News about Wheelchair Transportation Safety

What's new on this website?

• Added on 6/17/2011 – RESNA Wheelchair Service Provision Guide Approved by RESNA Board of Directors 1/26/11 - A clinical practice position paper from the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA)

• Added on 4/28/2011 – A new study has started at the University of Pittsburgh to get feedback on a novel securement system for wheelchair and scooter- seated passengers in public transportation.

• Added on 3/30/2011 -The National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation have updated their website. Visit the site and meet the school transportation director for your state.

• Added on 8/24/2010 - Developing a Wheelchair Marking and Tether Strap Program - Doug Cross. Also added: Tether Straps for Mobility Devicesfrom the Los Angeles Metro Transit Authority

• Added on 8/18/2010 - 10 new crash tested wheelchairs added to our website listing. Keep the new products coming!

• Added on 8/18/2010 - new peer-reviewed papers on wheelchair transportation safety add to the Publications page.

• Added on 2/16/2010 - information about the influence of Kenny Ceiplik on proposed wheelchair transportation safety legislation in Massachusetts

• Added on 2/16/2010 - a letter of support from Dr. Lawrence Schneider for the October 6, 2009 hearing about the Massachusetts legislation.

• Added on 9/29/2009 - a link to our Facebook page so we can make it easy for you to keep up with us!

• Added on 7/27/2009 - the Spanish language version of the RideSafe Brochure

• Added on 7/27/2009 - Permobil added to the list of crash tested products

• Added on 6/21/2009 - An updated transportation safety check list for school bus travel.

• Added on 6/14/2009 - 4 new articles in the Paraplegia News series added to the publications page.

• Added on 6/12/2009 - Transportation Safety for Wheelchair Occupants: a video presentation by Linda van Roosmalen, PhD, University of Pittsburgh

• Added on 5/28/2009 - new crash tested products added: Ki Mobility is a new company and additional new products were added to listings for Kids Up, Snug Seat, Invacare and Pride Mobility.

• Added on 5/12/2009 - now download crash test videos in multiple formats. Instructions for saving to your computer are included.

• Added on 5/1/2009 : a link to the site map from every page

• Added on 3/18/2008 - new crash tested products added: wheelchairs by Colours in Motion and crash tested seating systems by Freedom Designs.

• Added on 3/18/2008 - PDF copy of the February 2008 Exceptional Parent Magazine article "Peering into a Crystal Ball: What's the Future for Wheelchair-Seated Travel?" written by Linda van Roosmalen & Doug Hobson.

• Added on 1/6/2008 - Updated handouts on a variety of transportation topics to supplement the Educational tool box.

• Added on 1/3/2008 - A new resource for this website called an "Educational Toolbox," which provides consumers, independent living counselors, therapists, and rehabilitation technology suppliers with the tools needed to teach others about wheelchair transportation safety. Look for a power point presentation and handouts formatted and ready to go.

• Added on 12/4/3007 - The PowerPoint presentations used to update our advisory board members on the progress made in each research task have been converted to pdf documents and added to the appropriate task within the research section.

• Added on 11/13/2007- PDF copy of the November Exceptional Parent Magazine article on The Role of Parents and Caregivers in Providing Safe Transportation for Occupants Seated in Wheelchairs by Larry Schneider, Miriam Manary & Gina Bertocci.

• Updated on 11/13/2007 - expanded links to available commercial training videos on the use of wheelchair tiedowns and occupant restraints (WTORS) in the website section for Transporters.

• Added on 10/23/2007 - a sitemap for this website to help you locate things more easily.

• Added 9/19/2007 - PDF copy of the September Exceptional Parent Magazine article on Teens in Transition to Community Transportation.

• Added: 9/18/2007 - Learn how you can participate in a RERC wheelchair transportation research study

• Added: 9/11/2007 - PDF copy of the July Exceptional Parent Magazine article on Riding to School on a Bus

• Added: 6/13/2007 - A new document! Guidelines for Use of Secondary Postural Support Devices by Wheelchair Users During Travel in Motor Vehicles This document offers best practice on using secondary postural supports in combination with occupant safety restraint systems.

What's new in the world of Wheelchair Transportation Safety?

