In a world where the power of perception often shapes our understanding of others as well as ourselves, it’s crucial to embark on an exploration of wheelchair safety in solidarity with promoting inclusive mobility that values integrity and wellness beyond physical needs. Debunking prevailing social myths surrounding the cognitive capabilities of individual mobility device users, we hope to illuminate a path to break free from the cycle of biases that has constrained those individuals’ self-perceptions and driving potentials.
Emphasizing the functional strengths of individual mobility devices users, we will delve into how various factors – exposures to and interactions with mobility devices and societal attitudes – can profoundly influence the safe use of mobility devices, whether for the better or worse. In doing so, we hope to shift the focus away from individuals’ diagnoses and/or functional limitations to pay more attention to their current capabilities and the accessibility, or lack thereof, of society.
In our previous blogs, we explored surprising technological factors such as seating, programming and configurations, and drive controls: 3 Reasons for Accidents with Wheelchairs that Might Surprise You (Technological Factors) as well as key environmental barriers from accessibility, weather to traffic: Safeguarding Wheelchair Users: Unveiling 3 Key Environmental Barriers that Impact the Safe Use of Wheelchairs that all contributed to the safety around wheelchairs. With this third blog breaking down the significance of exposure and societal attitudes in interaction with individual wheelchair users, we invite everyone to perceive the safe use of mobility devices as an opportunity for assistance rather than a problem demanding solutions.
1. Exposure
1.1 Mobility Training Communications
It is essential to shift the conversation surrounding the training for individuals with disabilities from a focus solely on what they cannot do to a recognition and emphasis on what they still can, as this perspective encourages a more positively balanced view on their mobility potentials, especially with proper uses of mobility devices and adaptive technology. To elaborate, when individuals are learning about overall functionality of their bodies which is essential to their safety on mobility devices, they should have also received questions such as “which body part(s) do you find you use the most and are most helpful?” rather than only questions like “which part of your body do you struggle with the most in your everyday life and routine when you try to use mobility devices?”.
These two seemingly similar questions actually carry contrasting implications that can strengthen or weaken individual mentalities over time. One question emphasizes heavily on the individuals’ needs for the solutions proposed based on their reported limitations. This passive focus, in another word, implies that the individuals must depend on factors outside of their control to make their decisions for them. The other question, on the contrary, leaves the decision-making power within the hands of the individuals by simply highlighting all the functional capabilities they still have which lead them to understand and recognize the available solutions in a much more dignified manner. The latter one is often more difficult to achieve because it requires not just telling, but also educating the individuals more in depth about their circumstances in order to arrive at the right decisions on their own.
1.2 Self Awareness of Mobility Capacity
To build the self awareness needed to fully take control of one’s safety as well as realize one’s mobility potential in the long run, one should familiarize oneself with the diverse spectrum of functional abilities that impact one’s mobility:
Cognitive Ability
Cognitive Ability is the way we think. It is all about our ability to focus, memorize, multi-task, and make decisions. It impacts our attention and interpretation of the world around us. If an individual has impacted cognitive ability, it is likely they will need more training and repetition of tasks involving their mobility device in their home and outdoor settings, to ensure they have the ability to safely make decisions about when to go faster, slower, change direction, and/or stop their wheelchair. Additionally, if decision making is impacted due to cognitive impairment, it is best to steer clear of doing multiple tasks at once while driving the mobility device, as the individual cannot use all their attention to their safety if they are distracted.
Fine Motor Ability
Fine motor ability is the way we move and use our fingers, hands, feet, and toes to complete tasks. Individuals with impacted fine motor skills may need more therapeutic intervention to maintain or enhance their level of functioning to better use their fingers and hands. In this case, training in alternative drive controls such as sip-n-puff, chin/tongue switch, and head array would be helpful – anything that can be used in place of a joystick that requires finger and hand movement.
