Action Track Chair Available for All-Terrain Mobility for Disabled Individuals

Action Trackchair Photo from StarTribune

An article by Bob Timmons posted in the Star Tribune states that by early summer, some Minnesota state parks will offer a means for disabled visitors to move through trail landscapes in ways they maybe never thought possible. Using a mobility device called the Action Trackchair, disabled individuals will have greater access to more parts of State and National parks. The Action Trackchair is part all-terrain vehicle and part beefed-up electric wheelchair designed with tank-like treads to navigate rugged terrain if necessary. The Action Trackchair operates with a tilting seat, tank-like treads, and battery power. Please see the image on the right. The Action Track chair is offered by Action Manufacturing in Marshall, MN . Additional information is available at Action Track.

This effort is a pilot project by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Initially five MN parks will have an Action Trackchair for use. The DNR will evaluate the demand for the chairs and users' experiences, among other things, before deciding whether to expand the program to more parks. Money from the state's Parks and Trails Legacy Fund helped pay for four of the chairs. A fifth was donated.

The Trackchair was borne of tragedy. Action Manufacturing owner Tim Swenson developed the prototype in 2007 for his son, Jeff, to keep him in the outdoors after he was paralyzed in a vehicle accident. Now, 5,700 chairs across several models have been sold. The model in the MN state parks has a wider base for stability and is suited to tracks beyond pavement.