

• "Bank" your aluminum ramping - when it is no longer being used by your claimant, the insurance carrier can reuse the ramping for future claimants for a substantial cost savings
• Rent aluminum ramping for temporary needs
• Reconfigure aluminum ramping sections to fit any home
• Easily move aluminum ramping to a new home if your claimant moves
• Rest assured that the aluminum ramping we sell is dependable, durable and American made

For more information about aluminum disability ramping, anytime, anywhere you need access, please contact Total Medical Solutions at 1-800-700-9393 or visit www.NewTMS.com

Zack Craft,  vice president of rehabilitation technology and complex care for Total Medical Solutions, encourages a standing feature integrated into a wheelchair base whenever possible for injured workers confined to a wheelchair. While these types of wheelchairs are more expensive on the front end, they provide for greatly improved mobility and enhanced wellness of the patient. Thus, they provide for much better outcomes over the life of the claim. 

Wheelchair Standing Defined.

Wheelchairs with built in standing features allow the patient to obtain a standing position without transferring from the wheelchair. Such wheelchairs incorporate a mechanical or electromechanical system manipulated with levers or controls that move the seat from horizontal to a vertical or anteriorly sloping position while maintaining verticality of the legrests and backrest, thus extending the hips and knee joints. A full vertical standing position is achieved directly from sitting, or through gradual angle changes from a laying position, or a combination of either of these positions. Most wheelchair standers allow for full or partial extension of the hip and knee joints, and full upright or partially tilted positions.

Benefits of standing include:

• Improved functional reach to enable participation in ADLs (Activities of Daily Living)
• Enhanced independence and productivity
• Vital organ capacity is greatly improved
• Reduced occurrence of urinary tract infections
• Bone mineral density loss reduced or eliminated
• Improved circulation; reduced swelling in extremeties
• Reduced abnormal muscle tone and spasticity
• Occurrence of pressure sores reduced
• Diminished occurrence of skeletal deformities
• Enhanced physiological well being

Additional benefits of standing wheelchairs include: reduced fatigue, ability for some male patients to use public urinals, a reduction in the need for attendant care, reduced transfers and reduced home modifications.

One of the chairs Zack recommends to patients is the Permobil C500 VS.

For more information on standing wheelchairs, or other assitive technology devices, please contact Total Medical Solutions.

In their blog post titled "Gravitonus Ergonomic Office Chair -- Ultimate in Spinal Comfort," Ergoblog provides us with a review of the futuristic-looking Gravitonus Ergonomic Workstation. According to the manufacturer's website, the workstation "is a revolutionary, multifunctional, computerized system, created to provide for optimal ergonomic conditions at work."

Developed specifically for spinal cord injury patients, the chair includes an on-board computer which constantly analyzes body position, measures local temperature and pressure for different body parts and rotates the frame to adjust for its findings. According to the review, the chair is currently being adapted for quadriplegics. Pretty snazzy.