Smartphone Apps to Help Spinal Cord Injury Patients

By: Robert Weisbeck, PT, DPT, NCS 

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In contemporary life, we as individuals and communities are constantly connected. We crave social interaction, leisure activities, and access to each other as well as the world around us. Over the past couple decades, modern technologies such as smartphones have facilitated our desire to engage not only with each other but with our environment as well.

Physical impairments resulting from a spinal cord injury (SCI) can sometimes lead to decreased social interaction and feeling unable to participate in the undertakings that bring us pleasure. Fortunately, there are a number of mobile apps and similar resources that can be helpful to those living with disabilities to improve their quality of life and make getting out into the community easier. 

Want to skip reading? Watch the video below as we discuss helpful apps to assist and aid individuals with a spinal cord injury.

8 Mobile Apps That Help People With Physical Disabilities

At Sheltering Arms Institute, we’ve compiled a non-exhaustive list of resources that we have found to be helpful and user-friendly for individuals living with SCIs. There are many awesome apps out there that may suit your specific tastes and needs. This list is meant only to be an introduction to resources that might help make life a little easier, healthier, and more fun. We encourage you to do your own research and see what else you can find!

1. iAccess Life: Finding accessible businesses can be challenging for those with SCIs. How do you know if the place you want to go will have an accessible entrance or restroom? Will the parking situation be acceptable? These questions make planning trips more demanding and less fun. iAccess Life is an app that provides reviews of business’ accessibility based on actual user ratings. This is important because knowing that a recommendation came from a peer experience rather than a less keen eye can improve your confidence in the reliability of the ratings. iAccess Life allows users to rate the accessibility of a location, browse already rated locations, and keep and track a list of favorite accessible places. In essence, this is Google Maps for people with disabilities. It’s a great app to keep handy when you are traveling to less familiar areas as well!

2. Wheelmate: Another great lifestyle app is Wheelmate. Wheelmate helps people find accessible toilets and parking spaces, which are two of the most common complaints individuals with spinal cord injuries have while traveling. According to their app store description, “The WheelMate app currently has more than 35,000 locations across 45 countries, and more are being added every day.” Locations can be added and updated by the app’s users, meaning the app will only get better as more people join. When using this app, we found the interactive map and intuitive software to be a game changer. The simplicity makes the app easy to navigate, which is a bonus for those who have impaired dexterity.

3. Parking Mobility: Parking Mobility is a great app for those with and without SCIs. It’s about improving community standards. Not only does this app allow its users to find, share, and suggest accessible parking locations to others, but it also allows anyone to report illegal parking. One of the worst situations is being unable to get into or out of your accessible vehicle because someone else has parked illegally. With ParkingMobility, you can report illegally parked vehicles by simply taking pictures and sharing them to the app. Once a location meets a certain number of reports, ParkingMobility will then approach local officials for partnerships (i.e., reports will start going directly to law enforcement and hopefully curb future infractions).

4. Mobility Works: Mobility Works is a national company that provides wheelchair-accessible vans and adaptive driving controls. They also sell scooters and wheelchairs, but you should discuss these options with your therapy team beforehand. If you need a vehicle that can accommodate a power wheelchair or driving controls that are tailored to your level of ability, Mobility Works can help you. You can buy new and used vehicles, set up appointments to work with a consultant, and even rent vehicles for specific time intervals if it suits you. Everything from entire cars to simple loading ramps can be found through Mobility Works. Their app doesn’t give access to the whole gambit of services the company provides, so you may need to call or visit a physical location to discuss more detailed needs. Overall, this app is a great starting point especially if you know you are ready to purchase an accessible vehicle.

5. Uber and Lyft: If you don’t own an accessible vehicle, there are still ways to help you get out and enjoy the community. Companies like Uber and Lyft have options to accommodate a variety of ability levels and transport equipment. Both offer the option of XL vehicles, which are usually larger SUVs that are great for manual chairs and smaller devices. Uber has Uber WAV and Uber Assist available in many major cities, which are listed on their website. These services assist with heavy equipment such as powerchairs and have drivers who may be able to assist with car transfers or other specific needs. Lyft also has an accessible vehicle dispatch option, which is buried in the settings menu and could be difficult to find, and, like Uber, provides wheelchair-accessible vehicle support. Notably, you should check each company’s website to ensure they operate their assistive services in your location.

6. Wheel With Me Adapt Fit: Wheel With Me Adapt Fit is a specialized workout app crafted by wheelchair users specifically for wheelchair users. The app is designed to offer a range of customized programs and workouts aimed at helping you surpass your fitness goals and achieve greater independence. According to the app store description, the app focuses on providing tailored strength programs, engaging floor workouts, daily motivational content, and more. Its user-friendly design ensures that you can easily integrate these exercises into your routine, making it a convenient and supportive tool for enhancing your fitness and overall well-being.

7. SpinalPedia: SpinalPedia is a website rather than an app. Users can create an account to become a community member or request access to a library of free information on spinal cord injuries. If you have questions that need to be answered, Spinalpedia can help you access a vast wealth of user-friendly materials to assist you. They give you access to learning portals, how-to videos, legal resources, peer discussion forums, and more. This website is geared toward fun and function. We encourage everyone to check out this website for yourself as there is just simply too much to cover in this article!

8. United Spinal Association: Finally, the United Spinal Association has a UsersFirst Mobility Map. While this is not an app, it provides a wealth of information for wheelchair users. The goal is to help you find answers to common questions about getting a wheelchair. Each chapter guides you step-by-step through the process of getting a wheelchair. It also has links that provide general knowledge and tips and tricks for individuals with spinal cord injuries. If you haven’t checked out the United Spinal Association yet, you should visit their website. They are a wonderful community resource!

The resources above can help you become more independent and enjoy life, whether it’s finding accessible businesses, finding an accessible bathroom or parking spot, or taking care into your own hands with exercises designed for you.

We hope you’ve found this article informative! To schedule an evaluation with one of our spinal cord injury experts, contact us online or call (804) 764-1000.

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