Supply chain issues have been affecting consumers since the start of the pandemic, but wheelchair users are suffering in a far different way, as delays in production and repairs limit their mode of transportation. Now, some in New Jersey are speaking out.
“This isn’t just a wheelchair I use sometimes; this is really my body,” said Colleen Roche, a Montclair resident and head of the New Jersey Statewide Independent Living Council.
Roche, who was born with cerebral palsy, said it has been four months since she has had a fully working wheelchair. “I don’t have the luxury to just go and get the part or a wheelchair next week,” she said. “It’s an entire process of measuring my body and making sure the equipment on my chair is specifically designed to my physical needs.”
Roche is among those who hope New Jersey will consider legislation that includes routine wheelchair maintenance to expedite repairs.
