Wheelchair Right to Repair: Film on Open-Source Chairs
Author: Respect America
Published: 13 Oct 2026
Publication Type: Announcement
Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Definition - Overview - FAQs - Insights, Updates - Related Content
Synopsis
This report covers a new five-minute film from the nonprofit Respect America about Thomas Quiter. Quiter is a disability advocate who was born with osteogenesis imperfecta and uses a power wheelchair. He founded the Mobility Independence Foundation to design and share open-source mobility equipment that is durable, adaptable, and simple enough to build or repair locally. The film comes out October 16, during National Disability Employment Awareness Month. It looks at a problem many power wheelchair users know well: when a chair breaks, repairs can take a long time and few places may be allowed or able to do the work. The story matters to wheelchair users, seniors who rely on mobility devices, caregivers, clinicians, and policymakers, because a broken chair can cut someone off from a job, daily independence, and community life. It draws on Quiter's own experience and his long record as an advocate to show how open designs and local repair could shorten downtime and give people more say over the equipment they depend on.*
At a Glance
- 1 - Quiter has spent 27 years advocating for people with disabilities.
- 2 - Quiter says inadequate equipment once left him effectively bedridden for five years.
- 3 - The 2026 National Disability Employment Awareness Month theme is "Celebrating Value and Talent."
- 4 - In the film, Quiter compares wheelchair repair to the often broken McDonald's ice cream machine, which only one company can fix.
Topic Definition
- Open-Source Power Wheelchair
An open-source power wheelchair is a motorized wheelchair whose designs, parts lists, wiring diagrams, and software are shared publicly under licenses that let anyone study, build, modify, or repair it. Proprietary models often depend on one manufacturer or authorized dealer for parts, diagnostic tools, and service. An open-source chair is instead built from standard, widely available parts and documented instructions, so local technicians, makerspaces, family members, or users themselves can keep it running. The goal is to cut repair delays, lower long-term costs, and let people adapt the chair to their own bodies and daily needs.
Overview
Who Gets to Fix Your Wheelchair? New Film Follows Disability Advocate's Push for Open-Source Power Chairs
Respect America is releasing a new five-minute film on October 16 featuring disability advocate Thomas Quiter and his efforts to develop open-source power wheelchairs. The film explores barriers to wheelchair repairs and their impact on independence, mobility, and accessibility.
Film Follows Advocate's Push for Open-Source Wheelchairs
Power wheelchair users can face lengthy delays and limited repair options when their equipment breaks, a problem disability advocate Thomas Quiter knows firsthand.
Quiter, who was born with osteogenesis imperfecta and relies on a power wheelchair for mobility, says inadequate equipment once left him effectively bedridden for five years.
After 27 years advocating for people with disabilities, he founded the Mobility Independence Foundation to develop and share open-source mobility equipment designed to be durable, adaptable and simple enough to build or repair locally. His work is the subject of a new five-minute film from Respect America, set for release October 16.
"It's like a trip to McDonald's. The ice cream machine is always broken, right? That's because only one company can fix it. Imagine that, but it's your necessary medical device instead of soft serve," Quiter says in the film.
The film is being released during National Disability Employment Awareness Month, whose 2026 theme is "Celebrating Value and Talent." Quiter argues that reliable mobility equipment affects far more than transportation: when essential equipment fails, wheelchair users can lose access to work, independence and community life.
"Thomas is asking a simple question: if it is your property and your body, why isn't the repair your decision?" said Hannah Henriksen, president of Respect America. "His story shows what the Philosophy of Human Respect looks like in practice: trust people to understand their own needs, give them the freedom to solve their own problems, and respect the choices they make for their own lives. That makes everyone happier in the end."
Respect America
Respect America is a nonprofit that tells real human stories about the effects of coercion on people's lives and the voluntary solutions they pursue. Its work promotes the Philosophy of Human Respect and solutions that increase human happiness, harmony, and prosperity.
Frequently Asked Questions
NOTE: Researched FAQs by Disabled World (DW)
What is osteogenesis imperfecta?
Osteogenesis imperfecta is a genetic condition, often called brittle bone disease, that affects how the body makes collagen. People with the condition can have bones that fracture easily, and many use wheelchairs or other mobility aids depending on how severe it is.
What does open-source hardware mean?
Open-source hardware is physical equipment whose designs, schematics, and build instructions are published so anyone can study, make, change, or repair it. It works like open-source software, but for physical devices.
What is the right to repair for wheelchairs?
Wheelchair right to repair is the idea that users and independent technicians should be able to get the parts, tools, manuals, and software needed to fix power wheelchairs, not just the manufacturer or an authorized dealer.
Which states have wheelchair right to repair laws?
Colorado became the first state to pass a wheelchair right to repair law in 2022. It requires manufacturers to provide parts, tools, and documentation to owners and independent repair providers. Several other states have since considered similar bills.
Does Medicare cover power wheelchair repairs?
Medicare Part B generally covers necessary repairs for a power wheelchair you own if it was originally covered as durable medical equipment. The usual deductible and coinsurance apply, and repairs typically must go through a Medicare enrolled supplier.
Why do power wheelchair repairs often take so long?
Delays often come from insurance prior authorization, a limited number of trained technicians, parts that only the manufacturer supplies, and a small number of large dealers serving wide areas. Each step can add days or weeks before a chair is fixed.
What can wheelchair users do while waiting for a repair?
Users can ask their supplier for a loaner chair, since Medicare and many insurers may cover a temporary replacement during repairs. Keeping a backup manual chair, learning basic maintenance, and recording repair requests in writing can also help.
What is National Disability Employment Awareness Month?
National Disability Employment Awareness Month is held every October in the United States and led by the Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy. It recognizes the contributions of workers with disabilities and promotes inclusive hiring practices.
Notable People With Osteogenesis Imperfecta: Achievements and Impact: Meet notable people with osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disorder that causes fragile bones to break easily, sometimes for no apparent reason at all.
Insights, Analysis, and Developments
Editorial Note: Few people think about who is allowed to fix a wheelchair until theirs stops working, and this story makes that gap hard to ignore. Respect America frames Quiter's work around a simple idea from its president, Hannah Henriksen: if the device is your property and supports your own body, the choice of how and where to repair it should be yours. The issue goes well beyond one advocate. It affects every power chair user who has waited weeks for a part or a technician, and it ties into the wider right-to-repair movement, which saw Colorado pass the nation's first wheelchair repair law in 2022. Open-source designs will not fix every supply or insurance problem. They do point toward equipment that local technicians, family members, and users themselves can maintain, which could mean fewer missed workdays and less time stuck at home.*
Attribution/Source(s): This quality-reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by Respect America and published on 13 Oct 2026, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.
* Editorial additions by Ian C. Langtree.