Gross Motor Ability
Gross motor ability is the way we move and use our head, neck, shoulders, arms, trunk, hip, and legs to complete tasks and navigate the world around us. Individuals with impacted gross motor skills may be receiving ongoing rehabilitation to maintain or enhance their current functioning and might be able to move their body to a certain degree while using their mobility device.
Visual Ability
Visual ability is the way we see the world around us. It is how clearly we see, how far we can see, how much depth we can recognize, what colors we see, and what textures we can recognize. Spatial ability is how we use all of this information to help us navigate in relation to our environment. Together, these are termed visual-spatial ability. Therapeutic interventions involving eye movements, hand-eye-coordination, and depth perception could help with rehabilitation. Training on adaptive technology and assistive devices that may help to “see” the world around them, past the point of their real visual field, could help in operating mobility devices safely.
1.2 Experience with Mobility Devices
More time spent using a mobility device provides more experiential learning opportunities for individuals to become more aware of their bodies in relation to their surroundings, leading to safer use of mobility devices. Overtime, more experienced individuals learn to understand how to navigate various terrains in various weather conditions. They learn what areas in their homes are harder to navigate and which public spaces are accessible to mobility devices. They also have a better idea of how they can balance, go faster, go slower, or stop entirely while navigating known terrains ( the environment blog in this safety series discusses this in more details). All in all, individuals who have more experience with their mobility devices can better advocate for improvements that will make their community more accessible and inclusive.
Individuals can learn to use their assistive devices and adaptive devices better, through use of these alongside their mobility device. Additionally, their ability to solve problems and later, build confidence in mobility device use increases as well. For example, the individual is not only aware of their own strengths, but the features of their assistive and adaptive technology, and the combination of both helps the individuals learn to be a safer mobility device user. Our technology blog in this safety series explores this further. Overall, their quality of life and self efficacy increase through experience of terrain and learning of technology.
Solution:
It is important to provide training on cognition, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, and visual-spatial skills to clinicians, vendors, families, and anyone else who works with individuals who use mobility devices. This knowledge would help stakeholders understand the goals and strengths of individuals who use mobility devices, so recommendations and opportunities can be made to fit well with these individuals. They can also learn more about the strengths-based approach and person- and family-centered care. This would help view needs as goals and view functioning as strengths. Experience working with mobility devices over time will assist with understanding accessibility more as well.
2. Societal Attitude
It is important to understand what societal attitudes, perceptions, and acceptance is when it comes to mobility devices and individuals who use them. Although accessibility and disability may seem like universal concepts, the level of acceptance society displays varies.
Can societal attitudes of independence have an impact on how society views users of mobility devices and ultimately, how users of mobility devices view themselves? Can cultures where independence is highly valued view disability as more devastating perhaps, when compared to cultures where interdependence is supported? Is it possible that individuals who use mobility devices from independence-valuing cultures view themselves as being more in need of accessibility than individuals who use mobility devices from interdependence-valuing cultures?
A journal article published in the Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy suggests that societal attitudes of disability impact whether individuals who use power mobility devices either feel included or excluded in society. The issue is not just societal attitudes, it is deeper. The way society feels about individuals who use mobility devices impacts the way that individuals who use mobility devices view themselves.
We have to be mindful to make sure that our attitudes of disability, mobility devices, and accessibility are equitable and fair so we can create a more inclusive society for everyone. Explicitly, this may look like individuals saying insensitive things about disabilities. Implicitly, this negative bias may play out in the way that spaces are designed, policies are created, and health related evidence-based practices are researched. Some individuals may not be familiar with the challenges faced by wheelchair users and may lack awareness or understanding of their needs. This can result in barriers that make it harder for wheelchair users to move around comfortably and safely.
Solution:
Providing more advocacy related campaigns, social media posts, and education can help people understand whether society is being inclusive of individuals who use mobility devices or if there is more work that needs to be done to enhance accessibility of society by changing attitudes towards disability and accessibility.
