Mobility Management Podcast

NCART's Executive Director Don Clayback and Associate Director Mickae Lee recap Complex Rehab Technology issues that have carried over from 2021, and discuss the policy and advocacy priorities they're working on as the industry looks to move forward from the pandemic.

Twenty years ago, Rick Graver , ATP, the owner of Medtech Services Inc. in Reno, Nev., wrote a  Mobility Management  column on providing excellent wheelchair service. Listen to why Rick thinks service is still king — and why independent providers are still critically important to CRT and DME — in this premiere episode of our 20th anniversary series.

Mark Schmeler , Director of the International Seating Symposium (ISS), and  Barry Steelman , founder of Steelman Marketing, discuss pandemic-related format changes to the 2022 ISS... and what this year's changes mean for future events.

Transportation is one of many factors that can determine how successfully a wheelchair with complex seating will be used in the community. Danny Langfield , CEO of the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association ( NMEDA ), joins the Mobility Management podcast to discuss how collaborations between adaptive automotive dealers and Complex Rehab Technology professionals can create better outcomes...

In this special episode in collaboration with NCART, Brook McCall, Erin Michael, Mike Osborn, and Mickae Lee share why and how they advocate to preserve consumer access to Complex Rehab Technology... plus tips on how they create meaningful, memorable conversations while overcoming public speaking jitters.

In NCART's 2021 Q3 update, Executive Director Don Clayback and Associate Director Mickae Lee recap the recent Medicare policy change for Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) manual wheelchair accessories; preview advocacy opportunities for CRT Awareness Week; and discuss NCART's next priorities.

Two of the most common seating and wheeled mobility-related frustrations for consumers are how long it can take to take delivery of a Complex Rehab wheelchair and then how long it can take to get that chair repaired. National Seating & Mobility's Gerry Dickerson and Charles Sargeant discuss current documentation requirements, as well as critical opportunities to reduce these timelines for end user...

As the world emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) issues are accelerating. NCART's Don Clayback and Mickae Lee return to update CRT stakeholders on Medicare's manual wheelchair accessories policy — a June 30 deadline approaches — as well as to share news on power standing and seat elevation funding, and telehealth bills being considered in Congress. 

The future of complex seating and wheeled mobility is often described in terms of evolving or breakthrough technology. But the future of Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) will also be defined and shaped by its people and its leadership. Pooja Viswanathan , Ph. D., explains how her background in academia led to her to co-found Braze Mobility , manufacturer of blind-spot wheelchair sensors, and how her...

Today's Complex Rehab power wheelchair bases are technological marvels — but the key to ultimate success is still the seating team's ability to understand each client's daily goals and functional requirements. Angie Kiger and Jeff Rogers of Sunrise Medical  discuss the power of consumer choice, along with drive-wheel differences and the impact of suspension on everyday life.

As the world plans to emerge from 2020's COVID-19 pandemic, the Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) industry is working with a new administration in Washington, D.C., while also advancing ongoing policy goals. NCART's Don Clayback and Mickae Lee return to the Mobility Management podcast to update stakeholders on first-quarter priorities for 2021, which range from telehealth and remote services policies...

Justin Richardson, a former ATP supplier, is now Director of Advocacy Strategy at Numotion and Executive Director of the Numotion Foundation. He's also a longtime manual wheelchair user and a dad. From this position as both consumer and professional, Justin shares his perspectives on the lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with disabilities, why self-advocacy can be challenging, and...

While making the best Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) seating and wheeled mobility choices can be all about exacting measurements and attention to detail, the best overall outcomes can also depend on how well ATP clinicians and providers know their clients. Sunrise Medical's Angie Kiger, M.Ed., CTRS, ATP/SMS , talks about the value of giving CRT clients and families room to be human, and why encour...

Is providing pediatric wheeled mobility really an "early intervention"? Or does mobility need to be provided "on time" to facilitate a young child's cognitive, social and emotional development? Cole Galloway (University of Delaware and founder of Go Baby Go) and Amy Morgan (Permobil) discuss passive vs. active mobility for the very young child, how mobility shapes children's perceptions and the pe...

Cutting back on marketing efforts is often the first move that companies make in times of crisis. But with the world currently isolated due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Steelman Marketing founder Barry Steelman says, "A time like this is when a focused marketing strategy can get you the most for your dollar." Learn how smart marketing can pay off now while also positioning a company for future succes...

Steve Mitchell , OTR/L, ATP, is a Clinical Specialist in Seating and Wheeled Mobility and Assistive Technology for the Spinal Cord Injury and Disorder Service at the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System in Cleveland. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, he had to figure out how to build and configure extremely complex power wheelchairs and alternative driving controls for veterans with ALS, spinal co...

The COVID-19 pandemic is changing lives and routines around the world... but could some changes, such as working from home and expanded online learning infrastructure, actually be helpful to people with disabilities? Karen Roy , a Numotion Ambassador who's also a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a full-time wheelchair user, talks about new opportunities to make the world more inclusive and acce...

As a powered seating option, tilt has become a common and popular choice. Posterior, anterior, and lateral tilt can be used singly or in combination to accomplish a number of goals, from pressure relief and catheter care to improved visual field, swallowing, and transfers. Brad Peterson of Amylior  talks about the many capabilities of tilt and why it's important to understand seating goals before...

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly tested the Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) industry, but it's also accelerated the trial and adoption of remote services, telehealth, and other successful strategies. As the initial Public Health Emergency gives way to reopenings and a "new normal," NCART's Don Clayback and Mickae Lee discuss national and state CRT priorities for the next phase and beyond.

The footprint of a manual or power wheelchair has a huge impact on how well the wheelchair maneuvers... which ultimately impacts how much the wheelchair is used and how successfully. Russ Rolt , Director of Sales for PDG Mobility, explains why a wheelchair's real-world footprint is far more than just its width and length, and how better understanding the client's environment, activities and lifest...

After 26 years in Complex Rehab Technology, Ming Chang has come full circle by announcing a new venture... in the midst of a pandemic. He's also been checking in with ATPs each week. Hear what they've told him, how they're being impacted by current events, how those events could shape the future of CRT, and what traits about CRT are unlikely to change at all.

Bill Mixon, CEO of National Seating & Mobility, discusses the qualities and experiences — from leadership skills to education and mentoring — that create successful Assistive Technology Professionals (ATPs), and how and why the best ATP suppliers can lift up the entire Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) industry.

Compliance isn't just a good corporate policy. Implemented the right way, it can earn Complex Rehab Technology providers the crucial trust of clinicians, referral sources, payors and consumers. Tim Casey, Chief Compliance Officer/General Counsel for Numotion, discusses why traditional "fear-based" compliance isn't nearly as effective as making compliance a matter of everyday leadership, communicat...

Power-assist systems that support self-propulsion among manual wheelchair users isn't a new technology. But what is new is applying this technology proactively, rather than as a response to injury or chronic fatigue. Permobil's Curtis Merring, OTR, MOT, explains why power-assist should be considered for more wheelchair users, and the advantages of using this technology early in a wheelchair user's...

When anterior (forward) tilt combines with seat elevation, the results are what Permobil calls "Active Reach" and "Active Height," the ability for power wheelchair users to more safely and efficiently perform activities of daily living ranging from transfers to cooking, eating and brushing their teeth. Ginger Walls, PT, MS, NCS, ATP/SMS, the Regional Clinical Education Manager for Permobil, explai...