%0 Journal Article
%T Why do we need improved mobility technology?
%A Michael L Boninger
%A Rachel E Cowan
%J Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation
%D 2012
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1743-0003-9-16
%X Imagine you want to take a vacation to Europe, you will visit great cities and eat wonderful food. Not hard to picture. The image is fun, unencumbered by worries of transportation, accessibility, and discrimination. Okay maybe there are some worries, but you have done this before. Now imagine you have a disability that requires you to use a wheelchair.You will be the first person on each flight and last person off, adding an hour to the trips you plan to take by plane. Maybe it is not so bad hanging out in an airport, they have shopping now, right? Not for you, you will be segregated; forced to wait in special holding areas. When you do get to leave the holding area, it will not be to the local coffees shop in the terminal, you will be the first person on the plane; there when they are still cleaning up from the last flight. Why do you have to be early? Because you have to be loaded onto a very narrow chair and dragged down the aisle in order to get to your seat. You'd be blocking traffic if you loaded at the same time as everyone else. If you are lucky, there is a jet way or mechanical lift to get you to the aircraft door. If you are unlucky, you get the added fun of being dragged up the stairs. Have a seat, relax, they have just taken your wheelchair; placed it on the tarmac and will load it into the belly of the plane after the luggage goes in (you hope). If they lose that piece of valuable luggage you are stranded. I hope you went to the restroom before you got on, and didn't drink much fluid all day, because you can't walk to the restroom, they took your wheelchair (which wouldn't fit down the aisle anyway). The extra transfers, four just to get on a plane, are starting to wear on your shoulders. One person must accompany you for this odyssey, you can't travel alone. Have more than one friend, too bad, someone gets to hang out in the terminal alone.The trains allow the avoidance of security, but at least with security there is someone to help. The train station
%U http://www.jneuroengrehab.com/content/9/1/16