The two global leaders in wheelchair and wheelchair accessible vehicle production announce collaboration to integrate mobility technology for individuals with physical disabilities.
Winamac, IN (PRWEB) June 22, 2016 – BraunAbility®, the leading global manufacturer of accessible vehicles, and Permobil, the worldwide leader in power and manual wheelchairs, as well as seating and positioning products, have announced a joint research and development venture to improve the interface between wheelchairs and wheelchair accessible vehicles.
The two organizations will collaborate on technical research and engineering with the ultimate goal of increasing independence and improving the total mobility experience for individuals with physical disabilities. The partnership will lead to breakthrough concepts that offer greater freedom and improve everyday life for their mutual customers.
“Permobil has exceptional research and development capabilities, and we share a commitment to innovation and a sharp focus on customer experience,” said BraunAbility CEO Nick Gutwein. “Individually our brands have contributed huge advancements in mobility over our long histories. Now our paths have converged, and we are confident the result will be technology that empowers our customers with unprecedented freedom and the autonomy to more fully experience and enjoy life.”
“There is an approach called “working backwards” that is widely used at Permobil. We try to work backwards from the customer, rather than starting with an idea for a product and trying to bolt customers onto it. While working backwards can be applied to any specific product decision, using this approach is especially important when developing new products or features. BraunAbility and Permobil share this customer centric philosophy, and together our teams will revolutionize the interfaces between chairs and vehicles,” said Permobil President Larry Jackson.
Together, the two companies represent the most-trusted and extensive portfolio of technology products for individuals with physical disabilities. BraunAbility is a principal stakeholder in Autoadapt, the Sweden-based provider of safe mobility solutions. Additionally, over the last two years, Permobil has acquired TiLite, a leading manufacturer of customized manual wheelchairs and ROHO, the global leader in skin protection and positioning solutions for wheelchair users.
BraunAbility and Permobil are sister companies both owned by the same parent company Investor AB, a Sweden-based investment company founded by the Wallenberg family. Investor AB will celebrate their 100 year anniversary this year.
About BraunAbility
BraunAbility is the world’s leading manufacturer of wheelchair accessible vehicles and wheelchair lifts in the mobility industry. Founded nearly 50 years ago by Ralph Braun, the corporation was built on the age-old adage, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Ralph Braun was a young man who used a wheelchair and had no reliable transportation to and from his place of work. He built his first wheelchair accessible vehicle in 1972, and since then the company has grown into the most well-known and trusted name in the mobility industry, bringing independence to millions of individuals across the world.
For more information about BraunAbility, please visit http://www.braunability.com
About Permobil
Permobil, TiLite, and ROHO. Three brands. One Mission. Together there is over 90 years of business experience in complex seating and mobility products. And together, these companies are better able to innovate and create healthcare solutions. Permobil founder, Dr. Per Udden stated over 40 years ago: “Every disabled person has the right to have his or her handicap compensated as far as possible by aids with the same technical standard as those we all use in our everyday lives.”
By focusing on this mission of using technology to meet their user’s needs, Permobil continues to lead the industry with a diverse line of innovative, complex rehabilitation solutions. This includes the user-focused process of custom fitting and configuration of TiLite manual wheelchairs, the ground breaking anterior tilt technology of the Permobil F-Series, and the decades of research demonstrating the effectiveness of ROHO DRY FLOTATION Technology. It’s not just the “power of mobility” anymore, it’s a broad commitment to healthcare solutions.
For more information please visit http://www.permobil.com.
