Spending Time Outdoors in My 4Front 2 Power Wheelchair

Spring has finally appeared! I have always been a girl that loves to be in the sunshine. I want to soak up as much of the outdoors as I can. Since getting my 4Front® 2 Power Wheelchair with power adjustable safe seat elevation, I can do more outdoor activities and explore the mountains and lakes that are around me. Utah is very beautiful and has so many places to go!

Gardening in My Power Wheelchair

Lately, I have also been using my power wheelchair to spend more time in my garden. This year, I am growing several types of tomatoes and herbs. I love the taste of fresh vegetables. It’s very fun to see them grow! I find that planting calms me. There is something about getting my hands in the dirt. Plus, I love the sense of accomplishment as they blossom and sprout.

Camping with My Motorized Wheelchair

focus photo of gray stones
Photo by Johnny Mckane on Pexels.com

I am really excited to start camping and going on trails again. Last year I went to Snow Basin, which is up Ogden Canyon. I went in the early spring. There were wildflowers and everything was green. It was stunning! In my 4Front 2 Motorized Wheelchair, I drove on trails my manual wheelchair couldn’t go on. It was awesome to have that kind of freedom. I did make my friends nervous with how many rocks I went over, but I find it fun to have a little adventure.

We took my power chair to Jordanelle Reservoir as well, and I could get right up to the water. I love to paddleboard and kayak. It was so nice that I could get closer to the water than I could in my other chair!

I will always love finding new ways to explore outside. It brings me so much happiness! Utah is huge and full of adventure. I want to explore it all.

About Kerri Knudson: Kerri lives in Utah with her daughter. She uses a 4Front® 2 Power Wheelchair and loves exploring the outdoors. Click here to learn more about Kerri.

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Cooking in the Kitchen with iLevel Technology

I’ve always loved cooking fresh meals for my life partner, but it was always a struggle maneuvering around my kitchen space in my manual wheelchair at the time. My manual wheelchair was a bit wide, so turning around in tight spaces was a pain. I had to carry things on my lap so that I could propel myself. Worst yet, it was a MAJOR struggle to reach the things in my kitchen that are high up, such as my microwave and cabinets. Even working on the counter tops was an uncomfortable struggle.

The Benefits of iLevel Technology

When I switched over to a power wheelchair, I was excited that I was getting power adjustable seat height. function added to it. I knew that I would be able to elevate my power chair seating and reach things in my own home. My new Stretto Power Wheelchair has been extremely helpful in all aspects of my daily life. The iLevel feature on my power wheelchair has been such a game changer for me when it comes to cooking!

Preparing Home Cooked Meals with iLevel

Presenting my partner with home cooked meals after they come home from a hard day’s work is something that I look forward to every day, when I have the energy to do so. With my Stretto with iLevel technology, I can comfortably reach my high cabinets where we keep our dishware and seasonings! Reaching this height from my old manual wheelchair was impossible. I needed help getting things down. This was a real problem for me, as I am home alone during the day. Now, I am happy to be able to get out plates, cups, and other cookware all by myself! I can also comfortably use my counter tops, cook on my stove and see what I am actually doing! When I used my manual wheelchair, I had to peek my head over my stove dangerously close to the heating elements (not fun or safe). The elevating function has definitely saved the food I was preparing from burning a few times!

While I really enjoy utilizing my power chair equipped with iLevel technology throughout the day, I cannot stress enough just how helpful it’s been for me in my kitchen. Cooking has been a slight passion of mine for many years now. Having the ability to access my kitchen’s appliances independently means that I can cook more efficiently and safely!

About Chrysanthemum: Chrysanthemum is an award-winning cosplayer and Quantum brand ambassador. She enjoys fashion, cosplay and music and has a TikTok channel with over 380,000 followers. Click here to learn more about Chrysanthemum.

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My New Dog Walking Service

I started a new venture! I offer my own dog walking service called, 4 Paws Dog Walking. I’ve always had a love for dogs. I really enjoy the puppies and smaller breeds because they can sit on my lap easily and I can pet and play with them. So, instead of just watching them play fetch and jump on other people around me, I thought that I can offer my services to the neighborhood, take people’s dogs out and give their owners a break.

How I Came Up with My Idea

There’s a lot of adults in my neighborhood that started working from home since the pandemic. Many are on computers all day. My mom said they complain about how much the dogs bark and need to go out while they’re dealing with clients and customers on the phone. Some of the dogs have become really spoiled with having their owners home all day every day. Having someone that already lives in the neighborhood and familiar with their dogs would be a great help to them. So, I came up with an hourly dog walking price and made flyers.