3. Interaction
Individuals using a mobility device have either used these as a child or they come into contact with using a mobility device in their adult life. Skills like navigation, learning a skill, using our senses, identifying problems, and using creativity to solve these problems develop not just through our training in mobility devices and the experience we have with mobility devices. Rather, it goes beyond that – the training and experience works through the element of interaction. Interaction is when the individual can make changes to their mobility device, environment, and/or themselves in response to their experience with the mobility device and associated technology, their own goals and strengths, and their environment.
For example, when an individual uses their mobility device and their adaptive devices and technology in their daily routine, they may realize they need to alter their mobility device (such as adjust their seating), their routine (perhaps to low-traffic times), the devices and technology on the mobility device (perhaps adding cameras or blind spot sensors), and/or their own training (perhaps needing more information or training on certain aspects). Check out our blog on The Prevention of Wheelchair Collisions to understand more about the value of experience, training, and your role in how to use mobility devices safely.
Solution:
The three blogs in the safety series highlight the importance of the technological, environmental, and individual aspects of safe mobility. We must understand the individual and their needs not in isolation, but view the goals and strengths of the individual in relation to their current mobility device, environment, training, experience, technology, and support available through relevant stakeholders (such as clinicians, vendors, and family).
In summary, the goal of this entire blog series was to shed light on the factors beyond the individual’s diagnosis and functioning, and to increase opportunities for independent mobility. The purpose of this blog series therefore, is to take the strengths-based approach to improving quality of life. Just as one must not just speak of health in the presence of illness, one must not speak of accessibility only in the presence of disability, otherwise we will only work to make this society more accessible if and when there is a disability.
References
Mortenson, W. B., Miller, W. C., & Hardy, T. (2009). Ready to roll? Wheelchair use in residential care. . Disability Health Research network: UBC Okanagan. http://www.dhrn.ca/page.php?pageID=181
Widehammar, C., Lidström Holmqvist, K., Pettersson, I., & Hermansson, L. N. (2020). Attitudes is the most important environmental factor for use of powered mobility devices – users’ perspectives. Scandinavian journal of occupational therapy, 27(4), 298–308. https://doi.org/10.1080/11038128.2019.1573918
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Safety is a prevalent issue related to wheelchair use, with one study highlighting that 55% of wheelchair users reported experiencing at least one collision, and 17% reported experiencing two or more collisions within a three year period. You can read our earlier blog article on the prevalence of wheelchair collisions for additional statistics. Here is a quick view of the consequences of wheelchair collisions and accidents.
So why is it that individuals who have demonstrated their abilities sufficiently enough to be prescribed a wheelchair experience these challenges? At the other end, is it really the case that individuals who are currently being excluded from powered (motorized/electric) mobility device use are too “unsafe” to drive? As a researcher mainly working with individuals with cognitive impairment, I knew there was little research that offered insights into the skills required to use a powered wheelchair. There is even less research to support the misconception that those with cognitive impairment cannot use or learn how to use a powered wheelchair. Despite this, individuals, specifically with cognitive impairment, are given few opportunities to trial and learn how to use a powered wheelchair.
How can we be sure that we are giving everyone a fair chance at independent mobility? In addition, are we viewing mobility as not just a way to get from point A to point B, but also as a necessary tool for learning and development in general.
7 years ago, when I had just started my company Braze Mobility, I walked into the home of a potential client, Wade Watts, and was taken aback by the amount of damage in his home. While I had seen safety often being the reason cited for long-term care residents being denied access to powered wheelchairs, I was not aware of the prevalence of accidents in the community. Despite the fact that Wade is skilled enough to be able to navigate even the most challenging environments, I noticed baseboards had been ripped off many of his walls. He even had to remove a couple of doors because of the damage to his doorways.
In fact the more wheelchair users I spoke to, the more I realized how commonplace property and wheelchair damage are. One of my clients, Herman Witlox, is another wheelchair user who is extremely skilled at using his device, and explains “I can turn [my wheelchair] through a few millimeters of clearance…I can [drive] up two 2 by 4s into the side of the vehicle – that’s a pretty narrow path to keep on course”. Despite this, he shared that
“2 or 3 dents in the wall a day [was] normal. I just [learned] to live with it”.
