What Transportation Gets Wrong About Wheelchair Securement (And How to Fix It)

School bus safety doesn’t stop at the wheelchair lift or the steps. In this episode of The Route, Amanda Huggett sits down with Brianna Paauwe, product application specialist at AMF Bruns of America and a wheelchair user bringing lived experience to an industry that impacts students every day.

Paauwe breaks down what “good” wheelchair securement looks like from a rider’s point of view, why refresher training matters (not just one-and-done onboarding), and how small shifts in communication can protect safety and promote dignity. Plus, get the inside scoop on AMF Bruns’ new podcast, Beyond Mobility, created to broaden conversations around mobility, independence, and access.

Themes and topics in this episode:

• Why securement safety is often an application andtraining issue (not just equipment)
• What drivers, aides, and routers should understand about time, angles, and consistency.
• Simple ways to support rider dignity through communication and autonomy.
• Why “one size fits all” approach doesn’t apply.
• Why there’s hope for the future of transportation mobility and how we can get there together.

This episode is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IC Bus.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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