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SSD Mobility Project

The word "WHY" appears in large, bold, black letters centered on a light blue background.

Mobility directly correlates with a child’s development of cognition, social skills, and communication (Nisbet, 2002). Without mobility, there is the potential for delays in development and negative health outcomes (Dobell et al., 2023). Mobility must be augmented to promote overall health and development.

Research has demonstrated that whether experiencing mobility through typical development or augmenting mobility with powered mobility, both result in the same developmental impact (Uchiyama et al., 2008).

Prior to the introduction of the SSD Mobility Project, it was noted that most students with mobility limitations in our district were manual wheelchair users and dependent upon others for mobility. Only a small number of students with mobility limitations had their own personal power wheelchairs (PWC).

The SSD Mobility Project was implemented to give every student the chance to experience independent movement.

The word "WHO" appears in large, bold, black letters centered on a light red background.

SSD provides special education services to over 23,000 students within 22 public school districts and seven special education schools throughout St. Louis County.

Any SSD student within the partner districts and SSD buildings can participate in the Mobility Project.

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The Mobility Project team processes requests by matching the student’s needs to the features available in the chairs.
The Assistive Technology (AT) Specialists program each power wheelchair’s electronics for a safe mobility experience.
All PWCs in the Mobility Project Inventory can be driven with a joystick, head array, or switches. PWCs can be customized with seating and positioning supports as needed.
The AT Specialist, OT, and/or PT complete a mat evaluation with each student who is trialing a power wheelchair. The goal of the mat eval is to determine the best position for each student to be able to easily move the PWC and then provide seating that supports them while they’re using it.
The AT Specialist provides an overview of how to operate the PWC and ongoing support for the staff working with the student.
The student trials the PWC for one semester.

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Any SSD student within the partner districts and SSD buildings can participate in the Mobility Project. There are 16 power wheelchairs available for students in the partner districts to trial.

Each of the SSD special education schools has at least two power wheelchairs to use with students in these buildings on an ongoing basis.

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Physical and/or occupational therapists can request a PWC trial for their student(s) by filling out the Google Form below.
Therapists provide information on size of PWC needed, potential access method student will use to move PWC, and any positioning supports student will need in PWC within the form.

Power Mobility Project trial request form

A young woman in a power wheelchair with a head array.

A boy in a power wheelchair with a head array reaching for a ball.

A child seated in a powered wheelchair equipped with a head array. She is trialing the chair for the first time and is exploring the gym at her school.

A child sitting on the edge of a mat with a person.

A child seated in a powered wheelchair equipped with assistive technology, including a mounted communication tablet and head support. The child is wearing a blue and white shirt and dark pants. The wheelchair is positioned indoors in a therapy or classroom setting

A child sitting in a power wheelchair with a pink shirt.

A young woman in a power wheelchair smiling.

The back of three power wheelchair bases with customized license plates.

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The SSD Mobility Project was fully implemented during the 2024-25 school year.
As of May 2026, over 35 students in 19 of the 22 partner districts supported by SSD have trialed power wheelchairs through the SSD Mobility Project. Many students within the SSD schools have also trialed power wheelchairs.
At the end of the trial period, teams complete an electronic survey to provide information about any observed impacts of the mobility experience.
Following the trial period, the team typically has a discussion about what the next steps are for the student in regards to powered mobility.

The SSD Mobility Project has led to an increase in the number of students obtaining their own personal power wheelchairs through insurance.

Based on survey results collected during the 24-25 and 25-26 school years, teams have reported positive impacts of the trial periods including increased:
- understanding of cause and effect
- ability to explore the environment
- attention to task and alertness
- self confidence

Therapists also described the student’s ability to change positions, a decreased need for adult support, more time spent in instructional settings, and autonomous choice making as other benefits. During the power mobility trials, students were able to demonstrate skills they had not had the opportunity to show before, and this subsequently raised staff expectations of what their students were capable of.

PWC Trial Feedback Survey

The word "WHAT'S NEXT?" appears in large, bold, black letters centered on a light green background.

continue to increase our PWC inventory so that more students can experience independent movement across St. Louis County
increase number of students receiving their own PWCs
increase awareness of the SSD Mobility Project
increase OT/PT competency to initiate and implement power mobility trials
continue collecting data on impacts and outcomes

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SSD Mobility Project Video

A group of nine adults stands in a meeting room behind four powered mobility chairs arranged in a row. The room features wood-paneled walls, a projector screen with presentation text, an American flag, and a conference-style setup. Several participants wear name badges and pose for a group photo around the mobility equipment, which includes black seats and blue or green accents.

Special Education Foundation Article

Closing The Gap Presentation October 21, 2026

For questions, please contact Assistive Technology Specialists Katie McGinnis (kmcginnis@ssdmo.org) or Rachel Tangen (rltangen@ssdmo.org).

For donations, please contact Nikki Brentlinger (ndbrentlinger@ssdmo.org - Director of Student Services) or Teri Toler (ttoler@ssdmo.org - OT/PT/APE Effective Practice Specialist).

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