Other chairs do all these things better, safer and cheaper - except 'negotiate' stairs. I have tried this chair and I have a problem with the latter. First, it won't negotiate any stairway. The stairway has to be straight and have a sufficient landing area. Second, you can only use this chair on stairs by yourself if you have the arm and finger strength necessary to start each and every step. Also, there must be a railing on each side and the stairway must be narrow enough for you to reach both railings.
If you can't do this alone then you must have someone with you to pull/push the handle grips to again start each and every step. So, unless you travel with a PCA, I would think you would have a lot of very reluctant bystanders willing to take your word for it that doing this is a safe procedure. And at 25 grand I doubt that very few if any insurances or Medicare/Medicaid would pay for such a chair. But mostly, I don't like this concept because it lets all these businesses off the hook - why put in a ramp when those crips can just get one of those stair climbing chairs? Why build accessible housing when we all could just get one of these chairs? I sure would hate to see all the progress we've made over the last twenty years go down the drain Dan At 02:50 AM 2/8/2007 -0500, [EMAIL PROTECTED] said something that elicited my response: >I wonder if anyone has ever gotten any insurance, Medicare or Medicaid to >cover. > >Dana >Return-Path: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Received: from rly-yb02.mx.aol.com (rly-yb02.mail.aol.com [172.18.205.134]) >by air-yb02.mail.aol.com (v114_r3.2) with ESMTP id MAILINYB24-17f45ca3f42cb; >Wed, 07 Feb 2007 16:06:42 -0500 >Received: from mail34.uptilt.com (mail34.uptilt.com [208.66.204.44]) by >rly-yb02.mx.aol.com (v114_r3.2) with ESMTP id MAILRELAYINYB23-17f45ca3f42cb; >Wed, 07 Feb 2007 16:06:10 -0500 >Received: from [10.0.100.56] ([10.0.100.56:41142] helo=mail6.uptilt.com) > by mta-01.uptilt.com (ecelerity 2.1.1.10 r(13090)) with ESMTP > id B7/78-30983-3EA3AC54 for <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Wed, 07 Feb 2007 > 12:47:31 -0800 >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: Experience the iBOT(R) Mobility System Limited Time Discount Price >Promotion >Date: Wed, 07 Feb 2007 13:05:03 -0800 >X-Delivery: Level 4 >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Content-description: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >X-Complaints-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Message-Id: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >MIME-Version: 1.0 >Content-Type: multipart/alternative; > boundary="=_16bcd5996431e7dbba083158bf33e4db" >From: "New Mobility" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >X-AOL-IP: 208.66.204.44 >X-AOL-SDI: PROFILE >X-Mailer: Unknown (No Version) > >Unlike Any Wheelchair... > >Experience the INDEPENDENCE® iBOT® 4000 Mobility System > * Climb curbs up to five inches high > * Go up or down steps and stairs > * Easily raise yourself to reach high shelves and countertops > * Safely travel at eye level for a conversation while on the move > * Travel over uneven terrain such as grass, gravel and sand ><http://www.uptilt.com/c.html?rtr=on&s=6do,q1t3,1xfr,gsih,crm2,hyva,799o> > > >Go Where You Want To Go... 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For a full list of contraindications and requirements visit our >website at ><http://www.uptilt.com/c.html?rtr=on&s=6do,q1t3,1xfr,fafv,6xix,hyva,799o>www.ibotnow.com > or call 1-866-813-0761. Caution: Federal law restricts this device to sale >by, or on the order of, a licensed healthcare practitioner. Use of this >product outside of labeling may result in personal injury. > ><http://www.uptilt.com/c.html?rtr=on&s=6do,q1t3,1xfr,l8w6,azg7,hyva,799o>Independence > Technology, L.L.C. 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