A few weeks ago, I attended a presentation by a fellow editor in our publishing division. (Yes, editors have CEU-like classes, in case you wondered, but why would you?)
The class was about using active voice (“The front-wheel-drive power chair easily climbed the obstacle”) vs. passive voice (“The obstacle was easily climbed by the front-wheel-drive power chair”).
Active voice is typically more concise and more engaging than passive voice, which is why using active voice is a writing rule.
That prompted me to think about the #1 rule of Complex Rehab Technology (CRT): “It depends.”
Is a higher backrest for an ultralightweight wheelchair better than a lower one? It depends. Is mid-wheel drive a better choice than rear-wheel drive? It depends. Is a rigid frame for an ultralightweight wheelchair better than a folding one? Should this client adopt a standing regimen? It depends.
“It depends” does not merely sidestep a more concrete answer. And there are plenty of “tends to be true” CRT rules. Standing, for example, can help a wheelchair rider in many ways, from improving respiration and digestion to facilitating bowel/bladder management, providing pressure relief, improving range of motion and lowering risk of contractures.
But some wheelchair riders experience orthostatic hypotension — a sudden loss of blood pressure when moving into an upright position — when standing, and it’s especially common for people with spinal cord injuries.
So can standing be beneficial? Yes, says the Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America’s (RESNA) position paper on standing. Is it appropriate for this particular wheelchair rider? It depends.
While the “It depends” rule might be so engrained that you don’t think about it much, it’s strikingly noticeable to those unfamiliar with it. Last month, my boss, Executive Editor Bob Holly, attended the Abilities International Accessibility Conference in Schaumburg, Illinois. It was his first CRT show, and as we attended Christie Hamstra and Lisa Kenyon’s outstanding class on early pediatric mobility, then walked through the Abilities Expo’s hall, Bob noticed how very different CRT is. In many other industries, “Our products and services are the best, and you should choose them every time” is the norm.
Many, many times I have heard CRT manufacturers recommend a competitor’s product for a particular client. Because when the client, rather than a product or service, is the focus of an evaluation or conversation, then the client’s presentation, anticipated progression, functional needs and life goals — rather than a certain brand — take center stage.
As our active voice class began to wind down, we discussed when passive voice is actually the better writing choice (contact me if you want examples). Occasionally, writing circumstances require customization that includes passive voice.
It struck me that while writers occasionally use passive voice to customize a sentence, CRT has made customization its north star. Every client is a unique person with functional abilities, environments, goals and quirks. And CRT’s “It depends” is your way of honoring that truth, not as the exception, but as the rule.
Saying “It depends” is a mark of your clinical integrity and dedication to your client. It sets you and this industry apart, and makes me proud to be your editor.