By Herman Witlox
Through my decade-plus-long research in the mobility space and more than 7 years of providing mobility solutions, I have witnessed a plethora of barriers in accessing and maintaining safe and independent mobility. Exploring these barriers in depth for each individual user can ensure that we identify solutions that address their specific needs.
When I get an inquiry from a therapist or a caregiver about a client who is “driving into things” and I ask the question “why?”, the reasons are often unclear or unknown. I have heard the phrase “they are just a terrible wheelchair driver”, many times from frustrated spouses or other family members who have had to pay for all the damage. However, in my experience, this reason is rarely true.
Most non-wheelchair users, including some therapists that prescribe the technology, don’t realize that operating a wheelchair, especially a powered one, can be extremely difficult. In this blog series, we break down the challenges in 3 areas: technology, environment, and client. By examining each of these individual areas, we aim to provide a more holistic view of safety-related pain points and barriers in wheelchair use. In this first article in the blog series, we highlight factors that are technology-specific.
Seating
Seating is of utmost importance in allowing the user to navigate effectively and comfortably. An individual can experience pain with wheelchair use, independent of their current diagnosis and functioning. When a comfortable, dynamic (movable) seating option is available and positioned correctly for the user, it can reduce the user’s pain by avoiding sliding, slipping, and sudden movements that can all cause injury. In addition, seating adjustments can improve safe and efficient operation of the wheelchair by ensuring that the drive control (the mechanism used to operate a powered wheelchair) is visible and within reach. A RESNA position paper provides insight on the seating-related challenges faced by wheelchair users and associated recommendations. Permobil provides a helpful seating and positioning guide. Additionally, Michelle Lange provides insight into some factors that come into play when considering seating in this Decision Making Tree.
Even when an optimal seating configuration is selected, the backrest of the wheelchair typically creates a massive “blind spot”. If you have never used a wheelchair and don’t believe me, try sitting in a regular office chair and try to look at the floor behind you (without turning the chair or the seat if you’re in a swivel chair). This is challenging if not impossible for just about anyone, regardless of your upper body mobility. So, it is not surprising that most wheelchair users cannot easily see what’s behind them.
Braze Blind Spot Sensors can be used as a tool to enhance spatial awareness in these blind spots around the wheelchair, and have helped clients like Wade, Herman and hundreds of other wheelchair users. In a recently published 3rd-party peer-reviewed study where existing powered wheelchair users were asked to detect objects in the rear using their standard methods (such as shoulder-checking), the participants detected low stationary (static) obstacles with only 44% accuracy. When participants used the Braze Blind Spot Sensors, their accuracy in detecting these obstacles increased significantly to 96% and they were able to do so in significantly less time. The sensors significantly increased the users’ accuracy in other scenarios as well including detection of higher and moving (dynamic) obstacles in the rear.
Power Wheelchairs Programming and Configurations
Powered wheelchairs can reach relatively high speeds, and if users are not familiar with their speed and acceleration capabilities, they may lose control, leading to collisions or tipping over. Rapid acceleration or sudden stops can catch users off guard and result in accidents, as the user’s entire body or parts of their body can make a jerk-like movement because of this change in speed. Appropriate adjustments can be programmed by a wheelchair provider or manufacturer rep in collaboration with the therapist to ensure user needs are met. The wheelchairjunkie provides information on various programming aspects such as speed of acceleration, deceleration, and turning, and how they impact the powered wheelchair driving experience.
