Balance Impaired

[bigred]

My wife had an accident which left her with absolutly no balance function. Do you know of the saftey issues with someone with this disability. If you know of anyone who suffers from the same disability that currently uses a Segway I would love to hear from them. -Kyle

[Florida Ever-Glides]

Is she wheelchair bound or does she walk with assistance?

Tom Jacobson

[bigred]

She walks with either a walker or assitance dog, but can walk short distances unaided. She just can't walk a straight line and has no sense of wether she is falling or not.

[trevor]

My wife has a small balance problem and uses a cane when walking. She is delighted with the Segway because it balances for her and she no longer worries about falling over. With the cane she is continually looking at the ground to make sure she is not going to trip over something whereas with the Segway she can now look up and around herself when travelling.

Mounting and dismounting the Segway would be the most likely area of concern. Perhaps one of the SegwayChat members in Texas could give you a demo so that you could see for yourself. Where in Texas are you located?

Trevor

[Florida Ever-Glides]

If you call Mark at Segway of Texas he may be able to assist in a demo. He is a very accomodating person. their phone number is on the segway.com site under dealers.

Tom Jacobson

[Entil-Zha]

Kyle:

I rely on the Segway HT as a substitute for my balance. The trick is to trust the HT. I have been asked,"What if it malfunctions and you fall?" I say,"then I fall." I rely on my crutches for support everyday and have had several falls, over the years. After 5 months, the HT has yet to fail. Sometimes, you have to take a chance. I feel that what I have gained is worth the risk.

Doug Exum

[MagiMike]

Also see responses posted to your similar question in Dec. 2003 at:
http://www.segwaychat.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6250