Question:

My brother is expecting his first child and I am looking for a stroller that can be attached to his wheelchair or a stroller that a person in a chair can handle. Is there such a stroller out in the marketplace?

Please any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Ena

Answer:

Let’s face it parents have really tough jobs, but I applaud parents like your brother, they really have their work cut out for them. Most parents who use wheelchairs carry baby on their laps in a padded strap-on baby carrier. These either have baby facing forward in the carrier or hold baby lengthwise across the width of the wheelchair, facing up in the cradle position. Unfortunately, carrying baby on your lap in your wheelchair leaves you unable to use that space for other items - such as groceries and your baby bag. Worse still, this position can also cut off the circulation in the legs if you hold baby on your lap for lengthy periods of time.

We’ve probably all seen a bike trailer, those little enclosed carts that bolt securely to the back of a parent’s bicycle and pull baby behind. Those bike trailers attach to the back of a bicycle, and some models even seat more than one child. Well, why haven’t they thought of something similar for wheelchair-using parents?

The good news is that designers are really starting to become aware of how important assistive devices are to mobility-impaired parents – and there is finally something being done about it. An article from the Southern Methodist University in Dallas mentions a group of mechanical engineering students who altered an inexpensive umbrella stroller, raised its height and designed clamps that attach to any wheelchair. The stroller was made to be attached to the front of a wheelchair so that it faces either ahead or in the direction of mom or dad. The stroller’s wheels were replaced with sturdier wheels from a scooter, so it could keep up with mom or pop’s wheelchair.

The students, who made the assistive stroller for their senior design project, estimate that it can hold a child that weighs up to 40-pounds (maximum). Paul Packman, engineering professor at SMU says "One of the goals [of our project] is to make things that persons with disabilities can afford.” Although I can’t find these strollers on the market yet, hopefully this signifies more innovations in assistive devices for parents in the future.