In addition, certain wheelchair configurations can compromise the user’s rear, peripheral, and even front visibility. For example, a user who needs to be in a tilted position while driving will typically have an altered field-of-view that limits their ability to see objects that are lower to the ground. Accessories like oxygen tanks, backpacks, custom leg and footrests, and communication devices that increase the space taken up by the wheelchair can also block the user’s view of obstacles in their environment, making them more likely to have accidents. Bariatric wheelchairs (engineered with a heavier weight capacity and broader seats than standard wheelchairs) can pose additional challenges due to wider wheelchair dimensions, making navigation in tight spaces particularly challenging. Wheel drive configurations (front-, mid- and rear-wheel) can also have an impact on maneuverability, as explained in this article by Permobil. For example, certain types of wheel drive configurations are better for textured pathways while others are better in navigating tighter spaces.
Braze Blind Spot Sensors have helped clients in all of the above scenarios by providing feedback regarding the location and proximity of objects in the environment, thereby increasing spatial awareness in areas that are not directly visible to the client. They can also help new wheelchair users learn the extremities of their wheelchair as they figure out how to maneuver in various spaces with their wheel drive configuration.
Drive Controls
Powered wheelchairs are typically driven using a joystick. However, some users might be unable to operate a wheelchair with a joystick and require the use of “alternative drive/access controls” or “specialty control interfaces”. Alternative drive controls allow a user to control and drive the wheelchair without a joystick, using other parts of the body such as the chin, tongue, mouth, for example. Numotion provides some details of these alternative drive controls. It might be necessary to trial various drive controls in order to find the best fit for the client that allows them to operate a powered wheelchair safely. Michelle Lange provides decision-making trees for joystick and non-joystick driving methods. Here is another resource from mo-vis that sheds light on how to find a good fit between the user and drive controls.
While alternative drive controls provide increased opportunities for independent mobility, devices such as head arrays, sip and puffs, and eye gaze require the user to face forward while driving, potentially limiting their spatial awareness. I once saw a client who is a skilled head array user, but certain environments required her to navigate doorways backwards. As she would try to back up through the door and shoulder-check to make sure she was centered, she would inadvertently activate her head array (which detected her head movements as designed) and zig zag through the doorway hitting the sides multiple times.
Braze Blind Spot Sensors can be used in conjunction with alternative drive controls to enhance spatial awareness of obstacles around the wheelchair. In addition, the multi-modal alerts (visual, audio, and vibration) can be used by clients to help center themselves in tight spaces like doorways and elevators to improve their navigation skills, even when moving backwards. This feature can greatly improve powered wheelchair usability, considering 40% of powered wheelchair users in a study reported difficulty with steering tasks, especially while navigating through doorways and elevators.
Take-Aways
Challenges related to seating, programming/configurations, and drive controls can be addressed in various ways, including some of the suggestions in the references provided. It can be helpful to discuss these with the wheelchair provider and therapist when getting a new wheelchair in order to facilitate a better fit between these factors and the user. Some useful considerations when purchasing a new powered wheelchair can be found in our earlier blog article.
Braze Blind Spot Sensors are helpful smart wheelchair technology to help mitigate some of the challenges related to spatial awareness that are often exacerbated by seating, wheelchair configurations/accessories and drive controls.
This blog is related to challenges in wheelchair operation that relate specifically to the wheelchair user’s technology. There are also factors related to the environment and the user that can present safety issues, but I will go over these in the next articles.
