Candis Welch wants to make a difference in the world—and she’s committed to using the platforms she’s been given to ensure it happens. A diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) practitioner by trade, Welch felt a deep desire to do more last fall. 

“All of the sudden last year around October, I kept having this thought, ‘What can I do to raise more awareness and really put my testimony on a larger platform?’” says Welch, who was born with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and has been a full-time wheelchair user since she was 11. “Then, the Ms. Wheelchair of California site posted on social that applications were opening soon, and I applied.” 

Welch, a Los Angeles native, won the state title in March and will compete in the Ms. Wheelchair America 2024 National competition in just a few weeks. Her platform is centered on equitable accessibility.

“Throughout our history as a nation, we have not done equality well, so I’ve always focused on equitable accessibility,” Welch says. “Every day of my life, I go into a world that’s not made for me. I live and breathe accessibility—and I want [the world] to be equitable, meaning that whatever you’re lacking, there should be resources to help you be on a level playing field.”

Welch is particularly passionate about finding ways to create greater accessibility within the travel industry, addressing housing disparities and improving employment opportunities for those within the disability community. 

“How can individuals empower themselves if they can’t provide for themselves?” she says. “ If you’re always leaning on outside resources, it’s difficult to have that independence. I’ve always been very passionate about that.” 

Welch doesn’t just want to talk about change; she wants to make it happen. She is currently a member of the Metro Los Angeles Public Safety Advisory Board, which allows her to speak into the city’s transportation services and plans. Welch is also a big fan of Wheel the World, an organization that seeks to help travelers with disabilities create accessible travel experiences. 

In addition, Welch recently joined the Disability Caucus of the California Democratic Party, working with councilmen and women, state senators, representatives and more to shape policy. She hopes to someday serve her community as an elected representative. 

“I want to be on the side to effect change, so I am looking to go into the political realm,” she says. “So I am exploring that and networking, because I want to change policy.” 

While she weighs how exactly her political ambitions will take shape, Welch says she’ll continue to work to better society through her work as a DEIA practitioner within the Los Angeles County government. Welch handles the programming, strategy and initiatives for more than 700 employees. She sees her work as bettering society one person at a time. 

“I want to be on the side where I can affect change,” she says. “When you can work and change the mindset of an individual, then individuals work to change policy, and society is changed.” 

Photo Credits: 

IMG_4414: Dedee Verdin

IMG_4417: Dedee Verdin

Photo may 6 2023 2 20 39 pm: Mathias Meier of chucaofilms

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Jonathan Lengel feels at home on the stage. After all, he’s been acting and singing since kindergarten. 

“My kindergarten teacher actually sat down with my parents and told them I had to find a theater program,” Lengel recalls. “I was always doing impressions and singing, and it distracted the other kids. So I really have to thank my kindergarten teacher who saw something in me and pushed me to get started.” 

Now a teenager, Lengel’s love for the stage has grown along with his roles. A longtime actor in regional theater productions, Lengel got his big break in 2020, when the producers of Netflix’s adaptation of 13: The Musical sent out a worldwide casting call. 

“A contact at the Muscular Dystrophy Association sent me the casting call in 2020 right before the world shut down,” Lengel says. “They wanted someone who had muscular dystrophy and could sing to play Archie, like the character.”

Lengel, who was born with a rare form of muscular dystrophy, knew the role was meant for him. 

“I actually remember saying in my first audition that I was born to play Archie,” Lengel says. “It took about a year to land the role, but I made it to the final audition and was cast as Archie.” 

After he was cast, Lengel remembers the decision throwing him and his family into a flurry of activity. He and his mom had about a month to pack and prepare before heading to Canada for six months where 13: The Musical was filmed. A veteran of the stage, Lengel quickly found himself enamored with the process of making a movie. 

“It was really interesting to be in front of the camera, and then see it come to life on screen a year later,” Lengel says. “I definitely believe ‘movie magic’ exists now because I know that there were so many people behind the camera when we were shooting, and when you watch the movie, it doesn’t feel that way.” 