Walking Dogs in My Stretto Power Wheelchair

I’m in a power wheelchair, so this gives me the ability to control the strength of multiple dogs by attaching their leashes to my wheelchair. For now, I only walk two dogs at a time. My wheelchair allows me to adjust the speed on my joystick to match the walking speed of the dogs. I keep one dog on each side of my power chair. For safety reasons, I never take their leash off.

I usually roll on the sidewalks until we reach the cul-de-sac, then it’s open space from there. At the end of the walk, I give each dog two snacks. Because of the special diets most dogs have, I only get the dog snacks from the owners. My friend helps me out by distributing the snacks to the right dog. I absolutely triple love this new job!

About Morgan Steward: Morgan is an honorary police officer for the Covington Georgia Police Department. He uses the Stretto Power Wheelchair for mobility. Morgan is an active member in his community and enjoys helping others. Click here to learn more about Morgan.

For more great blogs from our brand ambassadors and Q Roll Models, visit lifeatilevel.com today!

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Using iLevel Technology in My Kitchen

I’ve been living life at iLevel for over seven years now. Honestly, I do not think I could ever go back to life without iLevel. When I first learned about iLevel technology on power wheelchairs, I thought it was cool but not necessary. After using it every day for the past seven years, however, I can easily admit that I was wrong. I use the elevating technology of iLevel so frequently that I genuinely do not think that I could function in my house without it anymore. In fact, the other day my husband challenged me to spend 30 minutes in our kitchen without elevating. I realized just how much I use iLevel in my kitchen alone. I realized that without iLevel, I cannot:

Wash the Dishes

I can get to the sink and drop a dish into the sink, but I cannot reach to turn on the faucet. I also cannot reach the bottom of the sink, so I cannot grab all the dishes in the sink to wash them even if someone else turns the water on for me.

Put the Dishes Away

We put our dishes in the upper cupboards. Without iLevel, I simply cannot put a single dish away.

Reach Food in Our Cupboards or Fridge

A lot of our food is in our upper cupboards or on the higher shelves in our pantry. Additionally, we utilize our whole refrigerator, including the top shelves! Without iLevel on my power wheelchair, I cannot reach any of these things, which means I cannot make us dinner! 

Reach Our Counter Appliances 

I do a lot of cooking with our counter appliances, including our rice cooker, our toaster oven, our coffee maker and our air fryer. All these items are on the counter, pushed back against the wall. I can’t reach any of them without using iLevel on my power wheelchair! 

Our house is not unique. We have a standard house with standard counter heights and standard cupboards. Any wheelchair user without elevating technology would struggle to access the most basic things in our home, or in any home for that matter because most homes are not built for wheelchair users. It can cost tens of thousands of dollars to remodel a kitchen to make it accessible to a wheelchair user (and also make the home virtually impossible to resell), which is why I am so thankful for my Edge 3 Stretto Power Wheelchair with iLevel technology. Thanks to this technology, I don’t need to spend $50,000+ remodeling my home. I just touch a single button on my wheelchair and I can access my entire kitchen. 

About Stephanie Woodward: Stephanie is a brand ambassador advisor for Quantum Rehab® and works as a disability rights activist. She has received many awards for helping communities become more accessible, as well as for her actions in fighting for the rights of disabled individuals as it relates to Medicaid and other support services. Click here to learn more about Stephanie.

For more great blogs from our brand ambassadors and Q Roll Models, visit lifeatilevel.com today!

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May Day and the Value of Work

The first day of May has been celebrated as a holiday across many European cultures since the Middle Ages. May Day marks the approximate halfway point between the Vernal Equinox and the Summer Solstice. In addition, May Day has also been celebrated as International Workers Day since the late nineteenth century, a day where the victories of organized labor have been celebrated.  It is a time to reflect on the victories of workers’ unions establishing the eight hour work day and the weekend, and to setting the minimum wage. 

Disabilities and Working

Working for pay is a complicated topic for the disability community.  According to some public policies, the very concept of disability is defined as an inability to work. To get some benefits, one needs to prove that they cannot work and are, therefore, “really” disabled.  Of course, all disabled people know that this is complete and utter nonsense.  First, many of us do work full time jobs. Being disabled and working for a living is not an oxymoron. Second, it’s also true that even more of us could work if given the chance.

