Yikes! Wheelchair Disasters Offer Simple Safety Lessons
By Wechsler, Kathy; Quest,(Pages: January-February 2008) Publication Date: Vol. 15, No. 1, pp. 61-63
Article provides four warning examples of wheelchair accidents that happened because of oversight or neglect. (1) A man using a power wheelchair was pushed down a road by a semitrailer truck after crossing the road as the traffic light turned green. Although he was not hurt, the man now always carries an orange flag that he neglected to bring that day, so he can easily be seen. (2) A woman in a power wheelchair fell off a faulty lift ramp while exiting a public-transportation bus, causing injuries that took over a year to heal. The transit authority knew about the faulty lift barricades but considered repairs too costly. (3) A man in a powered wheelchair leaving a store was advised to exit through the back where there would be a ramp. There was no usable ramp, and he jumped off a 12-inch dropoff, causing severe and lasting injuries. Original plans of the building stipulating a ramp were never followed. (4) A woman riding a power wheelchair was traveling two blocks from one store to another in a van driven by her husband. She didn’t bother to tie down her chair and came close to being injured when the van made a sudden stop.
Published by: Muscular Dystrophy Association (Website:http://www.mdausa.org)