The movie, based on the Broadway musical that premiered in 2008 and launched the career of Ariana Grande, released on Netflix in August 2022. By 2023, Lengel was gracing the silver screen again, this time in the Will Ferrell-produced comedy, Theater Camp. After a premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, Searchlight Pictures acquired Theater Camp to be released July 14, 2023. 

Lengel, who makes a cameo appearance as Bobby Kay, says the movie, which “pokes fun at kids and their counselors at a theater camp in upstate New York,” felt a little like coming home. 

“As a kid who grew up going to theater camp, I definitely felt like I’d been to this camp,” Lengel says with a laugh. “I was cast not because I was in a wheelchair but because the casting directors thought I was funny and wanted me to be a part of the film.” 

Lengel got the chance to use his improv skills for his appearance in the musical comedy, and enjoyed working with the cast, which includes Tony Award winner Ben Platt, Noah Glavin, Molly Gordon, Amy Sedaris and more. 

“I used to be in an improv troupe, so I was familiar with the ‘yes and’ mindset and that was so much fun,” Lengel says. “It was really great to work with the whole cast. They’re all so funny and the coolest people.” 

While Lengel is enjoying his success, he also hopes that his roles help to create greater representation and visibility for actors with disabilities. 

“I’m hopeful that things are changing in terms of representation, but we still have a long way to go,” Lengel says. “Growing up, I really didn’t see kids like me in wheelchairs in the movies or on TV, so it’s important to me to be featured. I’m certain that other wheelchair users noticed me in my chair front and center on movie billboards and posters for 13.” 

Lengel, who’s represented by KMR Talent in Los Angeles, hopes to make acting a career. While he’s already well on his way toward that goal, Lengel says it’s his passion for acting that keeps him going. 

“I love that feeling of getting on stage,” Lengel says. “When I get on stage and the lights come on, my disability fades away. Acting has always been really empowering for me.” 

Follow Jonathan Lengel’s career on Instagram and TikTok (@jlengelofficial) and on Twitter (@lengeljonathan). 

Photo credit: Megan Cencula

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Finding out-of-the-box solutions to non-traditional problems has been a key characteristic of Harold Schapelhouman’s career. But after a life-altering accident in 2013, it also became a trademark of his life. 

“Something I used to teach in training was to find ways to adapt, improvise and overcome,” says Schapelhouman, a 40-year veteran of the Menlo Park (California) Fire District who retired in 2021. “That’s the mantra, so I tried to apply that [after my accident.] That doesn’t mean I didn’t go through a dark time, but my mindset is a big part of what allowed me to be successful and to see the opportunities before me.” 

Schapelhouman, who sustained a spinal cord injury in 2013 when he fell from a ladder in his backyard, spent 15 years as the chief of the fire district, eight of those years in a wheelchair. Despite a career spanning four decades in the field, Schapelhouman never really planned to be a firefighter. 

“I loved high school, but I knew college wasn’t really for me,” Schapelhouman recalls. “I was interested in law enforcement and was taking classes in public safety. Then, I took a fire safety class, and I loved it. I realized I didn’t want to be a police officer; I wanted to be a firefighter.”

Schapelhouman, then 19, began working toward an associate degree in fire technology. He was training with other student firefighters at the Los Altos Fire Department when took the test for the Menlo Park Fire District. 

Only 100 people were allowed in to take the test, but Schapelhouman made the cut and passed. Next came a grueling physical abilities assessment. Applicants were divided into five groups of 20, and Schapelhouman watched as more and more people failed to complete the test. 

“Out of my group, only three of us finished,” Schapelhouman recalls. After a written test and interviews, Schapelhouman joined the Menlo Fire District at the age of 20, where he served for the rest of his career. 

Schapelhouman developed a specialty in urban search and rescue, serving as a founding member of the local, state and national Urban Search and Rescue Response Systems. The search and rescue team he built at Menlo Park responded to numerous national events over the years, including the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, 9/11 in 2001 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005. 

In 2007, Schapelhouman accepted the job as chief of the fire district, headquartered in Menlo Park and located between the three metro cities of San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland. The district covers 30 square miles and serves an estimated population of more than 90,000.

After his spinal cord injury, Schapelhouman says he felt pressure to step down from the leadership role, but he still felt equipped to lead. Eight months later—after countless hours of physical therapy and a number of cognitive tests to prove his ability—he returned as chief. 

