Most people don’t think twice about navigating curbs, stairs or sidewalks. But for people in wheelchairs, they can be obstacles to daily living. Thanks to Skills on Wheels, a free wheelchair skills training program provided by the IU Occupational Therapy (OT) Program, adults and children are learning how to use their wheelchairs to remove barriers to life experiences and gain more independence.

Children were the first to benefit from Skills on Wheels in central Indiana. In 2021,  IU OT, in partnership with Riley Children’s Health, launched Skills on Wheels for wheelchair users ages 6 to 17. This pediatric program—the first wheelchair skills training program offered for children in the United States—was adapted from wheelchair training for adults developed at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia.

Identifying a similar gap in wheelchair skills training for people over age 17, IU OT and NeuroHope partnered earlier this year to offer free Skills on Wheels training for adults. NeuroHope, a nonprofit organization that provides outpatient rehabilitation services for people living with paralysis, is a fieldwork training site for OT students.

“We’ve had a great experience working with NeuroHope,” said Tony Chase, PhD, assistant professor, occupational therapy program. “They knew about our Skills on Wheels program, came and observed our pediatric training and were really interested in offering it to adults; that’s really how this Skills on Wheels partnership started.”

First adult training held in early 2025

After piloting the program for adults last year, IU OT and NeuroHope offered a Skills on Wheels program—two consecutive Thursday evenings for two hours each session—in February at NeuroHope’s facility on Indianapolis’ north side. Sixteen wheelchair users participated in the sessions, which were facilitated by 12 second-year OT students and supervised by Chase and NeuroHope staff members.

The training, intended to teach participants practical wheelchair skills they could practice at home, included executing wheelies to travel across curbs and uneven sidewalks, using ramps, climbing stairs, and transferring to and from the wheelchair.

“We wanted to offer this type of clinic because there’s such a need for people to learn how to safely and properly use a manual wheelchair and go where they want without feeling restricted just because they use a wheelchair,” said Krista Kaufman, OTD, MS, OTR/L, an occupational therapist at NeuroHope.

Both Chase and Kaufman emphasized the void in wheelchair skills training for both adults and children. This gap existsbecause too often the necessity to prioritize rehabilitation related to activities of daily living doesn’t permit OTs to cover wheelchair skills in the number of visits allowed by insurance.

“It’s so great to be able to tell our clients about a clinic they can come to—free of charge and regardless of insurance coverage—to learn how to use and get around with their wheelchair,” Kaufman said. 

Program’s goal inspires student to participate

Second-year OT student Adriana Martinez volunteered for the pediatric Skills on Wheels program last year because she appreciates the independence it fosters for wheelchair users. Interested in working with adults, she was excited to learn that her fieldwork experience included the adult wheelchair skills training at NeuroHope.

“My husband asked me the other day what experience I’ve had that reaffirmed my decision to become an occupational therapist—and right away I answered, Skills on Wheels,” said Martinez, who as the only bilingual student in the group, was paired with a Spanish-speaking wheelchair user. “To see the look on his face when I told him in Spanish that I would be working with him—it was just an amazing experience to build the trust that we’re taught in OT school.”

Empowering individuals and building stronger communities are the reasons why IU OT and NeuroHope plan to offer more adult Skills on Wheels clinics in the future.

“OT has become so much more than a medical model; we’re working to help support individuals in communities as well,” said Melinda Kurrus, OTD, OTR/L, CHT, OT academic fieldwork coordinator and clinical assistant professor. “Our OT program is establishing more community-based partnerships that allow us to reach people who may not otherwise have access to occupational therapy services.”

Skills on Wheels, a program that has made IU OT a national leader in wheelchair mobility and skills training, is no exception.

“Skills on Wheels has been such a great experience for the participants, as well as our students, it just makes sense to continue offering it and expanding the program,” Chase said. “To offer something that’s so impactful and life changing—that’s also free and accessible­—is rewarding for our department, our students and our partners in the community.”