Occupational Therapy Grad Students Help Community Members Keep Rolling
According to the New York State Department of Health, 23.1 percent of adults in Suffolk County have a disability, with many of them relying on mobility devices. At the same time, more than half of wheelchair users experience malfunctions requiring costly repairs and weeks without mobility, leading to missed appointments, isolation and increased risk of injury.
To bring attention to this challenge and help fellow members of the local community, Stony Brook occupational therapy (OT) students in collaboration with Independence Care System (ICS) On a Roll hosted a “Wheelchair Clean-Up and Tune-Up” in late April.
The free, hands-on maintenance event for wheelchair users based in Suffolk County took place at Stony Brook’s Research and Support Services Building, with the support of wheelchair experts and graduating OT students, including Rachel Pincus, Meagan Punay, Nicole Droesch and Garrett Steen.
The goal was to increase users’ independence with wheelchair maintenance to ensure the longevity of their mobility device, and to offer an opportunity for them to gain social connections with local wheelchair-using peers to increase the environmental and social support of participants.
Funding was provided by the Dean’s Office at the Stony Brook School of Health Professions and by the Stony Brook University occupational therapy program. Partners included ICS, a comprehensive wheelchair program and provider of specialized mobility assessments conducted by expert occupational and physical therapists, and Self-Initiated Living Options (SILO), a nonprofit that provides programs and services to people with disabilities throughout Long Island.
The tune-up was organized by Hannah Mercier, an assistant professor in the Occupational Therapy Master of Science program and the OT Service Learning Capstone student group.
“Last semester I got the wheels in motion, arranging for the seating and mobility experts, securing the venue and funding, and then passed it on to the students to coordinate the remaining activities this semester,” said Mercier. “As soon as master clinician and assistive technology provider Jean Minkel of ICS was on board, I knew this would be a tremendous learning event for the community.”
Minkel donated her time to support the students who were “so interested in helping people with a mobility disability.”
Peer leaders Peter Gagliardo from the Helen Hayes Rehabilitation Hospital and Matthew Castelluccio from the United Spinal Association also lent their expertise. Helen Hayes Rehabilitation Hospital, located in West Haverstraw, New York, is the nation’s first free-standing, state-operated hospital dedicated to the treatment of individuals with physical disabilities. United Spinal Association is a New York-based nonprofit dedicated to empowering individuals with spinal cord injuries through advocacy, education and vital resources like wheelchairs.
“Peter and Matthew were integral to the success of the event,” said Pincus. “We learned a lot by working with them for this great community event. Matthew ran the tune-up station to complete and teach simple fixes and adjustments. Peter ran the Tire Changing Station, educating both student volunteers and participants on the steps to change a tire and fix a flat inner tube.”
There were 15 participants in total, along with 8 volunteers from the OT department and the Capstone team. Outreach efforts also caught the eye of local vendor Thomas Bransky of Eldon Medtech, a Long Island-based supplier of medical equipment who donated the wheelchair tools for the raffle.
“We received a lot of positive feedback from participants during the event, and overall we were thrilled with the turnout we received,” Pincus added. “We hope that this event is sustainable and can grow with years to come. We will surely be in attendance as OTs if this event continues in the future.”
“I travel 80 percent of the time alone, mostly via ParaTransit, and go to many events in New York City and Nassau and Suffolk Counties,” said attendee Miki Dash. “As I’m permanently dependent on my manual wheelchairs, I wanted to find a group I could ask questions of. I’ve always felt the need to converse with fellow wheelchair users as I can identify more readily with them for also being in the trenches. This event lived up to all my expectations. It was lively and everyone was enthusiastic. This was a fantastic opportunity for me to make contacts with both individuals and organizations necessary for transitioning to a new way of life.”
“The OT students ran a massive marketing effort and they attracted people as far away as Nassau County and as near as employees right here at Stony Brook,” said Mercier. “They did a phenomenal job with this meaningful event and equipped individuals and communities with the tools to stay mobile.”
— Robert Emproto