Course Description:

This is an online, asynchronous, continuing education course which provides clinicians an opportunity to learn effective teaching methods for intermediate and advanced wheelchair skills as part of an ongoing study on increasing access to wheelchair skills training. Wheelchair skills include basic skills like opening a door, and advanced skills like wheelies, negotiating a curb or uneven terrain, and recovering from a fall. Despite training programs like the Wheelchair Skills Program (WSP) at improving capacity and confidence to perform wheelchair skills and increase participation, many wheelchair users lack key skills. This course will attack this problem by training more professionals to teach manual wheelchair skills. While most therapists receive education on gait-training as part of their standard curriculum, few receive education on wheelchair skills. Further, therapists with experience in wheelchair skills training are likely concentrated in urban centers of excellence. This course aims to improve accessibility of wheelchair skills training to individuals with SCI by improving clinician ability to teach wheelchair skills. These skills will also translate to other patient populations using wheelchair which may include amputation, multiple sclerosis, stroke, and traumatic brain injury among others.