(Excerpt) 3/5/02
ZUCK-AIDEZ, INC.
S. ZUCKERMAN: What size wheels are going on this model?
A. FRANCES: You know, I've been thinking - do we really even need wheels?
G. WANG: What do you mean?
A. FRANCES: Wheels. . . . Do we really need them?
G. WANG: Of course, it's a wheelchair.
S. ZUCKERMAN: Let's think for a minute. . . do we need wheels?
A. FRANCES: Well, eliminating the wheels would solve a lot of problems.
S. ZUCKERMAN: No flats. Less moving parts. Smoother ride.
G. WANG: It's a wheelchair - of course you need wheels.
A. FRANCES: Not necessarily. Think about it - the most restrictive part of a wheelchair is its wheels. Curbs, stairs, rough terrain - get rid of the wheels, and these are no longer issues.
G. WANG: The chair won't roll without them - come on, guys!
A. FRANCES: How do you know - have you tried using a wheelchair without wheels?
G. WANG: No, I've never tried using a wheel-less wheelchair - and do you know why. . . because you need wheels! A wheelchair needs wheels!
S. ZUCKERMAN: Don't discount the idea till you try it. Sure, for the last fifty years, wheelchairs have had wheels, but maybe that's because no one has tried removing them. Take them off, and see what happens - you might be surprised.
G. WANG: OK, let me approach this another way. . . . Does the FDA require wheels? What about to meet ANSI/RESNA standards - don't we need wheels?
S. ZUCKERMAN: Yeah, those are good questions, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let's get a chair, take off the wheels, and see what happens. . . .