This 8-hour workshop is relevant for any therapist who has interactions with people who are manual wheelchair users and their caregivers. The workshop will begin with a 1-hour didactic introduction to the Wheelchair Skills Program (www.wheelchairskillsprogram.ca). The remaining practical portion of the workshop will provide participants with an opportunity to experience a range of wheelchair skills including spotting techniques and assessment methods but will focus on training issues (both the ‘tricks of the trade’ and motor-skills-learning principles).

The wheelchair is one of the most enabling technologies a clinician can provide. However, without proper user training, the positive impact on community access and quality of life can be compromised. Unfortunately, many wheelchair users lack skills crucial for independence, safety and upper limb preservation. In the context of reduced lengths of stay across the rehabilitation continuum, it is important that clinicians have access to effective and evidence-based interventions to teach users these skills. The Wheelchair Skills Program (WSP) consists of evidence-based assessment and training protocols – the Wheelchair Skills Test (WST) and Wheelchair Skills Training Program (WSTP) respectively. This workshop will provide an overview of 1:1 and group training. We will discuss the effectiveness of each these interventions through randomized control trial and prospective cohort studies, as well as outcome measures (the WST, its questionnaire version [WST-Q], and a Goal Attainment Scale [GAS]) that can be used in a clinical setting to evaluate wheelchair skills. We will provide participants with a blueprint for how these methods can be translated to their clinical setting with a clear understanding of how to progress from basic to advanced for propulsion, turning, wheelies, and curb negotiation skill sets. An overview will also be presented on motor learning theories for timing and content of feedback. We will also discuss the role of wheelchair setup in skill performance. Participants will get hands-on practice with receiving and providing skills training while performing, spotting, and instructing on wheelchair skills.