“Being the chief was about leadership—about being on point, listening and having the background to know what I was talking about. I could do all of that from my chair,” Schapelhouman says. “When I was in uniform it was probably the best ambassadorship because it normalized to a point that there are jobs you can do in the fire service in a wheelchair, especially sitting behind a desk or at a table in a meeting room.”

Now retired, Schapelhouman often serves as a consultant to companies or organizations seeking to advance emergency services technology, practices or gear. He wants to share the skills and knowledge he gained over his four-decade-long career, but Schapelhouman also wants to give back. He’s played an active role in gathering used fire equipment and gear to help firefighters handling countless emergencies during the war in Ukraine.

But more than anything, Schapelhouman wants to encourage others, whether they use a wheelchair or not.

“I talk to people a lot—people in the fire service or different groups—about how to improvise, about how to overcome an unexpected crisis,” he says.

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In today’s world, data is king. Analytics are key components of our favorite professional sports, drive advertising and shape business and retail decisions. Healthcare is no different.

By analyzing data gleaned from patients, healthcare providers can make informed decisions and develop policies and practices that are rooted in evidence. All across the CRT industry, leaders are turning to data as a vital tool that’s shaping everything from best practices and industry standards to advocacy efforts. Clinicians, suppliers and manufacturers believe data is the key that unlocks the future of the CRT industry and allows them to better meet the needs of CRT users.

Dr. Mark Schmeler, who serves as the vice chair for education and training in the Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology at the University of Pittsburgh, says the important role data can play in the CRT industry is easy to recognize.

“Healthcare has become a data-driven industry. In the past, insurers would just pay for services and interventions with very little evidence of their effectiveness,” Schmeler says, explaining that insurance providers eventually ‘cracked down’ on benefit categories such as wheelchairs and required deeper levels of evidence for the necessity of CRT interventions. “We all—clinicians, suppliers and manufacturers—need to cooperate on developing and populating large data sets to demonstrate that CRT interventions play a very important role in the lives of people with disabilities,” he says.

Evidence is the key to proving the value of CRT interventions, Schmeler says, and large data sets make that possible.

“Real world data sets with large samples help to strengthen the research,” Schmeler says. “Historically, research to support CRT has been weak due to small sample sizes whereby policymakers can then argue there is no evidence to support the coverage of certain interventions when clinical observation indicates the contrary.”

“But it’s very difficult to refute research generated in the field with a large sample,” he continues. “It’s even more difficult to refute research that aligns with clinical observations.”

Why Data-Driven Research Matters

Schmeler, along with a team of researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, recently published a data-driven study on the benefits of seat elevation devices (SED). The study pulled findings from a large data collection gathered from self-reported assessments and other sources, including data shared by NSM (and stripped of any personal or identifying information). 

Darren Lowman, NSM’s Chief Transformation Officer, says that participating in research like Schmeler’s is a vital way NSM can contribute to the future of CRT. 

“At NSM, our mission is to help people achieve independence by ensuring they have access to advanced mobility and accessibility solutions,” Lowman says. “Working with Dr. Schmeler and the University of Pittsburgh is one of the ways we work to advance the industry and advocate for our clients.” 

The University of Pittsburgh study found that CRT users who utilize seat elevation devices report higher functional mobility scores as well as higher rates of reported employment and fewer falls. The sample consisted of 1,733 power wheelchair users and compared cases of those who used seat elevation to those who didn’t. 

“These findings are important because many people who use wheelchairs need SEDs to function and reduce injuries associated with upper extremity restraints and falls,” Schmeler says. “Currently, Medicare and many other payers do not recognize the medical necessity of SEDs and, therefore, will not pay for them. Many stakeholder groups have been advocating for a policy change however the response has been that there is a lack of scientific evidence showing the benefits of an SED. A study like this, that has gone through the peer review process, provides that evidence.” 

Because the data contains so many variables, it can be analyzed in countless ways, offering endless possibilities for the future of CRT. Data-driven research will ultimately serve to benefit all CRT users, Schmeler says.

