A Guide to Wheelchair Selection

by Peter Axelson, Jean Minkel, Denise Chesney, Peter Thomas (Illustrator)

Overview

How to Use the ANSI/RESNA Wheelchair Standards to Buy a Wheelchair
The purpose of this guide is to explain how you can use the ANSI/RESNA wheelchair standards to select your next wheelchair. Standards for wheelchairs are currently being adopted by federal agencies. The actual standards are very technical, and at first glance you may not understand how this information will help you select a wheelchair or scooter. This guide is meant to help you understand the purpose for and content of the ANSI/RESNA wheelchair standards.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940148676553
Publisher:	P A X Press Online
Publication date:	10/10/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	53
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Peter W. Axelson
Peter W. Axelson is president of Beneficial Designs, Inc., and chairperson of the ANSI/RESNA Wheelchair Standards Committee. He received a BS in mechanical engineering and product design and an MSME in smart product design at Stanford University.
Working on a contract basis with the Paralyzed Veterans of America, Beneficial Designs has played a major role in the coordination and development of national and international wheelchair standards. The company specializes in the design of assistive technologies to enhance the function of children and adults with disabilities. Beneficial Designs was founded in 1981 by Peter Axelson, who has 19 years of experience as a wheelchair user. Design activities include the design of assistive technology, contract design, design review, wheelchair testing, and wheelchair standards development. The company is known for the development of recreation technologies that enable people with disabilities to participate in recreational activities with family and friends.
Jean Minkel
Jean Minkel is director of Seating and Wheeled Mobility at the Center for Rehab Technology at Helen Hayes Hospital. She received a BA in biology from Colby College and an MA in physical therapy from Stanford University. She has been on the Wheelchair Standards Committee since 1987. Ms. Minkel has extensive experience in providing advanced seating and development educational programs, specifically workshops for clinical interpretation of the wheelchair standards test information, for practitioners as well as third party payers.
Denise Chesney
Denise Chesney received a BS in biology and psychology from Duke University and an ME in biomedical engineering from the University of Virginia, where she concentrated her studies in rehabilitation engineering. As a project engineer at Beneficial Designs, Inc., Ms. Chesney conducts wheelchair testing and assists in rehabilitation research and the design of assistive technologies.