Segways get green light for use in federal hallways

Computerworld - The U.S. government is allowing use of the Segway Personal Transporter in federal buildings by people with disabilities, as long as they don't go over a 3 mph speed limit.

The General Services Administration, which manages office space used by 1.1 million federal workers, published an interim policy on Segway use in the Federal Register on Monday. The GSA essentially is giving Segway users the same rights that users of power-assisted wheelchairs have.

The Segway devices are already being used in federal buildings by some people with disabilities. But disability rights advocates say that the formal policy should help clear up confusion among building security staffers, who have sometimes prevented the use of the personal transportation devices inside facilities.

Jerry Kerr, president of Disability Rights Advocates for Technology (DRAFT) in St. Louis, is a strong proponent of Segway use. Kerr said that in many cases, Segways are a better option than wheelchairs because of the psychological and physiological benefits that come from moving while standing up. For instance, riding a Segway can help users strengthen their muscles and improve their circulation, he said.

"Standing is a much healthier proposition than sitting," said Kerr, who had a spinal cord injury in a 1998 diving accident and now uses both a wheelchair and a Segway.

Kerr sees a particular need for Segways among veterans with war injuries. He said that under a program called Segs4Vets, DRAFT has donated 81 Segways thus far to veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The group plans to donate as many as 250 of the devices this year, and Kerr said he hopes that eventually the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will make Segways available to its clients as part of their care.

Many of the veterans that DRAFT has given Segways to use prosthetics or are burn victims with lung scarring. The devices help them travel long distances -- for instance, across college campuses. "It keeps them out of wheelchairs, and it keeps them on their feet, said Kerr, adding that his group has no affiliation with Segway Inc., the Bedford, N.H-based maker of the Personal Transporter.

Segways can reach 12.5 mph, and a basic model costs about $5,150. The devices can travel 24 miles on a single charge, but they recharge themselves when rolling downhill, said William Hopper, who heads the local Segway user group in Washington and works part time for an Annapolis, Md.-based Segway dealer.