“Current analyses are looking at falls based on the type of equipment used. Ultra lightweight manual wheelchairs are being analyzed and compared to non-customized wheelchairs. Type and frequency of repairs are being looked at to support the need for routine maintenance and replacement of parts as they are expected to fail,” Schmeler says. “SEDs is just a first example of what large data can do to demonstrate the benefits of CRT.”

That’s why it’s imperative that all members of the CRT industry contribute to the data-gathering effort, Schmeler says. 

“For the provider and user, this is a good way to maintain continuity of care. For suppliers, contributing data is a good quality assurance strategy. And for the researcher, this is a way to amass large data to show the benefits of various interventions,” Schmeler says. “Without strong research, CRT interventions will continue to be marginalized to the point that the quality of the equipment and service we provide will deteriorate.” 

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a decision memo in February 2023, proposing that power SEDs are reasonable and necessary for people using Group 3 power wheelchairs if specific conditions are met. CMS accepted public comments until March 17, and we are awaiting a final decision.

Ericka Sutton regards herself as an ambassador of sorts.

“I have a nonprofit, the Emosah Foundation, and we focus on building relationships between the community at large and people who are differently abled,” Sutton says. “My wheelchair allows me to be out there in the forefront and bring awareness to people who are differently abled.”

Sutton, who was born with a form of muscular dystrophy called Charcot-Marie-Tooth Type X, has used a power wheelchair for more than 25 years. She had to be persistent to prove that seat elevation was a medical necessity. Now in her third and fourth chair with the technology, Sutton clearly recognizes the ways seat elevation has changed her life for the better.

“Most people who need a seat elevator in a chair have a significant loss of mobility,” she says. “We already have to ask for so much help in our lives, so being able to do things in our homes without having to ask for even more help is huge when it comes to independence. It makes a big difference, mentally and physically. If you feel independent, you feel like you’re being more productive. I may have this limitation, but with seat elevation, I have something that can really help me to be the best version of myself.”  

Clinicians and physicians across the Complex Rehabilitation Technology (CRT) industry agree with Sutton that the benefits of seat elevation are clear. The technology makes transfers easier, especially on uneven surfaces and helps prevent falls. In addition to the increased social and psychological benefits, seat elevation also offers increased safety, providing better sight lines when navigating through large crowds or crossing the street. 

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Reebok is launching its first line of adaptive footwear, developed in collaboration with Zappos Adaptive. The Reebok Fit to Fit collection includes features like zippers, heel pull tabs, extra wide options, removable sock liners and low-cut designs for enhanced accessibility. To create the shoes, Reebok enlisted the help of people with disabilities, medical professionals and others. Learn more at Zappos.com.

All Dolled Up

Focused on diversity and inclusion, Mattel’s 2022 Fashionista line includes the first Barbie with a behind- the-ear hearing aid as well as a Barbie with a prosthetic leg, a Ken doll with vitiligo and Barbie and Ken dolls with a variety of body shapes and hair textures. The Fashionista 2022 lineup is available in stores now.

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By Chris Slavin

When Earle, a handsome male yellow Labrador retriever from NEADS: World Class Service Dogs, and I were matched almost seven years ago, I knew I was getting a dog that was going to increase my independence in a world that is not always easy to negotiate with a physical disability. What I did not know was that I would find my Anam Cara. Anam Cara, an ancient Irish term that directly translates as “soul friend,” describes the unique relationship between two souls that transcends this mortal world. It is a once-in-a-lifetime relationship that embodies communication, trust and understanding that allows each individual to become their whole self with complete acceptance and without fear. To become more than what is possible on one’s own. When I took the leash of a very chumbly, drooly and wise pup, I had no idea where he was going to take me. Our first six months together were filled with the “getting to know you” bumps of any new partnership. But I also soon rediscovered my drive to get out into my community, even when it was physically difficult. I was happier, I had a desire to make sure that I was providing Earle with what he needed for a full and healthy life.

“He has taught me that the way we can
get the best out of our limited days on
this earth, is to share with unabashed
generosity, to find joy, and never turn down
an adventure.”

