The Mac Wheelers: The best equipped wheelchair accessible exercise program in the country

Spinal cord injury affects 86 000 Canadians with 4300 new cases a year. Over 50% are caused by traumatic events. Dr. Audrey Hicks is the founding director of the Mac Wheelers, an innovative McMaster University program that provides locomotor and strength training to the injured.

This twice weekly program helps develop strength, aerobic capacity and perceived quality of life. Individuals with spinal cord injuries who are inactive have increased risk of secondary health complications. Because it is linked to the kinesiology department at McMaster, a significant number of volunteer students are available to provide one-to-one assistance which is at the heart of the program. Manual and robotic assisted body weight supported tread mill training help improve the functional walking ability of the 65 weekly participants. 

The Mac Wheelers program is integrated into both the academic and research streams at the university. Besides undergraduate student volunteers there are opportunities for kinesiology theses and research projects where the Mac Wheelers members serve as study subjects for numerous research projects each year.

There are challenges: sustainability and funding being the key ones. What is needed is a steady stream of money to continue the project which started in 1999. The equipment is expensive and although the volunteers are free, there is a cost involved in keeping them well trained to work with spinal cord injuries. As well, the program is expanding into the MS population.

Alternate sources of funding are needed and Colleen Cupido,the director of experiencial education and business development is tasked with finding these sources to keep the program going.

Go to http://www.science.mcmaster.ca/pace/programs/mac-wheelers for more information on how you can be part of the program or help to support it.