Wounded veterans use Segways to increase mobility, quality of life

Leonard Timm, right, co-founder of Disability Rights Advocates for Technology, gives disabled veterans some pointers on using their new Segways. Since 2006, DRAFT's Segs4Vets project has awarded 150 Segways to those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.


Wounded veterans use Segways to increase mobility, quality of life
By Patrick Thornton, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Saturday, May 10, 2008

WASHINGTON — Dozens of veterans injured in Iraq and Afghanistan came to Arlington, Va., on Tuesday to learn a rather unconventional way to win back some of the mobility they lost — a Segway.

Segs4Vets, a project of Disability Rights Advocates for Technology (DRAFT) has awarded 150 Segways since 2006 to disabled veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan to help improve their lives. Thirty veterans were able to attend a ceremony at the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington on Wednesday to receive their Segways. Dozens more who couldn’t make the ceremony will also receive Segways.

The Segway was envisioned as a revolution in personal transportation and as such is not recognized as a medical device by the FDA, nor are Segways covered by military medical insurance.

Segway creator Dean Kamen famously predicted to USA Today that the device would be “to the car what the car was to the horse and buggy.” Few would agree, but it has become a revolutionary device for disabled people and veterans.

A group of disabled veterans got acclimated to their new Segways on Tuesday, and many spoke about how they believe the Segway will change their lives. They started off learning how to move forward and back, while also practicing some basic maneuverability through cones. Then it was time to find out what these things could really do.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=54623