Finally, some momentum on the Community Choice Act. I think that most people would agree that having the option of living at home or landing in an institution is a good thing.

Still, for wheelchair users there is more to living at home than receiving customary services outside of an institution. There is still the outstanding issue of the wheelchair and its routine repair and maintenance.

Imagine a scenario where funded (Medicare, Medicaid, insurance) wheelchairs are getting much tougher to get every year. Where lawmakers openly endorse and promote limiting access to wheelchairs and related services. Compound that with the fact that needed repairs and maintenance are also getting tighter and at times leaving wheelchair users stranded for months at a time. Well, this scenario presently exists and things may be getting even tougher down the road.

What then is the upshot for wheelchair users caught in such a scenario. It’s easy, we go from trying to keep people in their homes and communities back to square one- returning them to the dreaded status of “housebound” for lack of a wheelchair or repairs.