In those early months I also began to see the world through Earle’s eyes and witness his big lab heart touching each person he met. Earle is eternally optimistic, he is able to work with a joyful heart, be a patient listener, a non-judgmental teacher and is always willing to make a new friend. Earle seems to look at each moment as both an adventure and an opportunity to share love, he makes my path, and the path of others, smoother and more joyful. In the almost seven years we have been partnered, Earle has picked up my dropped keys or phone thousands of times, but his true work has been how he has taught me that the way we can get the best out of our limited days on this earth, is to share whatever gifts we may have with unabashed generosity, to find joy in the journey, and never turn down an adventure—or a snack. He is truly my Anam Cara, and I am so grateful for what he gives me each day.

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NSM ACCESS SALES REP, NEW YORK

As a volunteer firefighter and NSM Access Consultant, Victoria VanValkenburgh doesn’t expect her two jobs to intersect. But this past spring, VanValkenburgh found herself using her training as a firefighter to save the life of an NSM client.

Last April, VanValkenburgh was on her way to a customer’s home for a stairlift evaluation. “I had a little trouble finding the house at first actually,” VanValkenburgh recalls. “When I got out of my car, I could hear someone calling for help. I found my client on the garage floor.” In full first responder mode, VanValkenburgh rushed to her client, asking a series of questions—What’s your name? Do you know what year it is? Who is the current president?—anything to keep him conscious and talking. The client had fallen in his garage and was bleeding profusely after hitting his head.

“When I got out of my car, I could
hear someone calling for help. I
found my client on the garage floor.”

All alone, he’d been lying on the garage floor and calling for help for more than 15 minutes before VanValkenburgh arrived. “I immediately dialed 911,” VanValkenburgh says. “The fall had really taken a toll on him, and he had lost a lot of blood.” VanValkenburgh continued to follow the 911 dispatcher’s instructions, eventually hanging up when the dispatcher notified her that EMS would be arriving in just a few minutes. That’s when the unthinkable happened. “I realized that he was unresponsive,” VanValkenburgh says. “I did CPR on him for two and a half minutes and got him back right before EMS arrived.” A second generation volunteer firefighter with seven years of experience, VanValkenburgh is well trained about what to do in an emergency. But until to perform CPR on someone during a real-life medical crisis. “In the moment, I really had a lot of adrenaline coursing through my body,” VanValkenburgh recalls. “I was focused on keeping the blood flowing and later get his heart beating again, so reviving him was a release. The nerves and the emotion really kicked in after the fact.”

“In the moment, I had a lot of
adrenaline coursing through my body.”

VanValkenburgh’s experience has a happy ending. The client was taken by ambulance to the hospital and made a full recovery.

As he was being loaded into the ambulance, the customer looked at VanValkenburgh and reminded her that he really did need the stairlift —so she rescheduled their evaluation appointment for the next week.

“If I hadn’t been CPR-certified,” VanValkenburgh says, “we might have had a very different outcome.”

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By Kerri Knudson

Traveling is my favorite thing to do! Long trips,
short trips—it really doesn’t matter. I want to
experience the magic of our world and see all that
it has to offer. I typically try to plan at least two big
trips a year, even if I don’t always go somewhere new.

So how do I plan the perfect accessible trip
without missing the good parts? Thank heaven for
the internet and my phone. (And a little sense of
adventure!) Here are a few steps I took recently
when I planned a trip to San Diego.

1. Find a Place to Stay

When looking for a hotel in the States, it isn’t too difficult to find lodging with accessible rooms. However, not all accessible rooms are created equal—and not all hotels have very many. Once I find a hotel with accessible rooms, I call the hotel and complete the reservation over the phone. This ensures that I have the opportunity to ask a few questions, such as:

What makes the room accessible to you? Sometimes the only answer is that it’s on the first floor, and that’s not enough!

What are the accessibility options in the bathroom? This question routinely leads to a few more, such as:

How wide is the door?

Is it a roll-in shower?

Is there a shower chair?

What accessibility options are there throughout the hotel?

I also always try to ask the hotel staff about the available amenities. Is there a lift for the pool and the hot tub? If the pool has a lock that you need to use your key to access, how high is the access entry? I use specific examples so I
can make sure the staff clearly understands my needs.