Barriers to Working

Schools can be ableist to the point that disabled students face barriers when trying to graduate with high school diplomas, trade school certifications and college degrees that would qualify them for many jobs. Then, hiring practices are often discriminatory. Anyone with a disability has a harder time getting their foot, wheel, cane or crutch in the door. Once we are hired, the common practices of work life often are inaccessible, from the transportation used to get there, like personal cars, to the structure of schedules that don’t allow enough time to do simple things like use the restroom.

It’s important for disabled people to NOT blame themselves for these things. We must remember that inaccessibility that creates barriers to working is not the same thing as being unqualified or unable to work.

The Value of Work

Lastly, even though some do work for pay and others could if ableist barriers weren’t in the way, we also need to recognize that there is a big group of people that may not be able to work in ways that is valued by our economy. They definitely work, however, and make important contributions to our society. There are countless ways this happens, but here are a few examples.

Working Without Pay

Disability activists and advocates that volunteer their time (and that is the majority of them), whether they are working with an organization like ADAPT to try and fix federal laws or launching their own campaign to make their school more accessible. Another way disabled people work without getting paid is by teaching others about disability. Most of the disabled folks I follow on social media that teach me daily don’t receive any sort of compensation for their posts. Also, you should consider what disabled and nondisabled people both do to take care of their families and friends as work.  Listening to someone who has had a hard day and needs to figure out a problem that is stressing them out is absolutely a kind of work that brings great value to our lives, even if it is unpaid.

So, this May, I invite you to think of all the labor you and others close to you perform that is undervalued by our society. Nevertheless, the work is critically important. Take a moment to celebrate this work.

About Joe Stramondo: Joe is an assistant professor at San Diego University and is extremely active in the disability community. Joe uses an Edge 3 Power Wheelchair to maintain his mobility and independence. In his spare time, Joe strives to be the best father he can to his children. Click here to learn more about Joe.

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A Great Farmers Market Visit in My Stretto Wheelchair

It is springtime, and that means fresh flowers and produce! I have loved going to farmers markets since I was a kid. In Oregon, there is no shortage of them. The atmosphere, food and amazing music will always be my favorite part of spring and summer.

Most farmers markets are set up with lots of space in between stalls and most vendors use wheelchair-height tables. It is a great place to go, especially in a pandemic because it is outside. I recently went to a farmer’s market in Eugene, Oregon. It was my first time using my Stretto Power Wheelchair at a farmers market!

Hitting the Thai Booth for Some Food

brown leaf vegetables on brown wooden stand
Photo by Lisa Fotios on Pexels.com

Oregon is a great place for agriculture and artistry. I saw lots of tie-dye art and plenty of produce. My goal was to find some Pad Thai. The Thai booth was tall and using iLevel® technology on my power wheelchair, I could reach the credit card reader. Usually, I struggle with walking through the stalls because everyone is walking and moving. Seating is limited and I often worried about my energy and balance, so it was stressful. With my Stretto Motorized Wheelchair, I did not have to worry about these things, so, I had a lot more fun!

Navigating Through Crowds

iLevel technology also made it easier to get a better view of where I was going when I was in the middle of crowds. My Stretto Motorized Wheelchair is super narrow, so having the ability to turn on a dime helped me to avoid running into people. Plus, my Quantum® backup camera prevented me from falling off the curb (yikes). My new favorite feature, the horn, definitely cleared the path in crowded areas.

Having Fun in My Stretto Power Wheelchair

My Stretto Power Wheelchair helped me in many ways. Most importantly, it helped me focus on fun things. Instead of worrying about my balance or fatigue, I focused on spending time with my family. The whole experience was more enjoyable because I could rely on my wheelchair. Plus, I only used up about 10 percent of my battery while I was there, which was about 3 hours! It was also a great pleasure to talk with other Quantum wheelchair users. I saw a few while at the farmers market.

I highly recommend taking a trip to your local farmers market to support local farmers and experience great artistry!

About Riley Hurt: Riley lives in Salem, Oregon, and uses a Stretto Power Wheelchair for mobility. Riley is enrolled in college, pursuing electrical and computer engineering. She hopes to make her future field more inclusive for people with disabilities. Click here to learn more about Riley.

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Great Wheelchair-Accessible Eats in Downtown St. Louis

I live in the downtown area of St Louis, which is not as big as people think. In my area, there’s a lot of cool things that you can get to from where I live, including different kinds of restaurants. The building where I live is pretty nice, which is great because we all know that not all buildings are ADA compliant. After I leave my residence through the back, I can travel in three different directions and visit different restaurants around me. Here are some of my favorite places that are fun and accessible.

