The wheelchair of the future has arrived, and manufacturers in the specialty wheelchair market are not shy to accept the credit for its arrival. The bulky, outdated manual wheelchair has been replaced by a new wave of sleek, lightweight chairs that offer custom features. And as long as Washington recognizes the value that these features provide when it comes to improving the quality of end-users' lives, there will be continued growth in the standard wheelchair market, manufacturers say.

INSPIRATION AND INNOVATION

“The sports market acts as the testing ground for all wheelchairs,” says Jim Black, global product manager for sport wheelchairs at Sunrise Medical. “Features are tested in the sports arena and then move their way into everyday chairs. This is true of lightweight materials, seating positions and the idea of more wheel for your push.”

Innovations are being discovered and tested by specialty wheelchair manufacturers, drawing business away from the standard market as consumers learn more about their options, manufacturers say. “People are looking for something new and innovative, something they feel more comfortable in and look good in, rather than that old, institutional look,” says Paul Lawson, division manager of Theradyne.

Specialty features are driving the market, manufacturers say, and consumers are hungry for new technology. Certain features such as turning radius, lightweight materials and adjustable camber make today's specialty wheelchairs quick and convenient. “Instead of the same old, standard boxy chairs, we're manufacturing chairs designed for a lot of disabilities so that customers can pick and choose,” Black says.

According to manufacturers, concern for the consumer's self esteem and personality are pushing new features. “There's an increased need for appearance that hasn't been there in the past,” says Lawson. “It's like selecting your car: People want upholstery, color combinations, wire or mag wheels. It's a matter of meeting people's personal tastes.”

“There's also the coolness factor if you're young,” says Black. “It's about making yourself feel good.”

Manufacturers of pediatric chairs say this is especially true in their niche. “There's more of an awareness on the part of the parent to provide a better environment for these children,” says Helen Lee, customer service manager of Theradyne and a 20-year veteran of the industry. “The appearance of the wheelchair is part of that.”

THE BIG CHALLENGE

Black says these concerns are often not easy to appease. “We have to understand the importance of making chairs specific to that disability or that person. Certain features are very important to different types of customers.” The challenge for manufacturers is to provide those features in a timely, affordable manner, he says.

“The major challenge is building a product without making it cost two or three or four thousand dollars,” says Black. “We understand what the customer wants; the challenge is getting it out into the marketplace at a reasonable price.”

Without government funding for products in the specialty wheelchair market, accessing these specialized features often results in a financial burden on consumers, manufacturers say. “The funding has become more scarce,” says Tom Finch, president and chief executive officer of Teftec. “We simply aren't able to provide to some people.”

“Most people are a lot more particular about what their wants and needs are, and we can fit those needs and wants,” says Michele Eberle, marketing director for Wheelchairs of Kansas. “That's an advantage. But the Medicare/Medicaid system is also a challenge. We sell to dealers who need to make a living who then sell to end-users. The Medicare and Medicaid system gets involved and the dealers have difficulty getting their money back,” she says.

TIME TO LOBBY

The end result is an impact on patients and their access to the highest quality of care. “We need to be lobbying for the Medicare system to change,” says Eberle. “We need to be talking to our congressmen.”

This is necessary in order for the market to continue to grow, says Black. “If we educate funding agencies, I think the market will really explode because they'll recognize the value of enhancing the lives of these people. But if we're going in different directions with people trying to cut back on funding, we're not going to see that happen,” he says.

Despite the challenges of government funding, manufacturers consider the market to be stable and ripe with potential. Most agree that there are consumers out there with the buying power to afford specialty wheelchairs. “People are willing to pay for it because it's something they want,” says Lawson.

Borrowing Techniques from Car Makers

SPECIALTY WHEELCHAIR manufacturers are mimicking the automobile industry in a recent effort to ensure higher-quality products. They are utilizing concepts such as focus groups and crash testing in order to guarantee that new products are safe and appropriate.

“Our products have been crash tested since 1990 at the University of Michigan,” says Merv Watkins of Convaid. The manufacturer produces pediatric wheelchairs almost exclusively, says Watkins, and has used crash testing to ensure safety standards. “We run tests at 30 miles per hour with a 175-pound dummy in the chair.”

Sunrise Medical draws from focus group concepts used by the automobile industry. “We try to do focus groups for any new product with end-users, therapists and providers, to understand if we are really on the same page here, looking at the right features,” says Jim Black. “We want the different feedback so we can pull out … what we really want to achieve with the product.” Sunrise uses the QFD system, which grades the importance of different features and is common to focus groups for car manufacturers, says Black.

What will be the next marketing trend borrowed from automobile manufacturers? Tom Finch, president and chief executive officer of Teftec, says it has already arrived: front-wheel drive. “It's always been known as what's needed. It makes for a very well-behaved chair,” he says. The innovative steering transmission makes it easier for users of wheelchairs to get up inclines, handle bumps and drive motor vehicles from the chair, says Finch. “The steering transmission will ultimately be on 50 percent of the world's wheelchairs,” he says. “It's the biggest thing that's come along in a long time.”

Manufacturers Score Ideas From Sporting Goods Industry

Innovations in the sporting goods industry may lead to advances in the specialty wheelchair market, says Jim Black of Sunrise Medical. “Today, many components we use are sourced out from other industries,” he says. Tires and suspension from the mountain biking industry and casters and bearings from the in-line skating industry are examples of features Black says have been drawn from other markets and applied to specialty wheelchairs.

“We take that technology and put it on a wheelchair and make it perform better,” says Black. “We're making chairs lighter and more responsive so that people can live a more comfortable life.” These crossover features allow manufacturers to make chairs permitting users to move with their environment, from the home to the garden to the mall, says Black.

Black is confident that this trend will continue. “I think there will be more crossover in the future between these industries,” he says.

Experts Interviewed: Jim Black, global product manager for sport wheelchairs, Sunrise Medical, Carlsbad, Calif.; Michele Eberle, marketing director, Wheelchairs of Kansas, Ellis, Kan.; Tom Finch, president and chief executive officer, Teftec, San Antonio, Texas; Paul Lawson, division manager, Theradyne, Jordan, Minn.; Helen Lee, customer service manager, Theradyne, Jordan, Minn.; Merv Watkins, president and founder, Convaid, Torrance, Calif.

To follow up with these companies, check out the complete listing in HomeCare's annual Buyers' Guide.