April 29, 2026 | Amanda Brennan, WCIA News
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports falls are the leading cause of injury for adults 65 and older. People in wheelchairs are at an even higher risk. That’s a primary focus for Health and Kinesiology Associate Professor Laura Rice and her research at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Rice spoke with WCIA 3 News on the University Updates segment, to shed light on fall statistics and how users of wheelchair and scooters can manage the risks of falling.
“A lot of times, the wheelchair isn’t fit for the person very well, maybe they got a hand-me-down that wasn’t set up for them, people don’t have training on transfers when they’re moving the person from one place to another. Those are all very common reasons for falls,” she explained.
Watch the full segment on the WCIA 3 website.
(For more, read the News Bureau’s piece: “Falls are prevalent concern among people who use wheelchairs, scooters.”)
Editor’s note:
To reach Laura Rice, email ricela@illinois.edu.
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