Current and projected market and requirements for wheelchairs in Australia to 2026
Glide
About
Glide is one of Australia's leading manufacturers of high-quality powered and manual wheelchairs. Since the 1970s, our customers have trusted our expertly tailored and solidly constructed chairs for mobility, functionality and comfort. As Australia's largest manufacturer of powered and manual wheelchairs, we continue to collaborate and partner with research organisations to fill the gap to bring an innovative and advanced medical project to commercialisation.
Glide manufactures a range of powered and manual wheelchairs according to Australian Standards, AS3695 – Wheelchairs - Products Requirements and AS3696 – Wheelchairs - Mobility devices for use as seats in motor vehicles, including crash testing certification.
Wheelchairs manufactured by Glide are registered with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) as a Class One medical device. Glide operations are certified by Compass Assurance to ISO 9001. Glide is currently implementing systems to achieve ISO13485 Medical Device. This standard involves designing, producing, installing, and servicing medical devices and related services. Additionally, Glide is in the process of achieving a net-zero certification of "Climate Active Carbon Neutral" by the Australian Government, including ISO 14001 Environmental Management.
Project
The project will focus on commercial and technical aspects of the Assisted Technology market in Australia.
The project should identify wheelchair users requiring manual, power assist and electric wheelchairs over the coming years. It will involve analysis of the market into users with a disability and users in the aged market. The market for aged users requiring the use of a wheelchair should be segmented based on those requiring a wheelchair in an aged care facility and those requiring use of a wheelchair in an "aging at home" environment. This information can be used by Glide to shape its product offering, enabling the company to play a critical role in helping those in the Australian community needing assistance to maintain mobility and independence.
Benefits
Analyse the desired requirements, both functional and accessories, of a wheelchair to meet the various market segments, which enables manufacture of wheelchairs that are “fit for purpose” to suit the various segments within the aged market. This includes determining the optimal desired weight of a wheelchair to suit the aged market.
Student benefits include an enhanced understand of Australians requiring wheelchairs in Australia. Assisting in design features for a manual wheelchair for elderly Australians to age at home will improve the quality of life for many in need of mobility assistance.
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Ritangi Narang
CQUniversity
Business & Law
Skills: Qualitative & quantitative research, data collection & analysis, proficient in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, NVivo, critical thinking, goal setting & decision making, planning, scheduling, and time management.
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Siyuan Zhuang
Macquarie University
Biomedical Engineering
Skills: Cell culture (bacteria), flow cytometric or FACS assays, fluorescence microscopy, microfluidics, statistical analysis and data interpretation.
Nathan Smith
Murdoch University
Exercise Science
Skills: Fitness & performance testing, research communication & public engagement, data management, problem solving, and teamwork.