Gerry Price, a Canadian Paraplegic Association member who lives on Salt Spring Island off the B.C. coast, has turned his post-injury frustration into a unique business, ADVentures, which specializes in the design of adaptive devices for wheelchair users.

Gerry's first success is the ADA Lap Solutions Wheelchair Accessories System, which was awarded Best New Product design in September by the Canadian
Adaptive Seating and Mobility Association. The ADA Lap, which was also very well-received at the fall Med Trade Show in New Orleans, is a versatile system of connectors, supporting links and work surfaces which can be adapted to many different positions and a wide variety of uses - besides being a tray, the ADA Lap can be used to hold your umbrella, fishing rod, cup or book.

The system is now manufactured and marketed by Symmetric Designs.

The idea for the ADA Lap system came to Gerry after he became a C6 quad as a result of a 1995 workplace fall. An avid fisherman, he was seeking ways of reconnecting with the great outdoors. With a background in engineering, he began by designing an umbrella holder - essential equipment for a power chair user living on the "wet" coast.

"Because I couldn't find a suitable umbrella holder to buy, I had a piece of PVC pipe attached to the front of my power chair, and that worked well," says Gerry. "But the position between my knees was also perfect to hold a small l0xl4 inch pedestal table with a non-slip surface to use as work platform to hold my laptop and other things on. Understanding that wheelchairs aren't complete without custom seating cushions, I had a friend make a metal base to slide under the cushion and hold the PVC pipe."

Gerry discovered that a Victoria company's components and anti-locking devices for marine applications worked perfectly as he developed other uses for the system.

With a prototype completed, Gerry quickly realized that others could benefit from the system. "Knowing that tables and devices for wheelchairs are always attached to the arms of the chairs, and that most wheelchairs don't have arms, I felt this product that was working so well for me would also meet a need that hasn't been met by the rehab industry," he says.

Gerry worked out a royalty agreement with Symmetric Designs, and the rest is history.

Using computer assisted design (CAD) technology, he's now working on designs for other assistive products.

Gerry is willing to help other CPA members interested in pursuing their ideas for inventions. "If anybody's interested in talking to me about the whole invention process, I'd be willing to help - I've learned an awful lot. I'd like to be encouragement to other people."

You can reach Gerry by phone (250-537-5304) or e-mail ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ).


Originally published in the Summer 2000 edition of Total Access Magazine by the Canadian Paraplegic Association, www.canparaplegic.org.