Wheelchair Securement Training Adapts to Changes, Trends in Industry


beforehand about any issues and concerns they would like to have addressed — and power chairs and passenger restraints often top the list. “Te main issue is the difficulty of finding securement points


for power chairs, scooters, etc., because, in many cases, they were not meant to be transported,” Goss says. “We give them the an- gles that the belts need to be at. We know that if we get the front belts between 40 and 60 degrees, and the rear between 30 and 45 [degrees]. Tat is the best way to secure the chair.”


Seats + Straps + Belts = Security Goss conducts national and regional training sessions at con-


ferences, trade shows and school districts but says Q’Straint’s annual two-day seminar in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., offers more de- tailed, “hands-on” training. Participants can tour the plant to see how the product is manufactured and tested and then rotate through six stations with different types of wheelchairs to prac- tice proper tie-down techniques. He points out that safely securing the wheelchair occupant is


just as important as anchoring the wheelchair, even though not every school district requires the use of a lap and shoulder belt. “Tere are different types of seats depending on the disability of


the individual,” Goss says. “All of our systems, when they’re built, include a lap and shoulder belt…During the training, we stress the importance of the proper use of occupant restraints. Just like the drivers in their seats should not move the bus without wearing a lap and shoulder belt, the same is true for their passengers in wheelchairs.” Roseann Schwaderer of Edupro Group, which is gearing up for


its 20th annual National Conference on Transporting Students with Disabilities and Preschoolers, says that use of the WC19 wheelchair has not increased as much as transportation profes- sionals and school therapists had hoped. “Tis wheelchair is designed to be safe to be used as a seat-


ing device on a school bus. It’s structurally different, with areas specifically designated where securement straps would be. It’s a whole different animal,” Schwaderer says. “We’re seeing more kids with disabilities coming into schools.


Tere really is no mandate to transport kids to public schools other than the mandate to transport students with disabilities,” she continues, stressing that every year her conference brings to- gether 35 experts in the field to teach best practices. “It’s absolutely important to have consistent and proper train- ing on securement systems.” ■


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7 North Street Staten Island, NY 10302 www.atlanticexpress.com 48 School Transportation News Magazine January 2011


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