UNITED SPINAL Baja or Bust Handcycle Heaven Mark E. Smith Tribute ASSOCIATION’S Baja or Bust Handcycle Heaven Mark E. Smith Tribute The iBOT is Back: Is the Second Time the Charm? life beyond wheels newmobility.com JUL 2019 $4 THE DIFFERENCE YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR “ It becomes part of your body and ” not part of what you are pushing. - Alan Ludovici | Designer, Rider, Ethos Creator DISCOVER ETHOS AT www.kimobility.com If You Have Pressure Sores SofTech Cushion NOW FEATURING Bluetooth Wireless Technology Shown without cover HCPCS code E2609 AquilaCorp.com 8667829658 a special thanks to those who support SILVER BRONZE EXECUTIVE full color black w hite PREMIER For more information on how you can support United Spinal and become a corporate member, please contact Megan Lee at [email protected] or 718/803-3782, ext. 7253. Acknowledgements on our website, in NEW MOBILITY, in United Spinal e-news or any other United Spinal publication should not be considered as endorsements of any product or service. CONTENTSIssue 310 - July 2019 life beyond wheels COVER STORY THE RETURN OF THE IBOT 22 Twenty years after Dean Kamen revealed his stair-climbing wonder chair on national TV, the iBOT is poised to take center stage again with a new and improved model. The original iBOT built a loyal following but never found a wide user base because of a number of issues, including its high cost. BOB VOGEL tested the new model and talked with the team members behind it to see what they learned from the original’s struggles and how they are working to make iBOT 2.0 a success. Cover and Contents Photos by Matthew Lomanno Photography FEATURES DEPARTMENTS 4 BULLY PULPIT 16 BAJA OR BUST Everybody told KIRK WILLIAMS he was crazy to drive to Baja 5 BEHIND THE STORIES California and live and work out of his converted Sprinter van. 6 SHARE “It’s not safe!” “You’re a quad!” Luckily, Williams didn’t listen. 8 POSTS 10 ASK US 32 HANDCYCLE HEAVEN In his basement workshop, Christian Bagg designed an off-road 12 EAT WELL mountain trike that offers functionality and fun unlike anything we’ve 13 REFRAMED seen before. SETH MCBRIDE reports on the Bowhead Reach. 14 HOW WE ROLL 40 GEAR HACKS 36 THE WHEELCHAIR JUNKIE 42 Longtime NM contributor Mark Smith was more than a writer — he RESEARCH MATTERS was a father, a husband, a friend, a product rep and of course, THE 47 CLASSIFIEDS Wheelchair Junkie. Smith passed late last year, but his eloquent 48 LAST WORD writing keeps him with us. We’ve collected a sample as a tribute. life beyond wheels BULLYBy Ian PULPITRuder NEW MOBILITY IS THE MONTHLY MAGAZINE OF UNITED SPINAL ASSOCIATION THE PRICE OF PROGRESS PRESIDENT & CEO: JAMES WEISMAN VP OF PUBLICATIONS: JEAN DOBBS The reveal of the iBOT in 1999 was the come. Seat elevators, power assist devices first time I can remember getting excited and improved drive systems are but a few of about adaptive equipment. I’d been injured the many advances we enjoy today thanks to EDITORIAL just over a year and still hadn’t sold myself the innovations of the last 20 years. PUBLISHER: JEAN DOBBS on the idea of using a power chair full In an ideal world, all of these life- EXECUTIVE EDITOR: JOSIE BYZEK time. In my 18-year-old mind it was pretty changing devices would be affordable for EDITOR: IAN RUDER simple: Cool kids used manual chairs and everyone from day one. But it’s just as easy ASSOCIATE EDITOR: SETH MCBRIDE everybody else used power chairs. EDITOR EMERITUS: TIM GILMER Watching the iBOT cruise over sand and “Before you slam down the SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: BOB VOGEL snow and then, miraculously climb up and down stairs, it seemed like it could change magazine or rage-quit your things — improve access and perceptions browser, think back to 1999 CUSTOMER SERVICE of what a wheelchair could do. In this issue we cover two new products that have the and how far adaptive tech Toll-free 800/404-2898, ext. 7203 same potential, the second-generation iBOT and the Bowhead Reach. Both offer has come.” ADVERTISING SALES slick designs and unique, empowering to imagine a much darker reality in which features that could change users’ lives. 