Survey of the Use of Transport by Recipients of a Regional Electric Indoor/Outdoor Powered (EPIOC) Wheelchair Service
By Belcher, M.J.H.; Frank, A.O.; Disability and Rehabilitation, Vol. 26, No. 10, pp. 563-575Publication Date: May 2004
Article discusses the results of a survey conducted in the United Kingdom to determine the extent to which people who use electric indoor/outdoor powered wheelchairs (EPIOCs) travel in vehicles. The survey also focused on their safety concerns, including risk of accidents and equipment malfunction. All 268 individuals who used EPIOCs were contacted through a departmental database, and were sent a questionnaire asking whether the respondent (1) used the chair during transportation, and in what type of vehicle; (2) understood clamping processes; (3) ever had an accident; and (4) felt safe during transport. Two-hundred-and-three replies were recorded. Responses and comments were entered in to a Microsoft Excel database. Thirty-seven users did not use any means of transportation. Of the 170 who did, 51 percent used Dial-a-Ride, 44 percent used taxis, 41 percent used ambulances, 37 percent used local authority transport, and 34 percent used cars. Twenty-one respondents experienced mishaps, and 34 expressed that they often felt unsafe. The researchers conclude that risks of vehicular travel by people who use wheelchairs could be reduced with appropriate equipment and a regular review of safety procedures and public services.
Published by: Taylor & Francis, Limited (Website:http://taylorandfrancis.org)
International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (Web Site: http://www.isprm.org )
This publication is included in the library of the National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC), accession number J47762
