All the cool kids are getting iPhones it seems, even wheelchair-users. I have quite a number of tech-savvy friends who use wheelchairs and they’re certifiably in love with their phones. It’s crazy. And all the while I’m feeling pretty silly with my pre-paid Nokia. But whatevs. I’m not threatened by their phones (really!).
And now these friends (powerchair-using friends to be exact) with iPhones can download an app (“application,” i.e, software for your phone) that’s specifically geared for the wheelchair-users of the world. This new app is set to debut by April 2010 and was developed by Dynamic Controls, a provider of high-tech controlers for wheelchairs and scooters.
The app will do a variety of things that wheelchair-users are sure to love, including displaying speed (mph and kph) and direction (built-in compass) real-time. It also has what they’re calling an “on-chair charger” (which I assume is the phone keeping you avail of the current charge on your chair’s batteries). It also has a “Chair Doctor,” which will inform the user of their chair’s mechanical workings and if anything needs to be looked at.
To integrate your iPhone (or iPod Touch. The app works on those too) into your wheelchair, a Bluetooth is required, but for many powerchair users, this is a moot issue as many already have one. And the app comes with a cradle so you can secure your device to your chair and not have to worry about it falling off, or anything like that.
I gotta say, if they keep coming out with cool apps for wheelchairs, I may even trade-in in my pre-paid Nokia for one of these bad boys. And if they come out with an app that’ll alert me whenever my foot falls off my footrest, I’m sold. For reals.
- Talking Cell Phones for the Blind
- Should I Give my Child with a Disability a Cell Phone?
- Everyday Assistive Technology for Your Disability
