Clinicians

Abilities International Accessibility Conference Wraps for 2026, Announces 2027 Dates The inaugural round of Abilities International Accessibility conferences is done, with the final 2026 event wrapping up on June 12 in Schaumburg, Illinois. The professional conference series — whose educational partners included the University of Pittsburgh, the Clinician Task Force, the Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive…

I entered the Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) industry in January 2002. I’m proud of my tenure, of launching Mobility Management, a publication devoted entirely and only to seating and wheeled mobility, and growing it through recessions and countless policy changes. But because of my experience, it had been a long time since I’ve seen this…

Moving efficiently through a less-than-accessible world requires more than just an optimally fit wheelchair. Wheelchair riders also need the skills to use their mobility devices in a number of situations, from curbs to ramps, small spaces and thresholds. The latest series added to the Wheelchair Skills Program is a free-to-learn collection of self-directed, web-based manual…

The latest federal appropriations bill included language that extends telehealth flexibilities for occupational (OT) and physical therapists (PT), as well as for speech-language pathologists and audiologists, through Dec. 31, 2027. The Consolidated Appropriations Act 2026 (H.R. 7148), signed by President Donald Trump on Feb. 3, finally gives clinicians some breathing room, after earlier continuing resolutions…

The Wheelchair Functional Impact Tool (WC-FIT) has an illustrious origin story, having been developed by Shepherd Center seating and wheeled mobility clinicians, including Mandy McDonald, MS, OTL, ATP, and Tori Fallgren, PT, DPT, NCS, ATP, as well as Stephen Sprigle, Ph.D., PT, professor of the School of Industrial Design & School of Mechanical Engineering, the…

Configuring a client’s first wheelchair is like facing a blank canvas: full of promise, but sometimes too full of possibilities. With that in mind, the Wheelchair Functional Impact Tool (WC-FIT) bridges gaps that can occur from a lack of experience on the client’s side, as well as potentially a lack of wheelchair assessment experience on…

It is no secret that the Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) industry is an aging one, professionally speaking. In May 2019, I quoted the University of Pittsburgh’s Mark Schmeler, Ph.D., OTR/L, ATP, who said the average age of an industry Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) — which includes clinicians — was 52. The age of the average…

Winners of the 2025 Mobility Management Product Awards are honored for their seating and wheeled mobility innovations, which combine creative thinking and eingineering to create the very best outcomes for wheelchair riders. Plus: How the Wheelchair Functional Impact Tool (WC-FIT) supports clinicians configuring a rider’s first wheelchair (and wheelchairs beyond that, too). You can read…

Telehealth proved its efficacy during the heart of the COVID-19 public health emergency, when hospitals and clinics sharply limited in-person appointments, but wheelchairs and seating provision for Medicare beneficiaries still needed to move forward. The telehealth option isn’t the answer in every situation: It’s not a good fit where internet connections are unreliable or when…

Kalogon has introduced a Bondar Field Kit, designed for seating teams who need to make adjustments to the E2617-coded Bondar back support after it’s arrived from the factory. “One of the core ideas behind Bondar is that customization shouldn’t end at the order form,” a Nov. 17 announcement from Kalogon said. “Bodies change. Needs shift.…