Thoughts From the Front Porch

Standard Rear Wheel Power Chair

A close friend and relative asked me recently was I surprised that I had made it to the age of 50. She told me that after I was seriously injured in 1977 she and her mamma thought I would die early in life. I must admit that I am rather shocked to have made it this far. When I was injured, I was told that an 18 year old quadriplegic could automatically add at least 20 years to their age. People talk about aging quickly but nothing is like going from 18 to 38 in one day.

I recently looked at the current statistics they have for paraplegics and quadriplegics and discovered that the number is 15 years instead of 20 due to better medications mostly. I guess at that moment I suddenly gained 5 years. According to the latest statistics, I am now 65 instead of 70 in quadriplegia years. Does that make sense?

Now that I have reached 50 in actual years it amazes me how much has changed over the last 30 years for those of us with disabilities. Some of the change has been good and has also been very beneficial to me. Without doubt, the home computer has been a major instrument in my life for years. After my injury I learned to type with a mouthstick since I could not use my arms or hands. Nothing would try my patience like getting to the last paragraph and making a critical error using the old electric typewriter. That meant that I had to start completely over. I never remember typing anything without having to start over numerous times. Now the computer allows me to use the often used and lifesaving backspace key. Some days I truly would like to see my computer smashed with a sledgehammer but in reality, life would not be the same without it.

The advancement that has had the greatest impact on my life is without doubt the power chair. In 1977 people used electric chairs and they were practically useless to me. They had no power at all and if you tried using them on anything other than a smooth flat surface they would bog down and stop. A manual wheelchair with a big puff of wind behind it had more power. The power shortage changed in the early nineties when companies such as Invacare came out with the power chair.

My first power chair was an Invacare Action Arrow Storm. The power and technology of the chair was unbelievable. It powered up from two 12-volt batteries, had a top speed of 9 mph and could climb steeper grades than many of my friends could walk. Everything was controlled by a small computer that was tucked under the seat. The computer could be set to command the chair how quickly it should brake, accelerate, turn, reverse plus many other features. The chair even had an independent suspension that made going over rough terrain a breeze. The most remarkable device was that it could be driven by hand or in my case sip & puff.

The sip & puff technology amazes many people and some people are around me for years and cannot figure out how it works. They eventually relent and ask me how I make the chair do what I want it to do. I am always more than happy to tell them.

I am using my third power chair now. It still uses the same basic technology as the first. I now use what is called a “center drive” chair. It has three sets of two wheels with the center two delivering the power. The main advantage of this type of chair is that it will turn on a zero radius. The drawback is that it will jar your teeth out if you travel across rough ground. That problem has now been rectified. The new center drive chairs have independent suspensions that make rough ground much smoother.

One of the most useful advancements since my injury is the air mattress. Bed sores is a major factor in the health of anyone with a severe disability. There are many different types of air mattresses today but they all work using the same technology. They alternate pressure points to different areas of the body by increasing and decreasing air.

My mattress has ten round cylinders that lay crossways on the bed. The mattress is connected to a small air pump that alternates the air in the cylinders. The mattress at any given moment has each even numbered cylinder blown to full capacity while the odd numbered cylinders are holding approximately 80 percent. After two minutes, the pump releases air from the even rows and increases the pressure in the odd rows. This continuing cycle takes place 24 hours a day without me hardly noticing it. In 31 years I have never had a bed sore. That is quite remarkable feat that would be impossible without the air mattress.

Center Drive Chair with Tilt Seating

In the last 15 years we have seen huge strides in voice activation software for home computers. Dragon Naturally Speaking has been the leader in this market for years. It is amazingly accurate if your computer has a good sound card and you order a top flight microphone. If you dictate a lot of letters and emails Dragon Naturally speaking is worth the money if you are a poor typist or you suffer a disability that limits arm and hand movement.

Without doubt the biggest change has been with society itself. Until the mid-nineties anyone with a severe disability had to accept the stares and whispers of the general public. Very few people with disabilities ventured out into public areas. Today, my disabled brothers and sisters are common visitors to local department stores, restaurants, entertainment venues and the job market. The American Disabilities Association has pushed hard to make public buildings accessible and they have been very successful.

In the future we will continue to see technology make huge strides that will make life better for those with disabilities and the elderly. We have had the technology for years to make a voice activated device that could control heating, cooling, lighting and communication inside the home. The expense of the device and installation has been the biggest drawback. This technology will one day be standard equipment in every home.

Power chairs will continue to make huge strides. Those suffering disabilities at early ages today will use chairs that can climb stairs and curbs plus have the ability to increase and decrease height. The chair will rise up so that the occupant can talk with another person at eye level or lower to fit under a table better.

Will we ever be able to repair broken spines? Probably, but we are still years away from that day. Until then, the answer is in technology. Life can be good now and future generations will enjoy advancements beyond my wildest dreams 30 years ago.

Rollin’ Along is a Series by Mark Martin

Rollin' Along