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About Beneficial Designs
About Us
Our Mission
Beneficial Designs works towards universal access through research, design, and education. We believe all individuals should have access to the physical, intellectual, and spiritual aspects of life. We seek to enhance the quality of life for people of all abilities, and work to achieve this aim by developing and marketing technology for daily living, vocational, and leisure activities.
Our Work
Beneficial Designs develops assistive and adaptive technology, performs rehabilitation research, contract design, legal consultation, standards development, and serves as a rehabilitation information resource.
Adaptive Recreation Equipment
After sustaining a spinal cord injury, Peter Axelson founded Beneficial Designs in 1981 to manufacture his Arroya Sit-ski design. Many Beneficial Designs devices, including hand controls for manual transmission vehicles, and a piano pedal pusher operated by the abdominal muscles, have been inspired by Peter Axelson's desire to reestablish the physical, intellectual, and spiritual balance in his own life.
Peter Axelson's zest for outdoor recreation has led Beneficial Designs to specialize in the development of a variety of adaptive recreation equipment, including mono-skis, cross-country snow skis, a wave ski for surf kayaking, and ultralight aircraft modifications.
To help wheelchair users maintain optimal hand/arm condition and flexibility, Beneficial Designs has developed a dynamic rowing machine to exercise the upper limb muscles that oppose normal wheelchair pushing.
Rehabilitation Research & Development
At Beneficial Designs, we develop assessment systems and devices to give people the information they need to access a variety of environments. This work includes developing the Universal Trail Assessment Process to obtain and deliver access information about outdoor recreation trails, and designing devices and methods to objectively measure surface firmness and stability, characteristics that impact accessibility.
We also develop technologies to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities. This work includes designing, building, and testing innovative wheelchairs, ergonomic wheelchair back support shaping systems, and devices to assess hand strength that serve as clinical tools to research hand, arm, and shoulder overuse injuries common to manual wheelchair users.
Design Consultation
Beneficial Designs offers comprehensive design and consultation services to manufacturers and developers of new rehabilitation products. Complete production facilities and skilled technical support permit us to receive a concept, develop it into a design, fabricate a prototype, and conduct product testing until a technology is ready for manufacturing.
Legal Consultation
Beneficial Designs conducts research and testing for legal cases, and Peter Axelson provides expert testimony in cases involving rehabilitation equipment.
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Who We Are
Staff
Peter Axelson, Founder and Director of R&D,
presents our work worldwide. He loves spending time with
his family and is an avid mono-skier and pilot.
Denise Axelson, Research Engineer, assists with
standards development work. She loves being a mom and
enjoys playing volleyball, skiing, and cooking.
Bill Blythe, Technical Assistant, likes to cook,
play guitar, work with computers, and lead worship at
church.
Barton Cline, Software Developer and Electronics
Technician, enjoys in-depth Bible study, family time,
languages (incl. computer languages), and loves his job.
Harmony Hilderbrand, Office Manager, she is
attending UNR, enjoys photography, and spending time
with her husband.
Stephen Pieters, Shop Assistant, is a junior in
high school who enjoys riding motorcycles, off-roading
trucks, and fishing.
Jaime Skilling, Office Assistant, is a junior in
high school, and likes to dance.
Jeremy Vlcan, Trails Assistant, enjoys hiking,
photography and playing in the yard.
Consultants
Seanna Kringen, Research Associate, enjoys
swimming and hiking with her husband and three children.
Patti Longmuir, Research Scientist, focuses on
accessible recreation projects, enjoys the outdoors, and
is currently working on her Ph.D.
Mike Passo, Trails Project Specialist, provides
technical expertise in trail accessibility and
sustainability.
Carla Shepard, Bookkeeper, enjoys four-wheeling,
playing piano, singing, and camping.
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History
(text not yet available)
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Every year we send out a newsletter to let our friends and associates know what's going on with the company.
PAX Press
PAX Press is the publishing division of Beneficial Designs, Inc.
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Contact Information
Our business hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Friday.
Beneficial Designs, Inc.
2240 Meridian Blvd, Suite C
Minden, NV 89423-8628
775.783.8822 ph
775.783.8823 fax
mail@beneficialdesigns.com
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