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From: John.Lynch@f1000.n261.z1.fidonet.org (John Lynch)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: Able System Chair
Message-ID: <16505@bunker.UUCP>
Date: 21 Dec 90 05:33:36 GMT
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Index Number: 12580

[This is from the Spinal Injury Conference]

 JC>         Sound scary.  What about muscle spasms?  I would think 
 JC> the bouncing and nervous tension might set off some severe 
 JC> spasms.
Well, they have got you covered going down the steps.  It the chair 
squews more then 17 degrees, it stops going in that direction and you 
have to steer it back down the steps.  It is \only rough and bouncy at 
the top, and really bad at the bottom.  But the chair stops 
automatically so that the seat can right itself and the EZ Down bar can 
be raised.  So you should have time to recover.  The main  complaint is 
that in high speed the stick looses fine control and you have to yank 
your hand off to stop and then get going again under control.  There is 
no hard metal and rubber protection for most of the fiberglass body, and 
that can be a major problem to a $25k toy.  I have just had my first set 
of comments faxed to Sunnyvale, where the company is.  The O.T., who is 
excellent, fully agrees with me on the need for rubber bumpers to 
absoirb that kind of impact and to do such things as to shove doors 
open.
I am getting more use to the down the stairs transition.  My nuckles 
still turn white as I grip the stick, but my heart is not flying up into 
my throat.  But everyone who watches it the first time says they have to 
restrain themselves from reaching out to grab me as I go over  the first 
step.  The only way to describe it is to think of going over the first 
big hill of a good roller coaster. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Regards, John

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