Wheelchair Accessibility at the Field House

About two blocks from my place, which is rolling distance to anyone living nearby, there is a restaurant/sports bar called the Field House. Once you enter, it is very spacious inside, so it’s easy to maneuver a power wheelchair. You can sit at the table-top bar, elevated at iLevel® in your power wheelchair, or you can sit in the dining room at a table with your friends and family. The staff there is always nice, which is very important for people with disabilities. When we are in wheelchairs, sometimes people don’t treat us with respect or aren’t responsible enough to treat us like other people there.  They have an awesome patio space that is fully accessible at every entrance and it is very open and spacious. It’s a great place for sitting, relaxing and people watching. Sometimes, you can hear live music, which is always a plus. There’s always something happening here in the summertime.

Accessible Eating for Brunch

From the sports bar, you can go another two blocks to this awesome brunch place named Turn. It’s pretty awesome, as the food is very different. The accessibility is great too. Although the main entrance has stairs, there is a front-side door so I can roll right in easily. This is ideal for people from all walks of life, whether you are rolling in your power wheelchair or have trouble navigating up steps. The staff is always very accommodating and understanding. The brunch they serve is always different. Plus, the chef always comes out to make sure the patrons received everything they ordered.

I always recommend this place to people who are walking or rolling around downtown St. Louis, especially for those who have accessibility needs.

Accessible Eating at the Fountain on Locust

Last but definitely not least, there’s a place called the Fountain on Locust that recently opened up after COVID-19 hit us hard. If you’re wanting a taste of a little bit of everything, this is the spot to go. It’s accessible from any direction, as there are rolled curbs, as well as an elevator that takes you to the main area, which is considered a mess hall. It is super easy to maneuver my power wheelchair inside, as there is so much room for everyone. You can roll around and check out all the different kinds of food they are offering that day.

It’s kind of nice when good restaurants are right in your hometown. Most of the time, when I’m out of town visiting somewhere, those places offer better accessibility. Still, as time goes on things may accessibility improve so we can all roll in our power chairs to our destinations.

About Jesse Cuellar: Jesse is an artist and a brand ambassador for Quantum Rehab®. An accident left him paralyzed from the neck down, so he uses his mouth to paint and expresses himself through his art. Jesse lives in St. Louis, Missouri, and enjoys painting and hanging out with his friends. Click here to learn more about Jesse.

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Quantum Hosts Another Virtual Roundtable

I am so excited to share that Quantum Rehab is hosting another virtual consumer roundtable on June 2, 2022, from 3 P.M. to 4:30 P.M. ET. These virtual consumer roundtables are focus groups specifically for power wheelchair users to voice their opinions on current technology and what they’d like to see in future innovations. 

As the brand ambassador coordinator for Quantum Rehab, I am always looking for authentic consumer feedback from all power wheelchair users. At Quantum Rehab, we know that in order to serve the Disability Community, we must always be actively engaged with the community! I love hosting these virtual consumer roundtables because I love hearing first-hand from other power wheelchair users what they love about their wheelchairs, what they want to see improved and what they think our industry needs to be educated on. This ensures even better technology is created in the future. 

As a wheelchair user, I know that technology has come a long way. I am privileged to be in a position where, on a daily basis, I can engage with and provide feedback to the engineers who create the wheelchairs that I depend on. I also know, however, that I am just one wheelchair user and my perspective is limited. That’s why these virtual consumer roundtables are so important! We want to bring in the perspectives of many wheelchair users so that we can constantly improve!

This time around, we’re looking for 10 people to join us at the virtual consumer roundtable! Those who are chosen to participate will receive a $40 gift card for their time and input! 

If you use power wheelchair complex rehab technology (think Quantum Edge 3, Invacare TDX, Permobil M3, Quickie Q700, etc.) and you’re interested in participating in this virtual consumer roundtable to share your ideas and experiences, please sign up by May 23, to be a considered as a participant! If you’re chosen, we’ll let you know by May 26!

Sign up here: https://forms.gle/kfgP29gf8RcBUtpb8

About Stephanie Woodward: Stephanie is a brand ambassador advisor for Quantum Rehab® and works as a disability rights activist. She has received many awards for helping communities become more accessible, as well as for her actions in fighting for the rights of disabled individuals as it relates to Medicaid and other support services. Click here to learn more about Stephanie.

For more great blogs from our brand ambassadors and Q Roll Models, visit lifeatilevel.com today!

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The Best Ways to Travel with Mobility Equipment

photo of airplane
Photo by Matt Hardy on Pexels.com

On the tail end of the pandemic, I’ve been doing my fair share of travel this year as the world re-opens and people have begun to congregate again. Most of my traveling is for work, as I move around the continent educating people on inclusive play, playing on playgrounds, and leading design workshops. With plenty of pandemic funding going to parks and recreation, there’s an absolute boom in new parks and inclusive spaces.

