From the newsroom: Wheelchairs break often and take a long time to fix, leaving millions stranded

Team Common is taking some time off to rest and recover over the holidays. In the meantime, we’re sharing some of our favorite stories from WBUR’s newsroom in 2022.

About 5.5 million people use wheelchairs in the United States. But those wheelchairs aren’t always reliable. They often break down and the average repair takes up to a month. That’s a serious problem for people who use them, and it’s been linked to medical complications.

In May, WBUR health and science reporter Gabrielle Emanuel took a hard look at the reasons behind these frequent breakdowns. Today, we look back at what she found.