Disability Rights Advocates for Technology

To solve many of the mobility issues facing our disabled veterans in a manner which is both psychologically uplifting and physically beneficial, promoting greater independence and the successful reintegration into their communities resulting in greater opportunities for them to live independent, joyful, purpose filled lives.

The Segs4Vets program provides assessment, training, device selection and customization of ALLY Chair adapted Segways and Segways to meet the individual needs of newly selected recipients of the Segs4Vets program. In addition to individual assessment and training throughout the United States the program has since 2006 maintained ongoing assessment and training programs at the three major military medical centers providing rehabilitative care to our severely injured military members, including Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, San Antonio Area Military Medical Center and the Naval Medical Center in San Diego.

In addition, through a partnership with Caterpillar, Inc., Segs4Vets is developing technology that allows disabled veterans and first responders to operate heavy machinery remotely. This revolutionary program will provide new employment opportunities for disabled veterans and first responders with permanent physical disabilities. For example, a disabled first responder can discover a renewed sense of purpose as he operates a CAT Dozer 8 in Missouri, and helps build a new waste management facility in Arizona—using the latest remote technology.

Beginning in 2005, Segs4Vets has developed over the last 14 years, protocols and systems to assess the potential of and train people with disabilities in the utilization of universally designed mobility devices to enhance their independence and improve their overall quality of life. The overall expertise of the program is unmatched anywhere in the world.  Volunteerism is the foundation of the Segs4Vets program which consists of a core group of volunteers numbering more than 30 including people with disabilities, retired members of the United States military
including those from the military medical community, physical therapists, disabled veterans, and successful members of the business community throughout the United States.

The Segs4Vets program maintains four continuing assessment and training programs. Three of those are located at military medical rehabilitation facilities, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda Maryland, San Antonio Area Military Medical Center at the Center for the Intrepid in the San Antonio Texas and at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego California. The fourth facility, operated by Segs4Vets staff, is located in St. Louis Missouri.

We have awarded more than 2000 recipients and annually provide support services to more than 400 prior recipients and their families. Through training, mentoring and collaborating with our recipients, these unique devices are solving many of the mobility issues facing our disabled veterans in a manner which is both psychologically uplifting and physically beneficial, promoting greater independence and the successful reintegration into their communities, resulting in greater opportunities for them to live purpose-filled, independent, joyful lives. The Segs4Vets program has awarded more than 2000 universally designed mobility devices, Segways and ALLY Chair adapted Segways, which do not draw attention to the recipient’s physical disability. While the program’s historical and primary focus has been on those who have served in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, we have has since been able to broaden our support to other disabled veterans who meet specific criteria. The program not only awards new devices but also provides ongoing support services such as battery replacement, key fob programming and replacement, maintenance and warranty services, use and access counseling, advocacy services and ongoing device appropriateness assessment to the more than 2,000 military families since 2005. We recognize the continuing maintenance needs from those who have benefited from the use of Segways and ALLY Chair adapted Segways. As the fleet of devices ages awarded to our earlier recipients, the support services component of the Segs4Vets program will consume an increasingly significant portion of our available resources impacting the number of new devices we can issue each year.

Looking forward, in 2019, Segs4Vets began a collaboration with Caterpillar, Inc.’s (CAT) Autonomy and Automation Construction Digital & Technology Division to assess and develop career opportunities for our disabled veterans that were previously not accessible. Members of our Warrior Board experienced this technology firsthand by operating a D8 dozer in Tucson, Arizona via real-time remote control from a command trailer in St. Louis, Missouri. Ultimately, this program could lead to an extraordinary, untapped workforce of disabled American veterans operating heavy equipment around the globe remotely from the command facilities near their homes. We are working to rapidly expand this program to serve more disabled veterans to provide our American heroes with workforce training, job placement, and high paying jobs—providing them with a purpose-filled life, and creating a pipeline for the rapidly growing waste management and mining industries.