• The Benefits of Mainstreaming (including special ed kids on regular route school buses) School Bus Fleet
  http://blogs.schoolbusfleet.com/alongfortheride/archive/2011/02/25/The-Benefits-of-Mainstreaming.aspx
• Cheryl Wolf, an advocate for Special Needs School Transportation, to retire -
  http://www.schoolbusfleet.com/Channel/Special-Needs/News/2011/02/08/Special-needs-transportation-veteran-to-retire.aspx?ref=Newsline-20110208
• Added on 2/1/2011 - Slowing Others Down Center for Accessible Living
• August 20, 2010 - Pete Japikse of the Ohio Department of Education named Chair of the 2015 National Congress on School Transportation . The National Congress meets every 5 years and sets best practice in school bus equipment and procedures for all students including special needs students and specially equipped school buses.
• July 26, 2010 - Comment period for revisions to ADA regulations and Transportation is now open. Go to this site for instructions.
  • The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) is proposing to revise and update its accessibility guidelines for buses, over-the-road buses, and vans. The guidelines ensure that transportation vehicles are readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities. The guidelines apply to the acquisition of new, used, and remanufactured transportation vehicles, and the remanufacture of existing transportation vehicles to the extent required by regulations issued by the Department of Transportation pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act. The guidelines for transportation vehicles operated in fixed guideway systems (e.g., rapid rail, light rail, commuter rail, and intercity rail) will be revised and updated at a future date.
• April 22, 2010 - Transportation cannot be forgotten when it comes to the IEP by Ryan Gray.
• March 24, 2010 - E. Paul Dick: Acknowledging a life. The many contributions of E. Paul Dick, a champion for disability access to transportation and public accommodation.

• February 2010 - Dr. Linda Bluth discusses How to Defend Fully Funding Special-Needs Transportation in School Bus Fleet.

• November 4, 2009 - Charlie Hood, member of the RERC WTS Advisory Board and president of NASDPTS speaks out on tight school transportation budget and federal regulations - http://www.schoolbusfleet.com/Channel/Management-Training/Articles/2009/11/Q-A-Great-Expectations.aspx.

• August 5, 2009 - The RERC contributes to the ongoing ABC affiliate's investigation of failure to secure wheelchair seated passengers on the MTA - http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/video?id=6948701

• July 7, 2009 - This project is now on Facebook! When you get on the site use the Facebook search to find "RERC on Wheelchair Transportation Safety."

• June 2008 - Did you miss the Easter Seals Project Action April 14th distance learning event "Wheelchair Securement on Buses and Paratransit Vehicles?" Go see what you missed by reading the transcript of this audio conference, which featured transportation consultant Douglas Cross. Doug serves on our RERC Advisory Board and is a strong advocate. You can also find additional transcripts of earlier distance learning events dating back to 2005 on the Project Action website. Go to: http://projectaction.easterseals.com/site/PageServer?pagename=ESPA_distance_learning_2009_wheelchair_securement&autologin=true

• June 2008 - Two new wheelchair manufacturers show a different attitude! They are actually excited to announce that they have successfully crash tested their wheelchairs. These press releases reveal companies that recognize the value potential customers place on transportation safety and are actively using it in their advertising to suppliers and therapists.

  • Ki Mobility - http://mobilitymgmt.com/articles/2009/05/31/ki-wc19.aspx

  • Kids Up - http://www.rehabpub.com/RMN/2009-06-08_03.asp

• June 2008 - Did you see this new item? A Los Angeles wheelchair user caught by a local TV station, KABC, asking the bus driver for securement of her wheelchair on a city bus. This news feature hits on a lot of key points about the difficulty securing non-WC19 powered wheelchairs, problems with driver training, etc. http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=6832872
• May 2009 - Now here is a grass roots web project well done: Kenny Cieplik and his Traveling Wheelchair. This website inspired by Kenny's desire to highlight wheelchair accessibility in his community shows real consumer activism in a Boston-area community. He has also assembled some good resources on wheelchair transportation safety at http://thetravelingwheelchair.com/wc-passenger-safety/ Following an automobile accident in May 2008, he and his mom got Senator Barney Frank involved and Kenny is now strongly advocating for Federal legislation to require wheelchair securement for wheelchair seated passengers. Read the story on Kenny's blog.
• April 2009 - Did you see the news story about the "texting school bus driver" in San Antonio. You guessed it... he had an accident while transporting students who were riding seated in wheelchairs. Of course he got fired, but the bus surveillance video shows, that he did part of his job just right. The student's wheelchairs were properly secured and the occupants had appropriate safety belts properly in place. As incredible as it sounds... no one was hurt. See the story at: http://www.truveo.com/bus-driver-slams-into-stopped-cars-while-texting/id/66353837
• Or another story in Albuquerque, NM with an unhappy ending. The wheelchair seated passenger was NOT secured and broke both of his legs: http://br.truveo.com/video-abq-bus-drivers-behaving-badly/id/3573113690
• March 2009 - The Transporting Students with Disabilities and Preschoolers Conference occurred in Indianapolis, IN. Catch up on the news from the conference.
• October 2007 - Officials of the National Congress on School Transportation (NCST) announced revisions to the 2005 edition of National School Transportation Specifications and Procedures. It is available for download at on their website. The 2005 edition of the NCST manual was the result of the congress held that year in Warrensburg, MO. The next congress will be held in 2010.
• July 2007 - The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a new statement on school transportation safety. See the complete document at: http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;120/1/213

Got wheelchair transportation safety news you want to share? Contact the webmaster with the news item and provide contact information for a follow up!

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In the News

August 5, 2009 - The RERC contributes to the ongoing ABC affiliate's investigation of failure to secure wheelchair seated passengers on the MTA - http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/video?id=6948701

Last updated: June 17, 2011