tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31220410.post6258349149814760153..comments2024-02-27T12:03:02.477-05:00Comments on Ruth Harrigan Artist: The correlation of learned helpessness and medical equipment design under the medical modelRuthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170658770134559035noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31220410.post-26717100860177132712009-09-24T16:58:16.136-04:002009-09-24T16:58:16.136-04:00Matt-
Thanks for the link. I heard about that stor...Matt-<br />Thanks for the link. I heard about that story - absolutely horrendous.Ruthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00170658770134559035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31220410.post-35223140006586312792009-09-24T15:39:56.205-04:002009-09-24T15:39:56.205-04:00I was browsing the Colours in Motion website yeste...I was browsing the Colours in Motion website yesterday and I couldn't help noticing that besides the Spazz, they are selling one called the Chump (a kids' chair) and another called the Razorblade.<br /><br />I also notice that all their "everyday chairs" are advertised with sexy female models (and there was me thinking 80% of those with SCIs were male), and all their sporty chairs are advertised with hunky male ones.<br /><br />Also, I thought you might be interested in <a href="http://www.blogistan.co.uk/blog/mt.php/2009/09/24/disability_and_brutality" rel="nofollow">this recent post of mine</a>, inspired by a particularly tragic episode of brutality towards a mentally impaired young girl and her family.<br /><br />Matt Smith<br /><br />-- <br /><br />http://www.blogistan.co.uk/blog/Matthew Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16675719484819810707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31220410.post-608384939150955622009-09-24T10:58:28.934-04:002009-09-24T10:58:28.934-04:00The names of wheelchair are nothing short of silly...The names of wheelchair are nothing short of silly. Some are even demeaning. Sadly the last major technological innovation in manual wheelchairs was the introduction of rigid frames more than 20 years ago. Other innovations have been minor and incorporated from other industries. This is a shame because good design and wheelchair technology should go together. A fascinating discussion of technology, design and disability can be found a new book Design Meets Disability by Graham Pullin (MIT Press).william Peacehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00223601480542461802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31220410.post-34033331121589415062009-09-23T10:26:51.463-04:002009-09-23T10:26:51.463-04:00Matt,
How about Top End? Sounds like a roast. Try ...Matt,<br />How about Top End? Sounds like a roast. Try wearing a quickie T shirt around and see what reactions you get :)Ruthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00170658770134559035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31220410.post-18893705609741430132009-09-23T09:32:58.810-04:002009-09-23T09:32:58.810-04:00Am I the only one who finds the names of some of t...Am I the only one who finds the names of some of these chairs hilarious?<br /><br />Quickie sounds like it refers to the chair's construction, kind of like "Friday car". It also sounds like divorce.<br /><br />Crossfire sounds cool and sporty -- unless you're a paralysed veteran or the innocent victim of a gangland shoot-out.<br /><br />Invacare ... do we still call anyone an invalid?<br /><br />And there's one called Spazz, too.<br /><br />-- <br /><br />Matt Smith<br />http://www.blogistan.co.uk/blog/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31220410.post-61459069820014287962009-09-22T18:36:22.064-04:002009-09-22T18:36:22.064-04:00Katja-
::nodding:: There still is a need to see ...Katja-<br /><br />::nodding:: There still is a need to see a wheelchair as a way to move around most efficiently - and not to be "bound". Or, as with some chairs, planted - in one spot.Ruthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00170658770134559035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31220410.post-44715594903620054252009-09-22T17:55:42.988-04:002009-09-22T17:55:42.988-04:00Amen, sister!
When it first became apparent that ...Amen, sister!<br /><br />When it first became apparent that I was going to need a wheelchair if I planned to continue living life as I wanted to, my own neurologist discouraged me from trying to get an ultralightweight wheelchair - those wheelchair were only for athletes, or young, fit SCIs.Katjahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146656003138371520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31220410.post-66572771489197071582009-09-22T15:47:22.352-04:002009-09-22T15:47:22.352-04:00I must admit while trying to push a behemoth wheel...I must admit while trying to push a behemoth wheelchair of 40 pounds around this week (even on a very part time basis), having dislocated a thumb and adding bruises, I've asked myself why on earth they are still building wheelchairs of this kind. I can see needing stable wheelchairs and that not everyone wants or needs a very light one, but the 40 pound type is pretty useless. I can only guess (and I'm guessing) that they're cheaper to make. <br /><br />Maybe the answer is community living- nursing homes buy these for those who really aren't going anywhere. By putting people in the community who need a decent lighter chair, we'd eliminate the market for these heavy - things.Ruthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00170658770134559035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31220410.post-19971696187917001992009-09-22T12:46:21.634-04:002009-09-22T12:46:21.634-04:00I recently saw a YouTube video which seemed to com...I recently saw a YouTube video which seemed to come from a TV news report but seemed like an advertorial for Quickie, and noted that they were founded by a paraplegic woman to answer the needs of real disabled people, particularly women. I don't know how old the video was, but it named the woman as the founder of Motion Design (the company that originally made Quickies) which was taken over by Sunrise Medical many years ago, something they didn't mention.<br /><br />I've read elsewhere that Quickies were revolutionary when they first came out, and Tiffiny Carlson wrote a very funny article about two hideous E&J's (one manual and one powered). Is it just that they haven't kept up with the competition, or is it a case of built-in obsolescence, or of a corporate takeover resulting in poorer quality?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31220410.post-43921387929766097252009-09-22T10:00:00.709-04:002009-09-22T10:00:00.709-04:00Bill- Sorry for the delay in my reply, I had a hec...Bill- Sorry for the delay in my reply, I had a hectic day yesterday. <br /><br />You make an excellent point. I've used bike shops to get repairs done for my wheelchair, mostly because I've had really bad experiences going through conventional repair services - waits of well over a month for a wheelchair I need for work, etc. I would also purchase a wheelchair through a non-medical provider if possible- like a bike shop, because I find the less medicalized an item is, the cheaper it is and the better service I get.Ruthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00170658770134559035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31220410.post-12967160364662105612009-09-21T13:31:09.642-04:002009-09-21T13:31:09.642-04:00The sale and manufacturing of wheelchairs is not a...The sale and manufacturing of wheelchairs is not a profitable business. Sales are not determined by need but price points. Add in the fact the so called durable medical goods industry is populated by incompetent jerks only makes a tough situation more difficult. The end result is more often than not people that need a high end wheelchair settle for an inferior product. I have no respect for companies like Quickie and its predecessor Everest & Jennings. Both have a heart warming story line followed by a devotion to profit at the expense of its customer base. Long ago I opted out and farm out my wheelchair needs to individual companies such as motor cycle and bike shops that provide superior service at a fraction of the cost.william Peacehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00223601480542461802noreply@blogger.com