WHY DO WE NEED IMPROVED MOBILITY TECHNOLOGY? OBSERVATIONS FROM OUR TRIP Michael Boninger, Rachel Cowan & others

You want to travel to Europe Imagine

On your trip you will  Fly  Take trains  Rent cars  Stay at hotels  Walk around wonderful cities  Take tours  Eat fantastic food

You have a disability Imagine

Flying  “For category WCHC/STCR passengers the recommendation is for two able-bodied accompanying persons.”  “To ensure the safety of passengers with reduced mobility, as well as of all other passengers, airberlin may limit the number of persons with reduced mobility carried on each flight”  et.php?LANG=eng et.php?LANG=eng

Flights  “If you have pre-booked assistance to get to the gate, we recommend you arrive at the airport 90 (normal 60) minutes prior to scheduled time of departure in order to ensure we can meet your requirements.”  ok/regulations.html#specialnee ds ok/regulations.html#specialnee ds

Trains  “Are there facilities on board for disabled travelers?  Special amenities for disabled travelers are offered on trains and at many train stations, and are clearly indicated with pictograms (for telephones, toilets, elevators, etc.).  Special equipment is also available for use by disabled travelers; the equipment must be reserved locally in advance.”  “Be sure to specify if you need personal assistance”  n-faq/all-about-train-travel/on- board/handicapped- facilities.html n-faq/all-about-train-travel/on- board/handicapped- facilities.html

Hotels  The day ends with a collapse in bed  With a disability that collapse can be delay by hours because of the care routine  Length dependent on true accessibility of the room

Sidewalks  A casual stroll or a work out with danger

Rental Cars & Transportation  A best case scenario  Riding in the back of the minivan  Worst – common  Dead lift

Restaurants/Tours

The technology that enable your rehabilitation and your participation made this all go away Imagine

It was just a vacation Imagine

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO KEEP THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. From the book "Foundation design", by Coduto, Donald P.