Wheelchair Comparison Video Series

People with paralysis use wheelchairs to navigate busy and full lives, whether attending a child’s soccer game, brainstorming alongside work colleagues, or meeting friends on a Friday night.

The updated Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Wheelchair Comparison Series, available on the Foundation’s YouTube channel, can help community members pursue the lives they want with a wheelchair that fits their needs.

More than a dozen different wheelchairs and devices are spotlighted in this 14-part video series, ranging from lightweight models easily carried onto airplanes to sturdier chairs that can elevate or quickly climb hills.

While making the series, director Jenni Gold was determined to include as many details as possible about each chair. Design and function are assessed with an emphasis on features that make a difference in the day-to-day, including turning radius, battery life, and speed capabilities.

“What do I want people to know about these wheelchairs?” she says. “Everything.”

Gold, who has lived with muscular dystrophy since she was a child, understands firsthand the importance of finding the right wheelchair. As co-founder of Gold Pictures and director of “CinemAbility: The Art of Inclusion,” her days are often spent zipping back and forth over thick cables on a sound stage: a good battery and durability are key functions she cannot live without.

“I personally need a workhorse that won’t break down,” Gold says. “But everyone has different priorities.”

The video series not only includes comprehensive interviews with industry experts but also features product testing and input from people living with a range of spinal cord injuries. The wheelchairs are put to work navigating small spaces, crossing bumpy sidewalks, and rolling over thick sand as users compare notes about snazzy designs, smooth turns, and clunky control features.

“This is not a corporate commercial,” Gold says. “These are real reactions and real reviews.”

Gold hopes that the series entertains community members but also empowers them when they choose their next chair.

“My mission is to let the people speak for themselves and shop for themselves,” she says. “It’s all about being independent and having the knowledge about what’s best for you and your quality of life.”

The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation 2022 Wheelchair Comparison Series is available to watch on the Reeve Foundation YouTube channel. Wheelchairs and mobility devices featured in these videos include Sunrise Medical Octane Sub4, Octane FX, Quickie Q300 M Mini, Magic Mobility Extreme X8, and Nitrum; Permobil powerchairs F5 Corpus VS and M3 Corpus and manual chair TiLite TR; Bounder 300 by 21 Century Scientific; iBOT by Mobius Mobility; C2 by Whill; Zeen by Exokinetics; the Alinker; and the Omeo.

For more information about director Jenni Gold, please visit her website: https://www.goldpictures.com.