718/803-3782 the innovation that actually improves our They also share the original iBOT’s ultimate MANAGER, CORPORATE RELATIONS: mobility equipment has been replaced by MEGAN LEE, EXT. 7253 downfall: a hefty price tag with limited corporate restyling — where new names, prospects of insurance coverage. AD MATERIALS: DEANNA FIKE, EXT. 7250 model numbers and letters are the only The new iBOT will set you back almost real changes from year to year. PRODUCTION $30,000. The Bowhead Reach starts at Innovators like Dean Kamen, inventor PRODUCTION MANAGER: DEANNA FIKE $15,000. of the iBOT, and Christian Bagg, inventor In their respective features, Bob Vogel of the Bowhead Reach, are a big part of CIRCULATION and Seth McBride do a good job explaining why the technology keeps improving – CIRCULATION MANAGER: some of the intricacies behind why these even if it seems to do so too slowly or at BEVERLY SMITH devices cost so much and why insurance too high a cost. The stories behind them CIRCULATION COORDINATOR: doesn’t touch them, but I can sympathize and their inventions are as interesting as MARIA KURTZ with anyone who reads about the new chairs the devices themselves, and they reflect and feels left out. On top of the never-end- the underlying dynamics that drive the POSTMASTER: Send address changes to New ing list of medical and adaptive expenses so Mobility, 120-34 Queens Blvd, #320, Kew Gardens technology so many of us rely on. NY 11415. Subscription rates: $27.95/year; $35.95/ many of us must endure, how the hell are we As Vogel reports in this issue’s cover year in Canada; $67.95/year international via supposed to afford these things? story, there are already people lining up to airmail. New Mobility (ISSN 1086-4741), Volume 30, Issue 310, is published monthly by United The harsh reality is that unless you be- buy a new iBOT, and surely there are many Spinal Association, 120-34 Queens Blvd, #320, come god’s gift to crowdfunding or win the outdoor enthusiasts who will find a way to Kew Gardens NY 11415. Copyright 2019, all rights reserved. Reproduction without permission of any lottery, there’s no how-to guide or resource pony up for the Bowhead Reach. Hopefully material contained herein is strictly prohibited. We list we can publish that will make it easier both companies will find ways to lower welcome comments; we reserve the right to edit for you to get an iBOT or Bowhead Reach. their price, allowing more of us to enjoy submissions. But before you slam down the magazine them and benefit from their advances. In Periodicals postage paid at Flushing, NY and additional mailing offices. or rage-quit your browser wondering why we the meantime, by sharing their stories and would devote so much space to things that reporting on their inventions, we hope to www.newmobility.com seem so far out of reach, think back to 1999 inspire the next generation of inventors www.unitedspinal.org and how far wheelchair and adaptive tech has and keep progress rolling. 4 NEW MOBILITY life beyond wheels BEHIND THEWith Ian Ruder STORIES CONTRIBUTING EDITORS MICHAEL COLLINS MIKE ERVIN ROXANNE FURLONG ALEX GHENIS life beyond wheels RICHARD HOLICKY KATE MATELAN It’s been a whopping 32 months since Bob Vogel ALLEN RUCKER wrote “The iBOT Returns: Lighter, Leaner and Cov- ROBERT SAMUELS ered by Insurance?” for our November 2016 issue, but ERIC STAMPFLI as he reports now, the new iBOT is finally almost here. ELLEN STOHL Vogel has been on the beat the whole time and got BOB VOGEL a firsthand look and test-drive this winter. You’ll have LOREN WORTHINGTON to read the article for his verdict on the product, but one of his takeaways after using the iBOT’s standing and stair climbing features was an even deeper appre- ciation of the need to reform Centers for Medicare & COMMUNITY PARTNERS Medicaid Services’ “In Home Rule.” The rule restricts KIM ANDERSON Medicare coverage of mobility assistive equipment CHRISTIAAN “OTTER” BAILEY (wheelchairs, walkers, scooters, and other mobility de- MARTY BALL vices) to only those needed for assistance with mobility-related activities of daily TIFFINY CARLSON living in the home. “Using the iBOT drives home how silly the In Home Rule is and LAWRENCE CARTER-LONG shows how out of touch CMS is with what accessibility really means,” says Vogel. RORY COOPER JASON DASILVA DEBORAH DAVIS TOBIAS FORREST Based on the number of letters and comments we re- JENNIFER FRENCH ceive, Reveca Torres’ Reframed column has quickly ALLISON CAMERON GRAY become one of our readers’ favorites. Torres blends MINNA HONG the eye of an artist, the perspective of an SCI advo- cate and a deep intellect to create bimonthly contri- MARK JOHNSON butions that speak volumes about life with a spinal GARY KARP cord injury, using a few carefully selected words and NANCY BECKER KENNEDY images. For her part, Torres says she appreciates the CORY LEE opportunity the space has given her “to delve into the BRITTANY MARTIN details of everyday life.” LINDA MASTANDREA LYNN MURRAY ASHLEY LYN OLSON TEAL SHERER Every group or organization needs a go-to person TARI HARTMAN SQUIRE who either has the answers or knows where to get MITCH TEPPER them. United Spinal Association, which includes NEW REVECA TORRES MOBILITY, is incredibly fortunate to have Bill Fertig in ANTHONY TUSLER that role as the head of the organization’s Resource KARY WRIGHT Center.