Traveling with a disability, as frequently as I’ve been at it this year, certainly has its hiccups. Personally, I prefer using Delta Airlines (as indicated by my Delta hoodie). I’ve had the best luck with them in terms of my mobility equipment. If they do make a mistake, they’ve always worked to make it right for me. The pain points of travel that I’ve seen repeated this year comes in the subtlety of education. Many people don’t know how to communicate or act around people with disabilities. They don’t understand the critical nature of accommodations.

Obtaining an Accessible Rental Car

For example, I had requested a rental car with hand controls. I called with ample time to secure the reservation. The corporate office called to say it was all set and scheduled. When I arrived at the counter to get my vehicle, I was told it had never been delivered. After speaking to a total of seven representatives to find out if the car was in the nearby area, I learned that disability assistance is only available Monday to Friday (pardon me for being disabled outside of business hours). Many people weren’t trained to handle disability assistance and they said they could prepare the car for me to pick up by the middle of next week. Silly me for requesting a vehicle for the day I actually wanted it.

Fortunately for me, my parents had been in the area to help me get to where I needed to go, whereas the rental company pretty much had told me “too bad.” I can understand many of the finer points of staffing and training, however, the absolute chaos that ensued when they needed to find a solution seemed unwarranted.

Support from Flight Attendants When Flying

As for flying, my favorite flights are staffed by attendants who might not know exactly what I need yet are more than willing to help. Most importantly, they listen. Questions such as “How do you want your chair positioned?” and “What can I do to make sure you get to your seat as comfortably as possible?” truly add up. Those questions give me autonomy and no one casting negative light or thought on my way of doing things.

I’ve also received some fierce support this month from flight attendants. There was an incident where another passenger requested compensation for having to switch seats with “some cripple.” (Seriously, who even talks that way anymore?) Shout out to the attendants who put the man in the back of the plane, next to the bathroom!

About Jill Moore White: Jill is an inclusive play specialist, bringing accessible playgrounds to local communities. She volunteers with disability organizations, including the Disability EmpowHER Network. Jill enjoys music, sketching and playing video games. Click here to learn more about Jill.

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Top Reasons Why iLevel is Medically Necessary for Wheelchair Users

One of the biggest and best changes that has happened in my life is when I got my Quantum® Power Wheelchair with iLevel® technology. It wasn’t easy, because my insurance company denied coverage for iLevel power adjustable seat height, stating that it wasn’t medically necessary. After fighting with insurance for so long and being denied several times, I  finally got it! iLevel has completely changed my life when it comes to independence. The most important thing that iLevel does for me is that it helps me in different ways that are vital to my health and wellbeing.

Although many insurance companies deem iLevel not “medically necessary,” here are several reasons why it IS medical necessary. iLevel helps save my knees from being crushed into tables when I am at school or out at a restaurant. When I am in the car, having the ability to adjust myself saves my legs from hitting the seat in front of me, as well as bumping my head on the way in.

Using iLevel at School

While at school, I use iLevel on my power wheelchair when trying to see what is on the whiteboard. Instead of straining my eyes and neck trying to look up, I elevate at iLevel and read what’s right in front of me. When the bell rings in a middle school hallway, it becomes a jungle. Thankfully, iLevel on my motorized wheelchair allows me to elevate above the crowd. I can safely navigate through the herd of students without getting tripped on or hit in the legs with backpacks.

Using iLevel in the Home

At home, iLevel is so helpful when transferring in and out of my power wheelchair. It’s less stressful on my parents backs and less painful for me because there’s less pressure being put on my knees and my neck. With iLevel, I don’t have to strain my shoulders and my arms trying to reach above my head for something that is too tall or far away. I can raise the seat on my power wheelchair and bring myself to the exact height that I need to be and easily reach what’s right in front of me, all without causing pain. Thanks to iLevel on my motorized wheelchair, I breathe better and feel less pain in my back.

In the end, I feel that all power wheelchair users should have the iLevel® option available to them, without having to fight insurance companies. iLevel helps me in so many ways and without it, I don’t know where I would be!

About Sakina Shamsi: Sakina lives in New Jersey with her parents and brother. Although she has spinal muscular atrophy type II, Sakina lives a full and independent lifestyle. She is active in the disability community and enjoys horseback riding, baking and crafting. Click here to learn more about Sakina.

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