California grants powered wheelchair owners the “Right to Repair”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation Friday that will make it easier for powered wheelchair owners in the state to have their equipment repaired, reducing delays that could leave them immobilized.

For decades, if something you owned broke, you could fix it yourself, take it to an independent repair shop or go back to the manufacturer. Unfortunately, as more of our stuff including blenders, phones, tractors, and medical equipment becomes digital, manufacturers are able to lock us out, undermining the repair marketplace and driving up costs and inconvenience for consumers.

This problem is particularly pronounced for powered wheelchairs. If a part breaks on someone’s wheelchair, it needs to be fixed quickly. Yet according to a U.S. PIRG survey of 141 manual and power wheelchair users, long wait times for wheelchair repairs are extremely common. When survey respondents were asked to estimate the average time it takes from initial request to completed repair, 62% of them (87 of 141) said the average repair took 4 or more weeks. And 40% of respondents (56 of 141) estimated it takes 7 or more weeks on average to get a repair completed.

Going days or even weeks with a broken wheelchair can result in sores or injuries. For some, they have to remain stuck at home or even in their bed until the chair is fixed.

Many of the parts that break—a button, a wheel, a battery, a joystick—could be easily repaired. People should be able to try to fix these things themselves or take it to someone they trust. Especially when service delays can drag on for weeks or even months, wheelchair users should be able to access the necessary parts, tools and information to get them moving again on their own.

Californians already have the right to repair their vehicles, electronics and appliances. Soon, Californians will have the same repair access for powered wheelchairs. If we can independently fix our cars that go 70 mph, we should be able to fix our wheelchairs that go 7 mph.

Senate Bill 1384 by Senator Bill Dodd will require powered wheelchair manufacturers in California to provide the parts, tools, repair manuals, and documentation at fair and reasonable prices and the digital access needed to complete repairs.  The new law goes into effect in January 2025.