References/Citations:
Nilsson, L., & Kenyon, L. (2022). Assessment and Intervention for Tool-Use in Learning Powered Mobility Intervention: A Focus on Tyro Learners. Disabilities, 2(2), 304–316. MDPI AG. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/disabilities2020022
https://0201.nccdn.net/1_2/000/000/184/61f/Dynamic-Seating-decision-making-tree.pdf
Lange, M. L., Crane, B., Diamond, F. J., Eason, S., Presperin Pedersen, J., & Peek, G. (2021). RESNA position on the application of dynamic seating. Assistive technology : the official journal of RESNA, 1–11. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400435.2021.1979383
Pellichero, A., Best, K. L., Routhier, F., Viswanathan, P., Wang, R. H., & Miller, W. C. (2021). Blind spot sensor systems for power wheelchairs: obstacle detection accuracy, cognitive task load, and perceived usefulness among older adults. Disability and rehabilitation. Assistive technology, 1–9. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2021.1983654
Mortenson, W. B., Miller, W. C., & Hardy, T. (2009). Ready to roll? Wheelchair use in residential care. . Disability Health Research network: UBC Okanagan. http://www.dhrn.ca/page.php?pageID=181
https://0201.nccdn.net/4_2/000/000/076/de9/joystick-decision-trees.pdf
Fehr, L., Langbein, W. E., & Skaar, S. B. (2000). Adequacy of power wheelchairs
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Over 425 participants tuned in over two days to see 19 external health care innovators, entrepreneurs and start-ups pitch their early-stage solutions for the chance to collaborate at VA’s annual Innovation Experience, a collaboration challenge to find innovative ideas to solve VA’s biggest health care challenges.
Gulf Coast VA completed its collaboration with Braze Mobility to further design and develop an innovative navigating blind sensor system for power wheelchair users.
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June 10, 2022 (Waterloo, Iowa)
U.S. Rehab, a division of VGM & Associates, announced it has signed a partnership agreement with Braze Mobility Inc. to make the innovative Braze Blind Spot Sensors for wheelchairs available to its members nationwide.
Braze Mobility Inc. has created the world’s first blind spot sensors that can be added to any manual or power wheelchair and transform it into a ‘smart’ wheelchair. The patented technology automatically detects obstacles and provides feedback to the user through intuitive lights, sounds, and vibrations. This technology can help prevent accidents resulting in property damage, wheelchair damage, and injuries that can lead to hospitalization.
In addition, Braze Blind Spot Sensors can potentially widen access to power wheelchair use to those who might currently be unduly excluded. The company’s solution is based on over a decade of user-centered research with wheelchair users, which has been published in several peer-reviewed articles.
“U.S. Rehab is extremely excited about this new partnership. This is a growing market and it is a great opportunity for our U.S. Rehab members, ” said Greg Packer, President, U.S. Rehab. “We strive to continually bring partnerships to our members that are beneficial for them, and their customers.”
“We are really excited to partner with U.S. Rehab and be able to work with all their members across the country, many of whom we have already had the pleasure of working with”, said Dr. Pooja Viswanathan, CEO, and co-founder of Braze Mobility. “We strongly believe in empowering users by increasing their spatial awareness while leaving them fully in control. Our approach is resonating with clients who value their independence. This partnership will allow many more manual and powered wheelchair users to access the Braze Blind Spot Sensors so they can navigate their environments boldly, independently, and safely.”
Physicians, therapists, and customers should contact their local VGM member for more information on this exciting technology.
About VGM & Associates: VGM & Associates is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive member service organization (MSO) for post-acute healthcare including DME/HME, respiratory, sleep, wound care, complex rehab, women’s health, home modifications, and orthotics and prosthetics providers. Over 2,500 providers with nearly 7,000 locations rely on VGM to connect them to valuable resources every single day. For more information, visit www.vgm.com.
About Braze Mobility Inc.: Based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the company was founded by Dr. Pooja Viswanathan, who has incorporated over a decade of smart wheelchair research into state-of-the-art technology that improves accessibility and independence for people with physical disabilities. Braze Mobility is dedicated to increasing independence, safety, and overall quality of life for people living with mobility challenges. The team at Braze Mobility engages with end-users throughout the design process to create accessible and innovative technologies that are affordable and easy to use. The company currently sells its technology in North America and will be launching its products overseas soon. For more information, visit www.brazemobility.com.
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A snippet from the article written by Chris Counts at Kark.com:
The Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System is researching new ways to make wheelchairs and mobility chairs safer for Veterans.
The organization is one of seven Veterans Health Administration sites, and the flagship site, in doing so.
