Assessment of adaptive transportation technology: a survey of users and equipment vendors

In order to define the state of adaptive transportation equipment, wheelchair users with spinal cord injury (SCI) and equipment vendors were surveyed about equipment, funding, maintenance, and repair. SCI registries from two states, Virginia and Arkansas, were used to create the sample pool of users and 225 responses were received. A list of equipment vendors and vehicle modifiers was compiled from several national resources, and 123 responses were received from 36 states. User respondents were generally satisfied with their adaptive equipment, which typically required only minor inexpensive (< $100) repairs, if any. Personal or family money was used by over 90% of the respondents for equipment funding. Vendors reported that a substantial amount of custom modification or fabrication of equipment is required to meet the needs of their clients. Lifts, external controls, and six-way power seats were cited by vendors as the equipment requiring the most frequent repair. The survey results provide an examination of the opinions and experiences of users and vendors of adaptive transportation equipment, which should prove useful to those involved in evaluating equipment, equipment availability, and the need for industry-wide standards.