Open Forum

Allison,

I am a museum leadership student at Drexel Univ. and a project manager in the exhibits dept at The Academy of Natural Sciences.  I moonlight as an accessibility consultant as I am a manual wheelchair user.  I called my friend who works for Magee Rehab in Philadelphia and grew up using a wheelchair in NYC.  He said the NYC vendors are all pretty poor but did reach out to some people we know in the disabled community in NYC to ask them.  If I hear anything I'll surely let you know, but you may want to look outside the city.  

Thanks,

Benjamin Baker
Philadelphia PA
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Hi Allison:

I am an occupational therapist and a museum professional.  With regards to finding a vendor in NYC, many municipalities have someone in charge of Accessibility or inclusion at the city level (e.g., Chicago had the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities); there may also be some advocacy groups that could advise you (e.g., Chicago had a strong advocacy group called Access Living that had tons of resources and connections).

You may also want to call a local rehabilitation center and talk with the Director or Rehabilitation, Physical Therapy or Occupational Therapy.  They use multiple vendors to order wheelchairs daily and could recommend reliable ones.  

Terrie 

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Terrie Nolinske PhD
Principal
Tampa FL
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Allison,

You can also try talking to the purchasing department of your local hospital, probably Brookdale. Hospitals often have negotiated rates for medical supplies and may be able to help connect you to a vendor that's known to them and trustworthy.

Good luck.

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Seth Frankel
Principal, Studio Teconic
Boulder CO, USA

www.studiotectonic.com

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