In a partnership with Braze Mobility, Inc., 20 Veteran patients are participating in the development of a terrain analysis system to help wheelchair and mobility chair users navigate outdoor environments safely and independently.
Read the entire article here.
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February 9, 2022
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Officials at Braze Mobility Inc. and Sunrise Medical Canada announced their partnership today. This new collaboration will make Braze Mobility’s blind spot sensor technology available on the QUICKIE line of power wheelchairs.
Braze Mobility Inc. has created the world’s first blind spot sensors that can be added to any manual or power wheelchair and transform it into a ‘smart’ wheelchair. The technology automatically detects obstacles and provides feedback to the user through intuitive lights, sounds, and vibrations. This technology can help prevent accidents resulting in property damage, wheelchair damage, and injuries that can lead to hospitalization. In addition, Braze Blind Spot Sensors can potentially widen access to power wheelchair use to those who might currently be unduly excluded. The company’s solution is based on over a decade of user-centered research with wheelchair users, which has been published in several peer-reviewed articles.
“Sunrise Medical Canada are very proud to be partnering with Braze Mobility,” said Mike Longo, Senior Director, Commercial Operations. “This partnership will give us first-to-market OEM access to their innovative, blind spot sensor technology on our industry leading line of Quickie power wheelchairs. Client safety and independence are core values at the heart of our mission of “Improving People’s Lives”. We are excited to be working closely with the team at Braze on delivering this goal for our customers in Canada.”
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Sunrise Medical Canada,” said Dr. Pooja Viswanathan, CEO and founder of Braze Mobility Inc. “We have really enjoyed working with the Sunrise team to provide Braze Blind Spot Sensors to QUICKIE users across Canada, helping them navigate boldly, independently, and safely.”
Anyone interested in seeing demonstrations of the technology in Canada should contact their local Sunrise Medical Representative.
About Sunrise Medical: Committed to improving people’s lives, Sunrise Medical (https://www.sunrisemedical.ca) is a world leader in the innovation, manufacture, and distribution of advanced assistive mobility devices and solutions. Distributed in more than 130 countries under its own 17 proprietary brands, the key products include manual and power wheelchairs, e-mobility products, motorized scooters, seating & positioning systems, and daily living aids. Operating in 18 countries, Sunrise Medical group is headquartered in Malsch, Germany, and employs over 2,200 associates worldwide.
About Braze Mobility Inc.: Based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the company was founded by Dr. Pooja Viswanathan, who has incorporated over a decade of smart wheelchair research into state-of-the-art technology that improves accessibility and independence for people with physical disabilities. Braze Mobility (http://www.brazemobility.com/) is dedicated to increasing independence, safety, and overall quality of life for people living with mobility challenges. The team at Braze Mobility engages with end-users throughout the design process to create accessible and innovative technologies that are affordable and easy to use. The company currently sells its technology in North America and will be launching its products overseas soon.
Numotion announced an agreement with Braze Mobility Inc. to distribute the company’s blind spot sensors for wheelchairs.
Brentwood, Tenn. (January 25, 2022) – Numotion, the nation’s leading and largest provider of products and services that provide mobility, health and personal independence is continuing its mission to bring innovative mobility products to people living with disabilities. The company announced it has signed an agreement with Braze Mobility Inc. to distribute the company’s blind spot sensors for wheelchairs.
Most powered mobility device users experience major collisions, resulting in property damage, wheelchair damage, and injuries that can lead to hospitalization. In many cases, these accidents can lead to exclusion from the use of powered mobility devices altogether, even when no other option for independent mobility exists. To address this issue, Braze Mobility has created the world’s first blind spot sensors that can be added to any wheelchair and transform it into a ‘smart’ wheelchair. The technology automatically detects obstacles and provides feedback to the user through intuitive lights, sounds, and vibrations. The company’s solution is based on over a decade of user-centered research with wheelchair users, which has been published in several peer-reviewed articles.
