Title:Provision of a low seat powered wheelchair to attend a school, For a girl with achondroplasia
Author:Yoshiaki KITANO,Kayo TERADA(Ishikawa prefectual Rehabilitation Center) Tetsuro TAKAHASHI,Mitsuyoshi MAEKAWA (Industrial Research Institute of Ishikawa)Shigeo Yoshida(Sig Work Shop Co.Itd.) Noboru Kigosi (Axon Data Machine co. Itd.)
Proceedings of 12th Japanese Conference of Advancement of Rehabilitation Technology. vol.12,pp. 53-56(August,1997)
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Author to whom correspondence should be addressed:
Yoshiaki KITANO (Ishikawa Prefectual Rehabilitation Center)
TEL:076-266-2860


Abstract:
This paper describes provision of a low seat powered wheelchair to a girl with achondroplasia for attending a school. This powered wheelchair was considered because the client would enter a high school which was 2km far from her home. Based on her demand and result of an interview evaluation, five goals were set up as follows: 1)Easy to get in/out 2)Maintain good posture against leaning pelvis 3)Low loads on her neck 4)Enough long distance covered in a full charge of battery 5)Cope with it driven outside. "Invacare Action Power 9000" were modified for provision. The modifications were lowering the seat 150mm, setting non-separated foot plate with non-slip sheet, setting wide arm rests, setting a module back system, setting two smaller battery and changing the position of the controller. The result of her try showed that she felt delight to move freely and satisfaction to go to a candy house close to her home. However, some problems of the driving mechanism and her fatigue were indicated. Reconsideration was still needed.