Participants Sought for Fire Preparedness, Fall Management Studies of Wheelchair Riders
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is seeking wheelchair riders, age 18 or older, to participate in a pair of research studies.
The first study — funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research —involves the university’s development of “a wearable fall detection device to help people get assistance when help is needed after a fall, and track the frequency of falls.”
The second study, funded by the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation, aims to teach fire prevention and management strategies to people who use wheelchairs or scooters.
Both studies are being conducted by the Disability Participation and Quality of Life lab. Email the lab at [email protected] for more information on the studies.
American Airlines Introduces Automated Tags for Mobility Devices
American Airlines has launched an automated tag system for passengers’ mobility devices.
In a July 23 announcement, the airline said its technology team developed the new tags now in use “in the airports where American and its regional partners operate.”
The new tags feature “customer- and device-specific data like itineraries, delivery points, device weight, battery type and the number of items removed and taken on board,” the announcement said. “This additional information will ensure more accurate and consistent information for team members handling the devices and provide enhanced visibility of the devices throughout customers’ travel journeys. The automation also enables the device’s information to be more easily shared across frontline team members’ applications, ensuring team members have the right information at the right time.”
“American is committed to improving the travel experience for our customers who use wheelchairs and mobility devices,” said Julie Rath, American Airline’s senior vice president of airports, reservations and service recovery. “Streamlining the check-in and tagging process is an industry-leading effort that will help us further improve how we handle wheelchairs for our customers who entrust us to transport their devices on their journey.”
Image: American Airlines
