403
Sorry!!
Error! We're sorry, but the page you were
looking for doesn't exist.
ADAPTS Slings Now Offered In New Cure SMA Travel Support Packages
(MENAFN- EIN Presswire)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT, UNITED STATES, February 10, 2025 /EINPresswire / -- Cure SMA is giving ADAPTS Portable Transfer Slings free-of-charge to individuals with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The slings, along with Apple AirTags, memory foam travel pillows, mobility-device tags, and footstools, will be featured in the advocacy organization's new travel support packages to make flying and transfers easier, safer, and more comfortable for people with mobility issues. Those interested can visit the Cure SMA website and fill out a request form for the packages.
“The world of aviation is finally and rightly beginning to turn its eyes to the many inequities of air travel,” said Robin Wearley, PA-C, MSc, the founder and president of ADAPTS.“For the moment, as people who use wheelchairs must transfer out of their wheelchairs and fly in regular commercial airplane seats, these slings make transferring simpler for the passengers and the passenger lift teams. And in a future where people will hopefully fly from their wheelchairs without the need to transfer, our slings will still be useful in any emergency-evacuation situations.”
Experts estimate spinal muscular atrophy affects roughly 1 in every 15,000 newborns. SMA is a genetic condition, and as they age, most individuals with spinal muscular atrophy use wheelchairs and are unable to walk or stand. They are also prone to physical injuries, so even moving from an“aisle chair,” used to fit through the tight aisles of an airplane cabin, to a regular cabin seat can be dangerous. The ADAPTS sling is easy to slide underneath someone with little mobility and eliminates awkward carrying and lifting from support staff.
"We know traveling by air can be especially difficult for those with SMA who use mobility devices, as they are required to transfer out of their wheelchairs during air travel,” said Shannon O'Brien, the vice president of Community Support at Cure SMA.“Thanks to feedback from many adults with SMA, Cure SMA created a new travel support package filled with a number of recommended assistive travel items, including the highly recommended ADAPTS portable transfer sling, to help adults with SMA fly more safely and comfortably until we reach our ultimate goal of passengers flying in their own custom wheelchairs."
The ADAPTS sling is designed for emergency evacuations; it's made of state-of-the-art flame-retardant material and meets FAA heat standards. The sling can hold up to 450 pounds and has six handles for two or more people to safely lift someone. This tool is key for flight attendants who are required by law to be able to evacuate their cabins in 90 seconds or less. Multiple global commercial airlines have purchased the slings and are storing them onboard their planes for their flight attendants to use during boarding or in the event of an emergency. The slings fold up and weigh only 1 pound, so they are easy to fit onboard already-crowded airplanes.
“People with disabilities have historically been an afterthought in aviation. At the very least, they deserve to be part of thoughtful airplane-evacuation plans, and we're excited to support more people with disabilities safely and easily taking advantage of air travel,” said Wearley.
While the ADAPTS sling was conceived and designed for air travel by a former flight attendant, many individuals with disabilities purchase them for other transfer needs.
“The ADAPTS sling is a game-changer for wheelchair users, like myself, who travel by air frequently,” said Sarah Bellish, Cure SMA Manager of Policy and Advocacy.“It enhances both safety and dignity by providing a reliable, versatile solution for transfers during boarding and emergencies. Flying should be safe and accessible for everyone, and tools like this help bridge the gap until true accessibility, like flying from our wheelchairs, becomes a reality.”
More information on the Cure SMA Travel Support Packages can be found on their website.
ADAPTS, LLC
ADAPTS, LLC, is an American company based in Utah and the manufacturer of the ADAPTS Portable Transfer Sling. Founded in 2017 to make transfers for people with disabilities easier and safer within airplane cabins, ADAPTS is passionate about bringing equity to the air and allowing those with disabilities a safe, accessible, and easy flying experience by solving a need for both airlines and passengers. The ADAPTS sling is available for purchase online.
“The world of aviation is finally and rightly beginning to turn its eyes to the many inequities of air travel,” said Robin Wearley, PA-C, MSc, the founder and president of ADAPTS.“For the moment, as people who use wheelchairs must transfer out of their wheelchairs and fly in regular commercial airplane seats, these slings make transferring simpler for the passengers and the passenger lift teams. And in a future where people will hopefully fly from their wheelchairs without the need to transfer, our slings will still be useful in any emergency-evacuation situations.”
Experts estimate spinal muscular atrophy affects roughly 1 in every 15,000 newborns. SMA is a genetic condition, and as they age, most individuals with spinal muscular atrophy use wheelchairs and are unable to walk or stand. They are also prone to physical injuries, so even moving from an“aisle chair,” used to fit through the tight aisles of an airplane cabin, to a regular cabin seat can be dangerous. The ADAPTS sling is easy to slide underneath someone with little mobility and eliminates awkward carrying and lifting from support staff.
"We know traveling by air can be especially difficult for those with SMA who use mobility devices, as they are required to transfer out of their wheelchairs during air travel,” said Shannon O'Brien, the vice president of Community Support at Cure SMA.“Thanks to feedback from many adults with SMA, Cure SMA created a new travel support package filled with a number of recommended assistive travel items, including the highly recommended ADAPTS portable transfer sling, to help adults with SMA fly more safely and comfortably until we reach our ultimate goal of passengers flying in their own custom wheelchairs."
The ADAPTS sling is designed for emergency evacuations; it's made of state-of-the-art flame-retardant material and meets FAA heat standards. The sling can hold up to 450 pounds and has six handles for two or more people to safely lift someone. This tool is key for flight attendants who are required by law to be able to evacuate their cabins in 90 seconds or less. Multiple global commercial airlines have purchased the slings and are storing them onboard their planes for their flight attendants to use during boarding or in the event of an emergency. The slings fold up and weigh only 1 pound, so they are easy to fit onboard already-crowded airplanes.
“People with disabilities have historically been an afterthought in aviation. At the very least, they deserve to be part of thoughtful airplane-evacuation plans, and we're excited to support more people with disabilities safely and easily taking advantage of air travel,” said Wearley.
While the ADAPTS sling was conceived and designed for air travel by a former flight attendant, many individuals with disabilities purchase them for other transfer needs.
“The ADAPTS sling is a game-changer for wheelchair users, like myself, who travel by air frequently,” said Sarah Bellish, Cure SMA Manager of Policy and Advocacy.“It enhances both safety and dignity by providing a reliable, versatile solution for transfers during boarding and emergencies. Flying should be safe and accessible for everyone, and tools like this help bridge the gap until true accessibility, like flying from our wheelchairs, becomes a reality.”
More information on the Cure SMA Travel Support Packages can be found on their website.
ADAPTS, LLC
ADAPTS, LLC, is an American company based in Utah and the manufacturer of the ADAPTS Portable Transfer Sling. Founded in 2017 to make transfers for people with disabilities easier and safer within airplane cabins, ADAPTS is passionate about bringing equity to the air and allowing those with disabilities a safe, accessible, and easy flying experience by solving a need for both airlines and passengers. The ADAPTS sling is available for purchase online.
Alex Gardner
ADAPTS
+1 610-295-2954
email us here
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Most popular stories
More Story
Comments
No comment