2. Research Local Attractions

In the states, most museums and theme parks are accessible, but it never hurts to call the location or do a little research on their website before you travel. If you love the beach like I do, you want to be sure you can get as close to the water as possible. I have learned that most beaches have beach wheelchairs. When I go somewhere new, I usually do a quick internet search for where I can find a beach wheelchair. Typically, lifeguard stations will have them available to borrow on a first-come, first-served basis.

Morgan’s Wonderland offers 25 Ultra-AccessibleTM attractions | San Antionio, TX

3. Decide How You’ll Travel

Whether you’re traveling by ground or by plane, you’ll need to plan ahead. If you choose a rental car, hand controls can be added to any car—but the company will need to know at least seven days in advance. I usually call the company directly so I can describe the controls I need and detail where to place a spinner knob. When I fly, I travel with my manual wheelchair. For me that has been the easiest option. When you check your bags, you can ask the airlines to have someone help you through security and then push you to your gate. Employees are trained to assist you in transferring to an aisle chair to get on the plane and into your seat. I have learned that air travel often requires you to speak up and advocate for how you need assistance.

Wherever you want to go, remember that traveling is meant to be fun! With a little preparation, you can make any location work for you —and it’s always worth it.

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In the complex rehabilitation technology industry, creativity and innovation are vital. Because each CRT solution is highly customized, finding the right fit for each CRT user requires a creative approach and an innovative spirit. New advances in the industry— driven by innovative technologies and a desire to continually improve—are making it easier to find solutions that fit specific user needs.

F5 CORPUS VS

Power Standing Wheelchair | Permobil

Standing in your power wheelchair is not a luxury and we should all be asking “Why NOT power standing?” Now available in both Group 3 and Group 4 base codes, Permobil’s F5 Corpus VS is now more accessible than ever and features fully programmable standing sequences. This means improved health outcomes and meaningful, everyday face-to-face social interactions are within your reach.

FEATURES & BENEFITS

QUICKIE ACCESS

Tilt-In-Space Manual Wheelchair | Sunrise Medical

The Quickie Access solves multiple seating challenges while also allowing users to self- propel. Its low seat-to-floor height makes it easy to access tables and desks, while the additional tilt and recline options offer clinically effective pressure relief.

FEATURES & BENEFITS

COMING SOON

TRU BALANCE 4

Power Positioning Systems with Anterior Tilt | Quantum

Launching soon, the TRU-Balance® 4 Power Positioning System provides enhanced features, such as positional feedback actuators and anterior tilt, to further provide functional benefits to people who use power wheelchairs. TRU-Balance 4 will be available at launch on Quantum’s Stretto, Edge® 3 and 4Front® 2 power wheelchair bases. The system provides several features and benefits, including increasing the user’s visual field, more efficient and safer transfers and increased access to your environment.

FEATURES & BENEFITS

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By Steven Aquino

Accessibility has so much more breadth and depth. And it isn’t merely for disabled people.

When most people think of accessibility, the images likely to be conjured up in their minds are people in wheelchairs or people who are blind using a cane.

This is classically and fundamentally true: accessibility has, and always will be, first and foremost about providing access to people with bonafide disabilities. Whether visible or not, the whole reason accessibility exists is to give the world’s largest marginalized group— over a billion people worldwide identify with some sort of disability—access to an inaccessible-to-them society.

But accessibility has so much more breadth and depth. And it isn’t merely for disabled people.

The scooters used by people with limited mobility and the elderly are accessibility. The subtitles in the Best Picture Oscar-winning film CODA are accessibility. The captions in your kids’ TikTok videos are accessibility. The list goes on. The subtitles exist in CODA because obviously not everyone speaks sign language; how else are audiences supposed to know what members of the Rossi family are saying? That the subtitles exist gives watchers access to the language.

Likewise, the captions on TikTok are useful if you have trouble understanding what a person is saying. The captions exist to give you another modality with which you can understand dialogue without solely relying on your hearing. Even more mundane things like the food processor in your kitchen is accessibility—because the machine makes quick work of food prep that would otherwise be time-consuming and/or laborious due to lackluster knife skills.

The lesson here is that accessibility truly benefits everyone, regardless of ability. For instance, you needn’t have a medically-recognized condition to reap benefits from your phone or laptop having larger, easier-to-read text. Everyone likes text that’s easier to see.

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