[Wallace]

From Car To Classroom

The AMARILLO (TX) Independent- Thursday, June 21, 2007

Take just one look at the smile on the face of Julia Davis, and you’ll understand the benefits she’s found in a technological wonder.

Davis, an assistant professor of mathematics at Amarillo College, is a two-time victor over bone cancer. The latest battle in 1995 resulted in a complete re-section of her left femur. In layman’s terms, she was fitted with a titanium hip, hip socket and femur. Unfortunately, soft tissue and muscle can’t attach to titanium. The result was a loss of muscle strength. Never one to acquiesce easily, Davis picked up a cane and proceeded full speed ahead with her teaching duties and her life.

Another set-back came in March of 2006, when a hemorrhage left scar tissue on her spinal column. In the aftermath, Davis had to face the full implications of her impaired mobility. Even with the use of two canes the difficulty and pain of navigating the AC campus forced her to consider medical disability retirement at the age of 55.

Then Davis ran into Wallace Johnston and his Segway scooter.
Johnston is the Associate Director of Texas Tech University in Amarillo. One of his projects has been a mobility study. The Segway, initially developed as more of a recreational mode of transportation, has been building momentum for its use in industrial, law enforcement and military settings. Johnston, who has neuropathy in his feet, also found a personal application for the scooter. He encouraged Davis to pursue a Segway solution to her own mobility problems.

That decision, Davis said, “Has given me my life back.”

“Shiloh” is a shiny machine, whose gleam matches the beaming smile on Davis’ face when she talks about how it has changed her life.

“One of the best things about my scooter is that I can continue to work,” she explained. “It was becoming more and more difficult for me to access my classroom and to navigate the campus. The distances I had to travel were taking a tremendous toll on me physically and emotionally.”

Davis went through a rigorous evaluation and training process before taking off alone on the personal transportation device.

There were discussions and meetings with physicians, physical therapists, psychologists, and occupational therapists. The experts evaluated her daily activities, including how far she had to walk each day, job requirements and daily living activities. Her usage of pain medication with and without the use of the scooter was documented. She also kept a daily log of how she felt mentally, physically and emotionally. Then her doctor provided a prescription for an electric personal mobility device.

The basic training included a safety video, a demonstration of the machine’s capabilities, practical riding, and machine usage with a trainer standing by. Finally, she was approved for independent use of a “loaner” to complete the evaluation process.

“I was amazed,” Davis said. “I was free again and at ease. The Segway saved 60% of my workplace steps. It allowed me to be independent and reduced the amount of pain medication I needed. Physically, weight bearing is beneficial and “Shiloh” provides that where a wheelchair or similar device won’t.”

The Segway Personal Transporter was first introduced in 2001. The vehicles have received growing attention in industry and business for its speed, agility and boost to productivity. Seattle, Washington and Fort Worth, Texas are just two of the cities where its common to see law enforcement officers using them to patrol downtown areas.

Boeing, Cessna and Tinker Air Force Base are some of the places where you’ll find Segway’s in use. Hospitals and health care facilities are also beginning to use the devices. An increasing number of cities are employing them for use in their bomb-squad divisions. It makes the job of a team member wearing 70-80 lbs. of protective gear much easier in terms of safely reaching, defusing or escaping an explosive device.

Five gyroscopes and self-balancing technology set the Segway personal transportation device apart from other mobility options. It is so finely tuned that all Davis needs to do is just “think” forward, backward or stop to get the machine to move as she wishes. It has a zero-degree turning radius and a width of just over 24 inches that allows her to navigate doorways, hallways and even into bathroom stalls where a standard wheelchair or four-wheeled mobility device would be unable to enter.

Battery-powered, the Segway is environmentally friendly. One overnight charge using about 10 cents worth of electricity will power the device for 24 miles, which is more than enough to propel Davis through an entire day’s activities.

“The personal transporters don’t have the same stigma attached to them that you find with wheelchairs or other types of scooters,” Johnston said. “With the Segway you’re at a normal height, so you can still look eye-to-eye with folks. That makes a tremendous difference in terms of self-esteem and the ability to conduct your business with confidence.”

Davis said she will use “Shiloh” anywhere that requires distance walking in order to save the wear and tear on her leg. She rode it at this year’s AC “Badgerama”, and says that it operates well on grass and packed soil as well as on paved surfaces.

“It has taken away my fear of tomorrow,” Davis said with a huge smile. “Now my retirement date will be my decision and not my body’s.”