Is The Power Wheelchair An Essential Part of Our Culture?

Almost six million adults (3 percent) report either being completely unable to walk three blocks, climb ten stairs, or stand twenty minutes without the help of a power wheelchair or other mobility device.

In an earlier, perhaps more gracious time, limited mobility was less of a problem. The young, the old, the strong and the weak were all absorbed into the fabric of the extended family. With our new technology, are we able to compensate when we no longer have such help? Now we live in single-unit families, single-parent homes or even alone.

Vera Brown says it is her power wheel chair that enables her to continue to live at home alone and she copes quite well. She values her freedom. The very first thing she did when she got her new power wheelchair was to go to the movies—and then she went shopping at the grocery store across the way. The power wheelchair has become an integral part of her life.

Easy access ramps for power wheelchairs, public transport with special doors and lifts and handicap parking are now an accepted part of city life. Adapting urban environments to make them more accessible for persons with impaired mobility is one of the key achievements of the disability rights movement.

America is aging and the parents of baby boomers are also growing older. Many baby boomers have become caregivers in the home. They base their choices on where to live and vacation on whether cities are easy to negotiate in a power wheelchair.

Cities even as far away as Krakow, Poland in central Europe are catching on to this new trend. According to the Krakow News, posted on Wednesday, February 28, 2007, the mayor’s office has drawn up a new charter to improve life for Krakow’s disabled citizens. It improves several aspects of how disabled people are treated in the city, including the physical—by requiring more ramps and lifts for easier access to buildings—the professional, by running specially tailored educational courses aimed at increasing employability, and the social—by shaping public awareness of disabled people and the issues that concern them.

Back in the US, where baby boomers now command a significant proportion of the country’s wealth, cities that provide convenient low-fare/no-fare public transportation and handicap access stand out as tourist destinations for caregivers and their families.

Today’s vibrant cities can be identified by well planned, well managed transportation systems. Ready or not, the power wheelchair is an integral part of a modern, seamless transportation system.

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