Survey: Mobility devices hamper employment
By HME News Staff
Updated Fri July 27, 2018
YARMOUTH, Maine - The majority of wheelchair users say using a mobility device has negatively impacted them while working or job hunting, according to a new survey.
The survey, conducted on behalf of the Toyota Mobility Foundation, highlights the need for innovative assistive technology to help people with limited mobility succeed in the U.S. workplace, according to a press release.
More than one-third (36%) of wheelchair users in the U.S. say they have been unable to work as a result of their device; one-quarter (27%) say they feel their talent has been wasted; and one-fifth (20%) say they have been given less responsibility at work.
“With potentially millions of people around the world unable to work or be as productive due to their current mobility devices, there are clear social and economic implications which highlight the urgent need for innovation in the field of assistive technology,” said Ryan Klem, director of programs for the foundation, in the release.
The survey was commissioned as part of the foundation's $4 million Mobility Unlimited Challenge, which launched in November. A survey released in April gathered data highlighting the pain caused to wheelchair users by outdated technology.
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