“We are thrilled to offer this innovative technology to our ATPs and customers, said John Pryles, Numotion Executive Vice President of Sales. “Braze Blind Spot Sensors were designed to increase the overall spatial awareness of the person using the system and can be used to help people perform activities of daily living with their wheelchair – all while improving mobility, access and independence for users.”
“This partnership will help manual and powered wheelchair users across the country gain access to and benefit from the Braze Blind Spot Sensors”, said Dr. Pooja Viswanathan, CEO and co-founder of Braze Mobility. “We strongly believe in empowering users by increasing their spatial awareness while leaving them fully in control, and are excited to be partnering with a company that shares our vision.”
Physicians, therapists and customers should contact their local Numotion branch for more information on this exciting technology.
About Numotion
Numotion is the nation’s largest and leading provider of products and services to help individuals with mobility limitations maximize their health, personal independence, and actively participate in everyday life. The Brentwood, TN based company has more than 150 locations in the U.S. and serves more than 300,000 people annually through a collection of brands. Through Numotion (www.numotion.com) the company works with clinicians and health plans to serve people living with disabilities with prescription-based products including individually configured Complex Rehab Technology (CRT), disposable urological and incontinence supplies, and other assistive technologies. Via CorLife (www.corlifedfe.com) the company serves workers compensation insurance carriers by coordinating a full spectrum of care for injured workers, including all forms of mobility equipment, medical supplies and home health care. With SpinLife, (www.spinlife.com) the company offers consumers online retail access to a wide range of mobility and lifestyle enhancement products designed to provide greater independence in and out of the home.
About Braze Mobility Inc.
Based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the company was founded by Dr. Pooja Viswanathan, who has incorporated over a decade of smart wheelchair research into state-of-the-art technology that improves accessibility and independence for people with physical disabilities. Braze Mobility (www.brazemobility.com) is dedicated to increasing independence, safety, and overall quality of life for people living with mobility challenges. The team at Braze Mobility engages with end-users throughout the design process to create accessible and innovative technologies that are affordable and easy to use. The company currently sells its technology in North America and will be launching its products overseas soon.
A snippet of the article by Ishani Duttagupta at The Times of India:
Film-maker, actress and mental health advocate Shreya Patel; board member of Ontario Health and Ontario Power Generation Anju Virmani; founder & CEO of social enterprise STEM Minds Corp Anu Bindai; CEO and founder of smart wheelchairs startup-up Braze Mobility Inc Dr Pooja Viswanathan; academician and provost vice -president academic of University of British Columbia Okanagan Dr Ananya Mukherjee Reed; vice president consumer health, TELUS Health Juggy Sihota; founder and president, Articulate Youth Activisim initiative Bhanvi Sachdeva; COO of Surrey Hospitals Foundation Azra Hussain; and Plan International Canada supervisor Lavanya Hariharan are all among an elite group of Canada’s most powerful women. These women of Indian-origin are all on a list of Canada’s Most Power Women: Top 100 Award Winners for 2021.
Read MoreA snippet of the article by Liz Beaulieu at HME News:
Braze Mobility had the opportunity to get important feedback on its terrain analysis system as part of the recent Breaking Boundaries: Collaboration Challenge, hosted by the Veterans Health Administration Ecosystem and Founder Institute, says CEO Pooja Viswanathan.
The system will help wheelchair users navigate outdoor environments more safely and independently, using proprietary machine-learning algorithms that identify hazards.
“It’s a co-creation process, so there’ll be various phases of development that we’ll collaborate with them on,” said Viswanathan, who was a featured speaker at the VHA Innovation Experience Oct. 27-28, and who has completed doctoral and post-doc research in robotics and assistive technologies. “There will be early testing of the product and feedback, and then incorporating that feedback into future development.”
Read MoreDr. Pooja Viswanathan, CEO of Braze Mobility Inc, joins us to tell her story of how she did things a little differently during her PhD and with BRAZE. We hope listeners learn from her story and get sparked by some great ideas on alternate paths to take.
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