Disable

[pj68]

Hi! My name is Patsy and I live in SC. I used to play golf and am in the SC Golf Hall of Fame. I also tautght Physical Education for 26 years.
In all I have had 6 back surgeries each averaging about 12 hours. Wish they had been now rather than in the 80's and 90's because the procedures have gotten a lot better as have the results. I guess you would call me a failed back because I still have a lot of pain even though I am fused from S-1 all the way through the Lumbar section. Sitting and standing is hard unless I can support my wait on something.(Of course no more golf, really no more sports) Can still walk and like to think I can do more than I can.....my brain thinks I am still really athletic like I used to be!
Finally to my question...sorry to be so wordy!!! I have been interested in a Segway for a long time. Someone told me that if disable you should not consider one. I would like to know what other people think!!!! I have never tried one!!
Thanks for any help anyone can give me!!!

[wwhopper]

You will quickly figure out if it is for you or not.

You will find lots of information on disabled use on www.draft.org (http://www.draft.org) and their very successful Segs4Vets program www.segs4vets.org (http://www.segs4vets.org)

The key is if you want it to work for you, it probably will. Though the Segway is not a medicial device, it has made mobility easy for many of our fellow gliders who have disablities.

As one of the Segs4Vets trainiers the one thing I will say is that each case is different, and careful training is very important for folks in your situation.

You may find the Gen One machine better due to the stable control shaft. Though it is amazing to see how quickly many people take to the Gen Two machine.

As the old commercial said, Try It, You'll Like It!

[Bob.Kerns]

I'll add that even if a Segway is difficult for you with your particular condition, it may still be a good choice.

As a Physical Education teacher, I'm sure you're familiar with the adage "Use it or Lose it". What I found when I started using a Segway is that, despite finding it tiring and sometimes more painful than I was used to putting up with, just being able to get around and do more things -- I *DID* get around and do more things. And I ended up getting a lot more exercise as a result.

It provides mobility, and access, to do more, and that helps keep you motivated to push on, and keep using your body. And that's important to maintaining your health.

That said, some injuries and Segways won't work well together. You don't want to do anything that's going to actually worsen your condition. Still, you have control over the conditions of usage. If bumps are painful, you can adjust your speed. If standing still hurts, you can move around, or get a seat and alternate between standing and sitting.

But it's a lot better than using a cane! When I started using a Segway, I noticed about a day later, that my back felt a LOT better. I realized it was because using a cane was distorting my posture. (It was also giving me arthritis in the wrist).

I hope this encourages you to give it a try. I got my own mother (76) using one, you can't get a better endorsement than that! (She's on here, too).

[Lily Kerns]

Yes, I'm here. <G> I'm having a ball. It doesn't bother my back and hip unless the weather already had them doing fits. I ride it to my daily exercise session--a bit strange perhaps but better than wondering if I was going to make it home again. it definitely is exercise--not the aerobic kind but body core. After that first long day I did with Bob, even my rear end knew it had been execised!
I can go more than I would have otherwise because I wouldn't walk that far.... mall, trails, even Silver Dollar City which is a big theme park in Branson, Missouri, where even the trams from the acres (miles?) of parking lots have mini ramps built in for strollers and those who don't have handicap stickers for their car. It provides great visibility too. Any number of people wanted to know if I had rented it there--all they got was a measly little scooter that couldn't handle the big hill so they had to go the other way around.

And Bob, I'll have you know that I am not 76. I'm 39.99 + shipping and handling!

[Bob.Kerns]

Yes, I'm here. <G> I'm having a ball. It doesn't bother my back and hip unless the weather already had them doing fits. I ride it to my daily exercise session--a bit strange perhaps but better than wondering if I was going to make it home again. it definitely is exercise--not the aerobic kind but body core. After that first long day I did with Bob, even my rear end knew it had been execised!
I can go more than I would have otherwise because I wouldn't walk that far.... mall, trails, even Silver Dollar City which is a big theme park in Branson, Missouri, where even the trams from the acres (miles?) of parking lots have mini ramps built in for strollers and those who don't have handicap stickers for their car. It provides great visibility too. Any number of people wanted to know if I had rented it there--all they got was a measly little scooter that couldn't handle the big hill so they had to go the other way around.

And Bob, I'll have you know that I am not 76. I'm 39.99 + shipping and handling!

The freight charges keep climbing, though. And the taxes. At this rate, I'll have to trade you in for something a bit cheaper.

[Bob.Kerns]

Any number of people wanted to know if I had rented it there--all they got was a measly little scooter that couldn't handle the big hill so they had to go the other way around.


It's worth noting that agility on hills is one of the strengths of a Segway as a mobility aid. It handles them with grace, on slopes where manual and electric chairs range from awkward to downright hazardous.

It is also a frequent point of misunderstanding by the public and by regulatory officials. Caltrain, for example, wants us to WALK them up the ramp to the train. Safer to ride it up, thank you. The Golden Gate Ferry service was worried about my Segway on the SF ferry terminal ramp, which exceeds the ADA guidelines by a fair bit at high tide. In reality, it's not at all a problem -- but me WALKING up that ramp is a major issue, even without the Segway.

People expect Segways to roll out-of-control down hills at the slightest provocation -- not realizing if they behaved like that, you'd fall down. They HAVE to remain stationary if you just stand there. And so, unlike a bike, or a wheelchair, I can just stand there on the ramp, effortlessly flowing with the pedestrian traffic.

All bets are off if covered with snow or ice, however.

