Accessibility advocates say Calgary, Alberta-based airline WestJet has published weight limits that prevent many Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) wheelchair riders from bringing their Group 3 power chairs with them when they fly. WestJet’s website says wheelchairs and scooters that weigh more than 300 lbs. (approximately 136 kg) are not allowed on its Boeing 737 or…
Accessibility Advocates: WestJet Power Wheelchair Weight Limit Excludes CRT Consumers
Shepherd Center Webinar to Demonstrate WC-FIT Assessment Tool
The Feb. 17 presentation is free to attend.
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…
Ultralightweight Upgrade Bill Called ‘Common Sense’ at Congressional Meeting
H.R. 1703 would reduce the financial barriers for Medicare beneficiaries.
The bill that would create a more accessible path for Medicare beneficiaries wanting to upgrade their ultralightweight wheelchairs was described as “common sense” during a Jan. 8 Energy and Commerce Health subcommittee meeting. The meeting centered on several bills related to durable medical equipment and funding barriers such as competitive bidding. Tom Ryan, president/CEO of…
CES 2026: 4 Assistive Technology Exhibitors to Watch
Mobility is on display in Las Vegas this week.
The first week of January can mean only one thing (beyond the fact that those holiday decorations really need to be put back into the garage): CES is lighting up Las Vegas once again. Formerly the Consumer Electronics Show, CES says it “connects innovators, decision makers, media, influencers, visionaries and potential customers across the entire…
Congressional Subcommittee to Discuss Ultralightweight Upgrade Bill on Jan. 8
The House Energy & Commerce’s subcommittee will also discuss bills related to durable medical equipment funding.
The House Energy & Commerce’s subcommittee on health will be discussing H.R. 1703, the titanium/carbon fiber ultralightweight upgrade bill, among other bills during a Jan. 8 hearing. The American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) called for constituents of health subcommittee members to reach out to their representatives’ health care staffers by Wednesday, Jan. 7, “and ask…
The Art & Science of the First Fit
Behind the WC-FIT configuration tool for seating teams.
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…
Commentary: How RISE Could Impact CRT’s Next Generation of Clinicians
We need more occupational and physical therapists, not fewer.
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…
Hyundai Exoskeleton Receives South Korean Clearance, Seeks US Certification
The lightweight device supports walking and can be worn while in a wheelchair.
Hyundai Motor Company’s X-ble MEX exoskeleton has received Class III medical device approval from South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, as the manufacturer also seeks certification from the United States. Hyundai describes the X‑ble MEX, which received South Korean approval in November, as “a medical wearable robot developed by Hyundai Motor Company’s Robotics…
CMS Releases 2026 Medicare Fee Schedule Changes
Competitive bidding rounds impact the actual increases for product categories.
The new Medicare fee schedule for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS) has been released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The fee schedule is effective Jan. 1, 2026. CMS announced the Consumer Price Index Urban (CPI-U) percentage increase as 2.7%. But in a Dec. 22 bulletin, the American Association…
BOC Responds to Removal from Medicare DMEPOS Accrediting Organization List
The Board of Certification/Accreditation has filed a lawsuit in Maryland.
The Board of Certification/Accreditation (BOC) has responded after it was removed as an accrediting organization for suppliers of durable medical equipment, prosthetic, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS). “BOC no longer has the authority to survey suppliers for compliance with the DMEPOS quality standards or perform any other functions of a CMS-approved DMEPOS accreditation organization for the…