[Lily Kerns]

The Park Board in the city where I spend a bit of time were dubious about allowing Segways on their bike trails and at the zoo, so I met with the Zoo director one morning to demonstrate its use for him. It was a great deal of fun watching him watch me. <G> He was especially concerned about the sharp turns on some switch backs (undoubtedly because inexperienced rental scooter users would find that a challenge) and a bit of trail where there was a considerable bit of a sideways slope. He also asked me to go up the steepest slope for him (there was another way to go around it but this was one of his concerns.) So I zoomed up, made a graceful turn and sailed back down. About halfway down, I stopped, backed and then came the rest of the way.

Needless to say, I am now welcome on city trails and the zoo. (I'll talk about Segways and local ADA compliance another time because that is another long story...)

I did have one adventure though as I rode through the rest of the zoo. The various cats watched me with eerie intensity, the elephants ignored me, the giraffes were very curious. But a pair of canadian geese sailed across the creek and a fence to confront me. I didn't need a translator to understand that they totally disapproved of Segways and this one in particular. If we had been the same size, I think they would have been willing to take me on. Hilarious!

[KSagal]

...

And Bob, I'll have you know that I am not 76. I'm 39.99 + shipping and handling!


Lily,

When I moved into this house, I was 37, and a man who has become a good friend was about to celebrate his 36th anniversary of his 39th birthday... This went on for a couple years and I eventually turned 40 before he hit the 40th anniversary of his 39th...

Now, at 49, he insists I am older than him, as he still claims to be 39, even though he recognizes that he has been 39 for over 48 years.

The one thing I have yet to do is get him up on my segway. Any of them. He has had 3 knee replacements, and the step up will be very hard, but more importantly, he has poor balance, and falls backward unless holding on to something... Because of this, he is a poor candidate for segways...

I agree that many people who can walk can be aided by the segway, but not all, for sure. To those it does help, it does great!

[Bob.Kerns]

The one thing I have yet to do is get him up on my segway. Any of them. He has had 3 knee replacements, and the step up will be very hard, but more importantly, he has poor balance, and falls backward unless holding on to something... Because of this, he is a poor candidate for segways...

I agree that many people who can walk can be aided by the segway, but not all, for sure. To those it does help, it does great!

I don't doubt your judgment. But for the benefit of others, I'd like to point out that poor balance, by itself, isn't an automatic disqualification. The Segway is really good at balancing.

I'll go out on a limb and mention a few factors derived from thinking about this and second hand info, not direct experience. I'm willing to do so because 1) I know there are others with experience here to jump in and refine or correct and 2) this absolutely is an area where personal investigation is paramount. No matter what I say, check out whether it makes sense for you!

A lot depends on cause, and on how it's compensated, and other factors (such as poor grip, cognitive impairment). If the balance impairment causes vertigo, I think that would be very difficult to impossible to deal with. But if the sense of balance is pretty much intact, and the ability to respond to it is impaired (as in my case), then a Segway is great. I know people use it OK with early Parkinson's (wish they'd been around when my could have used them) and with MS, both of which can cause balance issues.

But if someone is unable to reliably remain on the platform, and to get off at need, and to get on unassisted, then the Segway would be a poor choice.

I don't know how you'd evaluate whether someone with balance issues would be safe. Ultimately, they have to make the decision; they know their capabilities, and their tolerance of risk, better than anyone else, including their doctors.

What I do, generally, is suggest people with more difficult issues see an experienced dealer, as their best shot at getting help in figuring it out.

But I think there could be a much better process, with checklists of things to consider, specific things to try for specific issues, and most of fall, the ability to pool experiences and techniques for the benefit of future users.

The online community is the best such mechanism for sharing information, but it doesn't really help much when it comes to observing someone and helping. This would be an ideal fit for physical therapists, or perhaps occupational therapists.

As much as we like Segways, it might be even more important to learn what doesn't work, and not start people down paths that aren't going to work out for them.

Perhaps Segway dealerships should establish a partnership with local PT/OT clinics?

[Paula465]

I have to agree, Bob. I have two disabilities, one which I have lived with for years and the one that I've dealt with in the last 10 years.

The first is chronic compartment syndrome in both legs. It is also a progressive disorder, so the older I get the worse it can get. I was diagnosed over 30 years ago when I joined the Air Force. By being slightly paranoid about it, I have managed to stave off the worst of it for many a year but have now found my walking and hiking activities severely limited.

The other disability is caused by faulty wiring in the brain. The doctors are not sure what caused it, but the part of the brain that is suppose to process the information you get from your eyes and ears for balance no longer works on a consistent basis. So far I have suffered broken toes, legs and arms from falling when I least expect it. Not only that, I have no clue that I'm falling because there is no feedback.

There are things which increase the frequency of incidents. Moving my head around too quickly (which is why I ended up having to relinquish my driving privileges....not to mention if I try to watch as things whizz by I get extremely car-sick), becoming over-tired or over-excited.

However, as long as I am holding onto something, I'm pretty safe, which makes the Segway perfect for me. I like it much, much better than a walker....way cooler *grins*

I will say that similar disabilities do not always affect people in the same way, so I would suggest that anyone with a disability who is considering a Segway do as I did and find a tour and take it.

[Bob.Kerns]

A lot depends on cause, and on how it's compensated, and other factors (such as poor grip, cognitive impairment). If the balance impairment causes vertigo, I think that would be very difficult to impossible to deal with. But if the sense of balance is pretty much intact, and the ability to respond to it is impaired (as in my case), then a Segway is great. I know people use it OK with early Parkinson's (wish they'd been around when my could dad have used them) and with MS, both of which can cause balance issues.


Left out "dad" above; it should make more sense now.